Now it is cutting season....
I am desperately looking for the following...

Saleeb UCR 217-1
Enderud UCR 228-20
Capri Q

These are so-called persistent caprifigs...

Buy or trade with my varieties (see list in my signature)

My location is Europe and Asia...

Just curious why you are looking for these persistent capri figs?

I didn't think the fig wasp lived in SE Asia and N. Europe. 
Do you have some plan to introduce the wasp to your area?

I subscribed to this topic because I was also interested in these varieties. I read about them earlier this year when studying up on hand pollination of figs. From what I read only persistent caprifigs hold their fruit without wasp interaction, so for hand pollination in the north we would need one, or more than one for variation. I think someday when I have a bit more time and space it would be fun to try my hand at breeding. Even if it's consuming a great deal of space and time with low expected positive yields.

[QUOTE=pino]Just curious why you are looking for these persistent capri figs?

I didn't think the fig wasp lived in SE Asia and N. Europe. 
Do you have some plan to introduce the wasp to your area?[/QUOTE]

Persistent caprifigs do not need wasp....

I'm confused. Do you intend to hand-pollinate other figs with the caprifigs? I've always understood the term 'persistent' refers to common edible figs that ripen without external pollination and 'caprifig' refers to the ones with pollen that are not very good for eating.

Yes, there are methods of hand pollination of Common female figs.  Persistent Caprifigs are ones that do not drop their fruit without wasp interaction.  From reports of those that have tried hand pollination it is quite difficult, but definitely possible if you practice and get your timing right.  From what i have read regular caprifigs drop their fruit without the wasp, which means no pollen in northern states.

[QUOTE=arachyd]I'm confused. Do you intend to hand-pollinate other figs with the caprifigs? I've always understood the term 'persistent' refers to common edible figs that ripen without external pollination and 'caprifig' refers to the ones with pollen that are not very good for eating.[/QUOTE]

Persistent caprifigs combine the two...

You can eat them and extract pollen from its breba fruits...

I had heard that persistent caprifigs are edible even if they aren't supposed to be as tasty as common female figs. Maybe someone can answer this, I heard some reports of Croisic being a persistent caprifig is this also a persistent caprifig? I know there is Gillette and a Gillette that is synonymous with Croisic, can anyone growing it put my question to rest?

[QUOTE=DevIsgro]I had heard that persistent caprifigs are edible even if they aren't supposed to be as tasty as common female figs. Maybe someone can answer this, I heard some reports of Croisic being a persistent caprifig is this also a persistent caprifig? I know there is Gillette and a Gillette that is synonymous with Croisic, can anyone growing it put my question to rest?[/QUOTE]

The legendary tree of Roscoff is also Croisic-type. I grow one plant which originates from that tree but has never produced any syconia so far.

That is why I am looking for some other varieties...

I grew a nice caprifig from seed. It always ripened its large fruit and was very productive but full of pollen.

[QUOTE=arachyd]I grew a nice caprifig from seed. It always ripened its large fruit and was very productive but full of pollen.[/QUOTE]

Do you still have it?

[QUOTE=arachyd]I grew a nice caprifig from seed. It always ripened its large fruit and was very productive but full of pollen.[/QUOTE]

But it seems isn't the persistent one....

Mine were edible. It just wasn't fun to eat them because of the pollen. The tree was cut down a few years ago. My son told me last week it sometimes sends out shoots but I looked and saw no signs of life. I told him to let me know if any growth appears. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b303/arachyd/inside%20ripe2.png

Did both crops contain pollen or only the breba?

That's pretty cool that you bred an edible caprifig! I hope that it comes back for you.

What to call it (or any persistent caprifig outside of wasp territory) is a little more difficult. Smyrna caprifigs (short styled female flowers) are reported to be edible if there is no wasp and they are sprayed with growth hormones to stimulate ripening, it is the wasp eggs that cause the flowers to be dry. A persistent caprifig therefore will be edible if there is no wasp. To actually be an "edible persistent caprifig" it must have long styled female flowers, which the wasp cannot lay eggs in, so it will be edible even when visited by the wasp.

There is still lots to learn about this, edible persistent caprifigs genetics are not explained by any research I have seen... the conventional wisdom is that the gene for stamens is tightly linked to the gene for short styles female flowers.

I don't remember if it had a 2nd crop but it always had pollen.

[QUOTE=hoosierbanana]What to call it (or any persistent caprifig outside of wasp territory) is a little more difficult. Smyrna caprifigs (short styled female flowers) are reported to be edible if there is no wasp and they are sprayed with growth hormones to stimulate ripening, it is the wasp eggs that cause the flowers to be dry. A persistent caprifig therefore will be edible if there is no wasp. To actually be an "edible persistent caprifig" it must have long styled female flowers, which the wasp cannot lay eggs in, so it will be edible even when visited by the wasp.

There is still lots to learn about this, edible persistent caprifigs genetics are not explained by any research I have seen... the conventional wisdom is that the gene for stamens is tightly linked to the gene for short styles female flowers.[/QUOTE]


Woah that I'd super cool! It is a whole new level of complexity, but makes perfect sense. Man I love figs.

[QUOTE=arachyd]Mine were edible. It just wasn't fun to eat them because of the pollen. The tree was cut down a few years ago. My son told me last week it sometimes sends out shoots but I looked and saw no signs of life. I told him to let me know if any growth appears. http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b303/arachyd/inside%20ripe2.png[/QUOTE]

If you have any available cutting tell me please

Has anyone tried the capri fig Gillette for this?

I had three in one pot and the pot fell killing all three.

Gillette, or Croisack sp, is said to be a good edible male fig.

I have seen references to these two names being different, and the same, fig

I think the confusion is because there is a female fig named Gillette and a nursery out west tried to rename Croisic Gillette. So there is a Gillette and a Gillette/Croisic.