Has anyone grown black Madeira successfully in zone 5

I live on the edge of zone 5b/6a and have gotten ripe figs from my Black Madeira. This was it's first summer of producing any figs which ripened late. The spring was slow to warm up and we had a lot of rain which didn't help things. I'm hoping that this coming summer will be better giving the tree an early start. As figs trees age they should ripen their figs a bit earlier than when they are young trees. I think the census is 5-7 years to have a mature tree. If you can start it going at least a month ahead of the other trees that should give you a good chance of getting them ripe.

I'm probably not allowed to post on this topic since I'm in zone 12... But about how long would you say it took from when the fig formed to when it was ripe? Was there a long stagnation period, where they just stayed the same size for a few months?

Thanks

It takes forever for me in zone 10. I can probably eat 2 crops of anything else in that time , very bad fig for your time and money.

There is a couple of us growing in zone 5 of the Colorado Rockies. I only just acquired a tree late last year, I don't expect fruit this year but I do hope for some.  The tree will be started indoors in my garage green house in March and again at the end of my very short season if there is fruit to try and ripen.

Black Madeira figs do have a long stagnation period before they start to ripen but that doesn't stop me from growing it. I plan on bringing the pot into the basement at the end of February to give it time to wake up. When it starts to leaf out I can put it in a large south facing window until it warms up enough to go outside for summer. It's not a problem doing that for one tree but if I had to do that with multiple trees then it wouldn't happen. For myself I think it's worth the trouble. Last year was the trees first time it had figs, about 10, which started to ripened October 23rd and I picked the last one in November, and that was with the tree leafing out in April. If I give it an early start then I'm hoping to get more figs this year and get them ripe in mid September.

For me it's not worth it. I have other plants like herbs and stuff to care for after the growing season, I don't need more. Plenty of pretty good figs that ripen earlier. Plus figs ripening indoors are never going to reach their flavor potential ripening in such a manner.  Now a heated green house where one can still give intense light, or use of artificial lights that are strong enough to grow pot would produce decent results.
If once mature the tree ripens earlier, well then it would be a better option. Also I suppose having late figs is cool too. It depends what you want etc. I have more of a desire for late tomatoes and peppers I use a lot of. Figs, not so much. If having fresh figs for as long as possible meets your needs then it certainly is worth it.

Thanks for all the advice. I've always wondered if it would be worth it since the taste
probably won't be there compared if it was grown in a hot climate

Yes, I agree it is a long season fig and probably not worth growing in zone 5 without a nice greenhouse.  You are wise to consider this when expanding your collection.  In my hands, Col de Dame Blanc and Col de Dame Noir are actually longer season figs than B.M.  However, it seems like a lot of new growers in zones 6 or cooler want these varieties.  I wonder how many of them will ever get ripe fruit.

[QUOTE=drew51]For me it's not worth it. I have other plants like herbs and stuff to care for after the growing season, I don't need more. Plenty of pretty good figs that ripen earlier. Plus figs ripening indoors are never going to reach their flavor potential ripening in such a manner.  Now a heated green house where one can still give intense light, or use of artificial lights that are strong enough to grow pot would produce decent results.
If once mature the tree ripens earlier, well then it would be a better option. Also I suppose having late figs is cool too. It depends what you want etc. I have more of a desire for late tomatoes and peppers I use a lot of. Figs, not so much. If having fresh figs for as long as possible meets your needs then it certainly is worth it.[/QUOTE]

Well said.

[QUOTE=Rewton]Yes, I agree it is a long season fig and probably not worth growing in zone 5 without a nice greenhouse.  You are wise to consider this when expanding your collection.  In my hands, Col de Dame Blanc and Col de Dame Noir are actually longer season figs than B.M.  However, it seems like a lot of new growers in zones 6 or cooler want these varieties.  I wonder how many of them will ever get ripe fruit.[/QUOTE]

Yes I'm in zone 6 and these do interest me too. So looking at them I hear they do taste almost alike. So one only needs one example really. Col de Dama Blanca-Negra is a very cool one with a light and a dark fig on the same plant. Now that's very different! Also it ripens 15 days earlier than the other CDD types. So if one in Zone 5 or 6 were to try these, this one would be the one to go for. And I have cuttings coming. If I cannot get ripe figs in time, I'll auction the plant off on EBay. I'm way ahead of myself. I only have one cutting coming I managed to get a collector to give me for a minimal cost. I have to get that to root!
 
I do btw have lights that are strong enough for hemp, so i could ripen the figs. I don't want to as the light is expensive to run. I only run it 2 months a year. I would have to make that 3 or 4 if used in the fall. I use it for tomato and pepper seedlings so they do not get leggy in early spring, while waiting to plant out the seedlings till the temp outside is warm enough. I get a good head start, I grow all of my tomatoes and peppers from seed.

If you live in zone 5 or 6 i would look at what has worked for Bass, he has some rare types that give good fruit and he is in a colder zone. Such as Lebanese Red, one I'm looking for.  I pretty much have all the figs I want to try for now. Always discovering more though I didn't know about. I'm fairly new to fig growing although I have over 40 years experience growing plants. I have 40 year old plants. They are cacti or tropicals. One of my cacti took 30 years to flower, so I'm a patient man!

I live in Idaho, I am zone5-6. You can grow it successfully. Fruiting wise...haha. Not so much. I mean, it will fruit.. It will ripen a **FEW** properly May- September...And there will be many many many green figs. The "remaining" Madeira figs that are able to ripen through October my climate will have a BLAND-okay taste. My climate here in Idaho. I will repeat, myyyyyyy climatttte.... have a short season which is why I prefer early or mid season variety.

I will tell you for FACT, if you have the climate like California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Louisanna etc zone 7,8,9 -12? (If there is a 12)- that have long seasons ..their Black Madiera is OUTSTANDING.

I guess I'll be scratching that one off, unless i get a greenhouse..will see

it will be very very helpful having a greenhouse- huge huge huge difference. Majority of people I know who (I have in the common...climate wise) that have established Blk Madeiras have a greenhouse/greenroom. Those who don't have one- well.. Either have the climate (lucky bastards) or collect for the passion.

jenny

Jennifer, It seems the BM needs some humidity to ripen nicely too. I am in SoCal in a very dry climate. I have enough heat until November but it is so dry that all my BM figs had walnut hard shells . Yes, it ripened but I would trade any better fig for it since the figs hang on for too long.

Bass has a very large climate controlled greenhouse so it is inappropriate to cite his zone as evidence of anything.

As for Rewton's comments on Col de Dame, I am going to second that, my fruit ripened extremely late this year, even with a head start. The first fruits did ripen in late August but more than half the crop was ruined by splitting or just falling off the tree improperly ripened. My suggestion if you are growing Col de Dame in the northern or colder places is to pinch off fruit that forms after 7/15 or even earlier, because no way it is gonna ripen and also leaving it on will divert the plant's energy from ripening what is on the tree.

Even in a southern climate, I use Herman's branch pinching for Col de Dame (8 leaves and pinch off the terminal bud to induce more rapid fruiting). Figs still ripen in October/November. Martin used to successfully ripen potted Black Madeira in Michigan.

I happen to have a fig that actually continues to ripen after being hit by frost. 
Do any of you guys have something like that?

[QUOTE=rafaelissimmo]Bass has a very large climate controlled greenhouse so it is inappropriate to cite his zone as evidence of anything. [/QUOTE]

I was just going on his comments, as he often describes adaptability of the cultivars he has.

I thought he is saying that if bass gets ripe black maderia or other late ripening varieties, they could have a head start in a greenhouse. So if yours are in ground In the same zone you might not have the same results.

I'm growing my Figo preto in a heated greenhouse with 1000 watts of light to mimic peak summer light intensity. It's 4 months old from a rooted cutting, It now has 6 figs on it. I just wanted to see if I could get figs to ripen over winter by recreating summer like conditions. Maybe late February-March they will ripen.

I actually give all my figs a good head start but still not enough to ripen all the figs
They need a lot of heat 
my uncle has a greenhouse and at the end of February or beginning of March he brings them out of dormancy