Holy Cow! I have been actively watching and dipping my hand into some of the Black Madeira fig auctions these last few weeks... primarily the last 2 by KK in the gallon and quart size and today's just concluded auction for a small air layered Madeira by New England Gardening. Wow! Talk about a feeding frenzy! Although KK's were priced reasonably until the last few moments and I was outbid at the last, the air layered plant just went through the roof in the last few moments hitting $261 thus exceeding the winning bid on KK's 2 plants COMBINED and with room to spare.... Far too pricey a range for my blood although the market sets the price! Congratulations are in order for the growers of those plants.... zowie!

T

In auctions you need two to Tango...and you get insane prices...
Mark

Wow is right. And to think I just saw a 7 or 8 ft. tall brown turkey (according to the label) with figs on it in a big nursery pot hidden among the leftover apple and peach trees at the local Home Depot. It would probably go for a small fortune on ebay.

[QUOTE=tsparozi]Holy Cow! I have been actively watching and dipping my hand into some of the Black Madeira fig auctions these last few weeks... primarily the last 2 by KK in the gallon and quart size and today's just concluded auction for a small air layered Madeira by New England Gardening. Wow! Talk about a feeding frenzy! Although KK's were priced reasonably until the last few moments and I was outbid at the last, the air layered plant just went through the roof in the last few moments hitting $261 thus exceeding the winning bid on KK's 2 plants COMBINED and with room to spare.... Far too pricey a range for my blood although the market sets the price! Congratulations are in order for the growers of those plants.... zowie!

T[/QUOTE]

I don't have much luck with getting KK's Madeira's either. One of the reason for the huge price is scarcity and supply and demand, aside from bidding frenzy at the last minute. Congrats to both KK and New England Gardening for rooting, making them available, and getting such high bids.

May we all one day taste and know what the big deal is about BM.

Black Madeira plant from James

Spring 2017, $15 +Shipping, can't beat it.

Hope my plants do as well so I can pay the friggin fig water bill. lol.

Mike

Mike, I hope you get what you paid for. It is a very difficult rooter especially the UC Davis version which is the real deal. If he's mass producing that variety then he wins the internet.

Yes, I have gone ahead and taken a $15 +shipping shot at ordering a rooted BM as well as cuttings for 2017 delivery however I am doing so in the hopes that it may pan out and provide a secondary or tertiary opportunity at obtaining that cultivar. Am cautiously optimistic that those orders will be fulfilled because I really do believe that James has the best of intentions and is working hard on his project however I don't want to wait until an as yet 2017 / 2018 date for the 2017 orders since he has his focus right now on fulfilling the 2016 orders which will be ready for spring 2017 delivery. If opportunity knocks for either BM plant or cuttings in the near term, I will take the opportunity; at 61+ years of age, I don't want to push the envelope further than needed.  :-)

Consider Figo Preto, same fig, matures fruits earlier, and half the price.

Steve... I hear you loud and clear... Not sure that there is 100% agreement that Figo Preto (aka Fico Preto?) is the same as BM or Violeta (for example figcuttings.com offers both BM and Figo Preto) and I am not experienced enough to draw that conclusion myself. That said, I am also trying to obtain cuttings of Figo Preto so that I can have at it from a rooting effort perspective having heard that Figo Preto and BM are equally difficult cutting rooters.

Good advice in any case and thank you for sharing your guidance...

T