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Subject: OT It's a Boy! Replies: 51
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 617
 
Congratulations, Danny!

Subject: LSU Purple? Replies: 35
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 957
 
Richdel,  It almost sounds like you may have a Celeste (smallish/fig drop). 

Subject: LSU Purple? Replies: 35
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 957
 
Kane -- what color is the interior of your fig? That may help. Also, I usually think of the LSUs having broader leaves. Your slender lobes remind me a little of Conadria.

Subject: What to do with young shoots? Replies: 5
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 367
 
Hi Ross,
If all those sprouted at the same time, and some grew quickly into branches and the others stalled, I would quickly prune out the ones that stalled. Generally those little spur-type growths will never do more than grow a leaf or two and even die off after growing 6" or so. Waste of energy: chunk'em. Keep the more aggressive growers for airlayers, etc. 

Subject: no leaf lobes - what fig ?? Replies: 13
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 1,267
 
My first-year JH Adriatics were all single lobes until they got to be 3 feet tall. Now they are starting to lobe a bit in the newest growth. 

Jeri, are you in California? Ficus palmata (a very near relative of ficus carica) fits that description -- I think some West Coasters have palmata growing in their neighborhoods.

Subject: More praise for "Sunbird Unk" Replies: 8
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 335
 
Here's the link to the original post by the member who discovered it: http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/unknownmaybe-carini-6701228?highlight=sunbird&pid=1283155627#post1283155627

Greysmith, always a 'better' fig to be had somewhere. But got to love the delicious one that's in my backyard. I was most impressed that this tasted like a mature fruit on a very young tree <2 years old. My HC and MVSB same age have been a little dry and tart & the green greeks were not particularly remarkable -- of course age will cure some of of that. Still waiting for Battaglia & couple more main crop St Jeans to mature. I pinched mid-summer so some began to bear flowers quite late in the summer.

Subject: Help identify this fig Replies: 6
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 285
 
Maybe ficus johannis/afghanististica? Some of these "Persian Mountain Fig" varieties have been collected for foliage mostly. Although, apparently this guy's does produce: http://exoticplants.ovo.bg/forum/6-438-1

Good luck! Beautiful tree at any rate.

Subject: More praise for "Sunbird Unk" Replies: 8
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 335
 
Thanks for the feedback, Leon. I also noticed this was virtually seedless - which could be attributed to age, but I wondered if it might be also connected with Mary Lane or the low-seed kadota types. Also it had a virtually non-existent stem: very thick and grew close to the branch. Again, a first-year plant, so may express differently over time. If this is EBT then it definitely crashes the BT reputation. Really excellent taste. 

Subject: Hot Carolina weather means -FIGS!! Replies: 24
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 828
 
Beautiful, Dennis. Congrats on Pastiliere.

Subject: More praise for "Sunbird Unk" Replies: 8
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 335
 
The best-tasting fig so far from the young bunch -- in fact possibly the most satisfying fig I've ever tasted. Big, juicy, fruity, and sweet, and didn't split or go bland in last night's rainstorm. Super tight eye for me. Perfect for my area -- I'll probably plant in the spring, so will have to take another year to gauge cold-hardiness. Thanks, Justin. Really excited to see what becomes of this as it mature. I'm drooling already. The apricot color throughout is spectacular.

The leaves have stayed very small -- smaller than a hand, so I'm guessing that might be characteristic. Seems some have posed it may be a Carini or LSU Tiger.  If you learn more, let me know. 
sunbird.jpg 







Subject: Black Mission Growth and Taste Issue Replies: 11
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 607
 
FYI LSU Purple does not have red eye in immature flower. Think you can rule that out.

Subject: 5 LSU Purple Cuts... Not even sure if one survives Replies: 5
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 265
 
Hi Sal. I'm a big fan of LSUP but i have a feeling it may not be a good choice for pot culture. Dunno, I may be wrong. 

Subject: Lsu tiger pic Replies: 15
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 602
 
They look like giant Celestes. Is flavor similar?  thanks for pics, Brian

Subject: St. Jean ID help Replies: 0
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 108
 
I received a mystery bunch of sticks from Jon in early 2014. They were numbered as St Jean, although I wasn't sure. Slow to root, the surviving plant really took off this year. The following is the only fig it produced this year so far. I had it cupped to bring to full ripeness, but yesterday's rainstorm - 1" in an hour - tore it off the stem, cup and all. Thankfully, it wasn't damaged and I ate it anyway, unripe as it may be. Meaty and mild, with what I thought was a lingering flavor of pears. Here's the photos. Can anyone confirm ID?

Thanks!
IMG_1815.jpg 
IMG_1818.jpg 
IMG_1823.jpg 
IMG_1836.jpg 

Subject: Foliage Replies: 4
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 354
 
Hi Bryan, 

Generally it's recommended to water the ground not the leaf - to avoid promoting fungus like leaf rust that thrives on wet leaves. Mornings are a good time so that the water has a chance to penetrate the ground and provide moisture through the heat of the day. How often depends on soil and climate and also how deep the watering penetrates the soil.  Even well watered plants will show some leaf curl on the hottest of days, so it might be best to check soil with a finger or wait till evening to see if leaves return to their normal healthy pose before watering again.  It's recommended that you can water a little more aggressively during the summer up to the point when figs begin to mature. Then slack off the water so that figs ripen slowly. Fast-ripening figs can be a little tasteless compared to those that are allowed to ripen over a longer period. 

Some people do foliar fertilize supplements, so you might want to search that to see if there's tricks/timing involved with that bit if business. 

Happy 4th and good luck with your plants!

Subject: Newby with sick (or overwatered) fig! Replies: 7
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 483
 
I see this when the pots get too dry then I compensate with way too much water. Like the plant is reacting to water shock.  Maybe try watering from bottom?  Good luck, and welcome.  Are you in Paris? Those old zinc rooftops are amazing. 

Subject: drooling over Negronne figlets Replies: 5
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 335
 
Lookin' good, Gene. Amazing how much productivity & growth when living in a bucket. How old's your tree? 

Subject: Is Scotts Black = LSU Black ? Replies: 48
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 2,949
 
Scott,  Got a quick response from Jason re: "LSU Black @ PftP"

"I am not sure if it is the same as Scott's Black. Our original plant came from Dr. Himmelrick at LSU. It is darker on the outside and lighter on the inside than LSU purple."


EDIT: If this is Scott's Black (link below), seems must be different - JFE's "Scott's Black" has dark center:

http://www.figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/lsu-scotts-black-2011-2012-5330984?highlight=lsu+scotts+black&pid=1274321493#post1274321493

Subject: Is Scotts Black = LSU Black ? Replies: 48
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 2,949
 
Scott, I just sent Jason @ PftP an email to see what he might be able to tell us. I'll share what I learn.

BTW if you're in the area, Saturday (June 13) is Blackberry day at Petals. Also, July 25th is the annual Fig Day with Doc Powell.

Subject: PHOTOS OF MY GIANT BLUE Replies: 6
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 554
 
Hi Lou, is this the same as "Fannick's/Texas Blue Giant?" 

Subject: Is Scotts Black = LSU Black ? Replies: 48
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 2,949
 
Thanks for the response, Blake. 

Subject: Strange--mouse mummy on a fig twig Replies: 32
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 689
 
"This fig's to die for!"

Subject: Is Scotts Black = LSU Black ? Replies: 48
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 2,949
 
*bump*

Did anyone ever get a verdict on this? Is the JF&E "LSU Scotts Black" the same as Petals from the Past's "LSU Black"?

 I see PftP still has some in stock and I was telling a neighbor they should try this one (Scott's), although I've never tried it myself. Seems like everyone thinks it's a great tree to have and maybe a better fruit than the Purple. 

Subject: Favorite of the Celeste group? Replies: 22
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 890
 
PS> Thanks Richie for the heirloom cuttings. They are already pushing roots after 5? days in a coir bin in my shed -- nice and warm/humid in there. That may be a record on pushing roots.

Subject: Fig Production Replies: 9
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 743
 
Hi Jo-Ann. Here at home in Alabama, LSUPurple started putting on the first main crop figs last week. They quickly get to Celeste-size figlets and then hold that size until closer to ripening time. LSUP is a fast grower and as a section of new growth begins to harden up (bark changed from green to darker color), figlets appear. I'd expect you'll have a lot more figs as all that new growth matures a bit.

Sections of tree that get hidden in shade don't produce much so you might want to watch that tall center trunk to see if it's shading the back side of the tree. Might want to prune or air layer that center trunk to allow in more sunlight. Watch it for a season and see what you think.  A good LSU will produce abundantly in almost any conditions in the South, so hopefully you'll have a great year ahead! I'd say do your main pruning in fall or spring then let it go in the summer. Just my two cents.

Subject: i didn't mean to ignore everyone.. Replies: 41
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 1,041
 
Good to see you back, Pete.  Sorry to hear about losing your plants. I'm sure Martin would advise to burn them all and dance around the bonfire. 
Be well. 

Subject: Fig rust? Please help.. Replies: 9
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 393
 
Welcome, Kevin. Sarah nailed it.

May not even be rust. Damage from minuscule insect bites, sun scorch caused by little droplets of rain/dew magnifying the sun on part of a leaf, or other issues like overspray by household chemicals/fertilizers can also cause this. Also, as figs put out new growth, they shed older leaves -- and they look pretty shabby as they are dying off.  Feel free to post a picture of the whole plant..might help.

Subject: OT Where to buy an Asian Persimmon Tree in PA??? Replies: 8
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 318
 
I just saw Hachiya at my local HomeDepot this afternoon and almost bought one. They looked really healthy. I have a fuyu I bought from Martha's Secrets (eBay) early this spring, but it hasn't bloomed yet. Looking forward to next year. 

Subject: News from Birmingham 5/29/15 Replies: 2
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 244
 
April showers brought the May deluge here. One of my little Valle Negras that was already too wet got caught under the eaves and had an ugly death. Its twin, who I gave to my mom and stayed in her basement under grow lights, is apparently doing great. Blessings for that. 

In January 2014, I got a few scions from Jon during the ScionFest. One was GreenGreek-sg (encanto515) which I was really excited to get but has since remained very much the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree for me. Although I've given it plenty of sun and small doses of FloraliciousPlus, it remains pitiful. Thinking about amending the soil with Prozac. 
gg.jpg 

In that same lot of scions, I received an extra couple of sticks which according to their tag were coded for St Jean. Hard to root and slow to grow, the surviving plant has grown quite well and despite the hard rains maintains a very upright trunk even without a stake. We'll see how things turn out. Would be great if it turned out to be GSJ. (below)

jean.jpg 

Two of the best performers, even with all this rain, have been WillsC's Battaglia (not shown) and Justin's Sunbird UNK (link here: http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/unknownmaybe-carini-6701228?highlight=sunbird&pid=1283155627#post1283155627 which I bought this winter as a small dormant plant. Wanted to share because it seems to really love the climate here--even being wet. Already putting on main crop figlets and putting out leaf buds on all the lower nodes without any pinching or pruning--don't know if that's common to the plant, but thought it was noteworthy. Beautiful lush green leaves. So far looks like a candidate for the "great production" tree. (below)  

sunbird full.jpg 
sunbird-figlet.jpg 
sunbird-node.jpg 

So many members are doing such a fine job offering rooted youngins that I've gone from trying to root all from sticks to about 50/50 sticks:young potted plants. Enjoying that mix quite a bit.

That's about all I have to add to the party. By the way, the tone of the forum has been really outstanding lately. Thanks everybody for keeping this place a really good one and one that's welcoming to new peeps.

Happy growing!
Rick

Subject: Your Top 5 pick for cool climate pot/container Fig Cultivators ? Replies: 47
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 2,223
 
I'm not really into pot culture but I've noticed that Hardy Chicago and MBvs set fruit early on even in small grower pots. Mine were started in winter 2013-2014, and although the HCs quickly outgrew their 1 gallons, the MvsB grew at a snail's pace but still set fruit even as tiny plants.  

PS> (EL) denotes strains from Edible Landscaping, a nursery in Virginia http://ediblelandscaping.com

Hope you find some winners! 

Subject: TUFF LUV fig forest. Replies: 11
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 859
 
Good luck, Soni. Looks great. And, I agree with the sink-or-swim campaign. No sense in having to schlep pots around all the time in the South. Plus, plenty of other things to try on the property other than just figs. I'm jealous of all that sunny expanse! We only have a handful of places in the year that get enough sun throughout the day to grow full-sun plants. And most of those spots are filled with cucuzza squash trellises. Boss Lady loves'em.

Subject: Favorite of the Celeste group? Replies: 22
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 890
 
Blake, Lemon makes the best preserve I've ever had. Mine, however, has to contend with that Japanese maple and has grown to about 15 feet. All legs lol.  If I had a sunny place to transplant it, I would. Unfortunately the house sits in a valley surrounded by tall pines and sunny spots are scarce.  For me, lemon is the last to fruit. Celeste (in theory, lol), then LSUP, then Lemon. 
lemon open3.jpg 

Subject: Favorite of the Celeste group? Replies: 22
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 890
 
Thanks, folks. We'll give it one more season of heavy manure before giving it the Lizzie Borden treatment.  The Celeste was bought from Petals at the same time as the LSUpurple (about 9-10? years ago), and they are planted side by side. The LSU Purple continues to amaze, although the Celeste tends to drop what little it produces. Last year, I threw a few handfuls of granular, which didn't help. 

Blake, the Improved was my next step. I think Dennis said he thought it was superior to the O'Rourke (although I'll probably get an O'Rourke one day just out of respect for Ed). 

Rich, I'll PM you soon. Would love to get some cuttings. 


BTW, here's the trees from early last spring. The Celeste is big, just doesn't do anything.

P1010004.jpg 

Subject: Favorite of the Celeste group? Replies: 22
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 890
 
I've commented before about my standard variety Celeste not being a great producer. In fairness, it's at the end of a garden row, and may not be getting the best light. But it's been inground for the better part of a decade, and should be in its prime. It's long due for the axe. 

So I'm crowd-sourcing for a better Celeste cultivar for my area (North Central Alabama z7b). Late cold snaps means discounting brebas as a qualifier. Looking mainly for reliability (no dropping!) and heavy production. Still want to keep the basic Celeste flavor-profile.

There seem to be a host of figs that are Celeste-related: Hunt, O'Rourke, Tiger, Champagne, LSU Improved Celeste (Not O'Rourke), etc.

Your pick for the Best Celeste?  

(Thanks in advance!)

Subject: Cuttings Replies: 6
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 450
 
You might try using the forum member search by location to find members in your home country/region. Someone also mentioned a Malaysia Fig Facebook group.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/register/search?1=1 

Subject: Slidell Black Unk Replies: 29
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 1,416
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisK
This pic was just sent to me. Breba and main crop on the same branch and both pretty large for early May. So Looks like a very early fig with breba and quite possibly more than one main crop!


Great story on this one, Chris. The leaves here look a lot like the heirloom Celestes in southern Alabama (although the fruit seems larger). Interesting to see what it turns out to be. 

Subject: Cant seem to find a video on pinching Replies: 8
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 374
 
Hi Joshua,

How much to pinch is up to you. You can just pinch the terminal bug (like in this hdtv pic) in which the plant will likely create 1-3 new branch buds from within the wound where you pinched the bud. http://hgtvhome.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/hgtv/fullset/2010/10/27/15/RX-DK-HTG31604_pinch-shoots_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.1280.960.jpeg  Just pinch it off with your index finger and thumbnail or a sterile knife. No big art to it. 

If you just pinch the bud, you may not get much branching lower down the branch/trunk. It seems the deeper you pinch prune, the further down the trunk/branch you stimulate growth. So if you want to be aggressive, you can pinch off more sections just above a node (or a half inch above the node to allow for a little die back). If you have a healthy, growing plant and conditions aren't too stressful, the plant should heal quickly and begin to put out compensating growth. Happy figs are very resilient.

Subject: Lineage, Collector's, History questions Replies: 5
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 386
 
University of California at Davis (UCD) near Sacramento hosts the National Clonal Germplasm Repository in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the NCGR is to collect, catalog and, on a limited basis distribute, a massive collection of specimens--I think UCD specializes in fruit trees. They offer a program where folks can order scions to grow and trial -- the program is designed to be for scientific study, so there is no guarantee your order will be approved. However, the UCD, at least a decade ago, one of the largest collections of figs available. Now many of these varieties have been acquired and disseminated among fig folks. There's plenty on this forum about the program: search "UCD".  

Subject: Flanders fig and/or Northland/Nordland? Replies: 7
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 483
 
Flanders is supposed to be a late ripener, so if you have early frost in your area it might be an issue. And although Flanders has a breba crop, in Birmingham our winters and late freezes pretty much make breba crops impossible (certainly for in-ground trees). I'm not really equipped to handle pot culture on a continuing basis, so mid-season ripeners are ideal central/north-central Alabama.

Good luck, and be sure to report on your experience.

(If you're just getting started, you might enjoy this great thread re: ripening times http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/ripening-order-2858750?highlight=ripening&pid=1274406560#post1274406560)

Subject: What is the name for this beauty? Replies: 21
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 806
 
My guess is the Turkish Black Bursa. 

Subject: Just dropping in to say hi from middle TN! Replies: 9
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 305
 
Hi Egghead,

I had a conversation about this with Edible Landscaping in Virginia once. EL says Negronne and VdB are synonymous. If I recall correctly, our French member #jdsfrance said that in France they call it Negronne not Violette de Bordeaux, so I guess that name was added at some point after it made its pilgrimage to the States. I think EL coined the name Petite Negri -- and, by their comments -- it is the dwarf version of VdB/Negronne. For what it's worth, someone at EL said they found the PN strain to be a bit more production and also more cold-hardy than VdB/Negronne. I don't know whether Petite Negra is the same as EL's Petite Negri or not. Probably depends on who's selling it.

Subject: any dude may sell me some cuttings around Toronto in Canada? Replies: 8
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 549
 
Have you checked out Adriano's http://www.adrianosfigtrees.com ? 

Canadian members seem to have some really great varieties. Good luck!

Subject: Anyone growing Well Sweep? Replies: 0
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 188
 
Saw Bass's pictures of the Well Sweep fig a while back and it's been in the back of my mind for while. Since Jon nor Bass seem to have supply now, I was curious if maybe it had quietly been lost to time.

Anyone growing it or have opinions about it? 

Thanks!

Subject: Italian Black?? Replies: 27
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 1,448
 
The Italian Black I got from Tim is really putting out growth this year (started winter '13-'14). It has a reddish-purple stems (atleast on new growth). It this typical of the Becnel? 

Thanks
Rick

Subject: Ronde de Bordeaux vs Rouge de Bordeaux Replies: 7
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 881
 
There are a few dark french figs that get discussed quite a bit here:
  • Pastiliere aka Rouge de Bordeaux
  • Ronde de Bordeaux 
  • Negronne aka Violette de Bordeaux (and a smaller but very productive version, Petite Negri)
  • Violette de Solliès aka Bourjassotte Noire
Ronde de Bordeaux ("RdB") --  we avoid using RdB for the Rouge de Bordeaux --  is well-regarded here in the States and has distinctive slender, finger-like lobes on the leaves--especially on young plants. It bears early in the season which makes it special for growers with short summers. 

Keep in mind synonyms are often used for various varieties, so these AKAs aren't necessarily true all the time.

Subject: Slight Mold in Paper Towel Bag method Replies: 11
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 454
 
I had same issue with a cutting this winter. The end looked moldy like yours, wouldn't callous up properly, and wouldn't root out. I scored the scion about an inch up from the cut end (in the 3-inch section between nodes) and applied some clonex gel with a q-tip to the scored area. A week later, it's beginning to put out its first signs of a root from within the score mark. This is my first time using clonex, but hopefully it will be a useful trick when I can't get the root end to perform. Good luck. Thanks for mentioning Physan20, Dennis. I remember you talking about this last year and I couldn't for the life of me remember the product you used. 

Subject: They are wakeing up! Replies: 11
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 460
 
Looks great, Frank. Trunks look much thicker than mine. Maybe I should have pruned? Good luck. Hoping this weekend is the last of the cold, too.

Subject: The News from Birmingham 3/26/15 Replies: 2
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 272
 
Our drought-ridden neighbors on the West Coast may not appreciate this, but the rain in Birmingham is ridiculous and seems to have timed itself to devastate all my evenings off and weekends. I'm ready to start spring yard work (the flowering trees are already in bloom), but my new lawnmower is still in its box in my backseat awaiting a sunny day. 

Meanwhile inside...the handful of cuttings I got this winter are beginning to get potted up one by one. This Valle Negra is gangbusters with the roots -- about 20 days to root in a lidded coir bin.
Untitled-03.jpg 

Thanks Frank and others for turning me onto the coir (one brick of the botanical cocogro was plenty). And Thanks to Harvey C for the Valle Negra scions and VS for the  JH Adriatics. Both taking off. I think my Longue D'Aouts got frostbite in transit and not sure  if they are strong enough to take root. Fingers crossed...was really looking forward to the LdA. 

Hoping for some sun this weekend so I can get on with things outside.

Best to all,
Rick

Subject: Rooting in Coir Replies: 93
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 5,458
 
Frank, How far does a brick go? It says a brick expands to about 8 litres (that's 32 measuring cups worth). I guess that would = 10 to 12 cuttings worth per brick? 

Subject: Use of humidifier Replies: 10
Posted By: recomer20 Views: 451
 
I see a lot of folks use a bakers rack or utility shelf and drape it with painters plastics to create a mini greenhouse. Indoors, the heat & air system tends to dry the air (and cuttings) out quickly.