Here's a post worth looking at:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/fotos-of-portable-fig-orchard-at-driftless-sacred-grove-6958670?pid=1283357643#post1283357643

With proper management, you can maintain a relatively large tree in a small container!

That being said, it's doing MUCH better than the two UCD Calverts I managed to get rooted.  They still don't look much better or bigger than they did over a year ago.  Both have looked like they're about to die for the last year now, but both keep hanging in there.  At this rate, it could be another 10-15 years before I get to taste  a Calvert!

It's been a while since I've posted an update and there's a lot to update.  Here's some of what's going on with the figs, some of the other fruit trees, and some new additions...

My year-old Panachee is branching out, even without any pinching, and I'm working on taking my first air layer:

 

A one-year old UCR 291-4 that thinks it's a mature tree with the way it's putting out figs.  I haven't harvested any yet this season, but wasn't that impressed with the couple from last season.  Hopefully, they get better with age:

   

This is a year and a half old RdB that's showing it's first two figs including one breba and one main crop:

 

This is a year-old VdB that is a vigorous grower and got chopped in half the end of last season.  It's branching out beautifully and is one of my favorite trees in the making.  You can see a cluster of small figs at the top:

 

Here's a cluster of VdB's ripening on another tree being trained as a bush:

 

This is a newer addition...it's a Miracle Fruit plant.  The fruits don't have much of a taste or nutritional value, but, after you eat one, for the next hour, or so, anything sour or tart tastes sweet.  You can eat a miracle fruit berry and then eat a lemon and the lemon will taste like lemonaid!

 

This is one of two 3-year old Strawberry Verte figs.  I was reading where Jon from Encanto listed this as one of his top 10 most underrated figs, and I have to agree.  Both trees have been consistently productive and consistently delicious!

 

This is a two year old LSU Purple that started as a TC.  It's a monster, but living up to the reputation of TC figs not being very productive.  I harvested a few figs last season, but nothing showing up yet this season :(

 

This is a one year old UCR 143-36 ("Emerald Strawberry").  No figs from this one, yet:


 

LSU Hollier that got pruned back heavily earlier this year:

 

Excel that was also chopped in half a few months ago:

 

Cajun Gold:

 

Finally, my 15-month old UCD Black Madeira is starting to show signs of real growth.  It was stunted for the last year and had a tough time holding onto it's leaves.  Now, it's branching out nicely and the leaves aren't falling off as quickly as she can put them out (as it was!), although, it's still smaller than the trees started a year later!  It has tried putting out several fig, but I keep removing them to get the tree to focus on growth.

 

This is a good example!  This LSU Scott's Black was started from a cutting within the last six months, or so, and has already outgrown the Black Madeira and has several figs ripening.

 

This plant is also a new addition and is called a "Katuk".  It's an edible tropical perennial and the leaves are very tasty and can be eaten raw in salads:

 

This is another new addition, a Triumph Persimmons.  I had tried rooting some Fuyu Persimmons cuttings given to me by a "F4F Buddy" but was unsuccessful and they are known to be difficult to root.  But, I had already gotten the bug for a Persimmons and found this beautiful tree at a local nursery.  Unlike the Fuyu, the Triumph is an astringent variety, but is supposed to be delicious (when fully ripe!) and does very well here in South Florida.  I'm also looking for a Chocolate Persimmons if anyone has any to trade!

 

My Parfianka Pomegranate is doing great and FINALLY fruiting!

 

 

This is a Meyer Lemon I picked up a few weeks ago.  I tend not to grow citrus because I don't much care for the acidity and citrus is everywhere here in Florida.  But, I made an exception for the Meyers which are incredibly sweet (they're a cross between a lemon and a blood orange) and great for juicing:

 

My newest additions to the fig collection is a UCD Col de Dame Blanc just rooted a couple of months ago.  I received one cutting from UCD and divided it into three smaller cuttings.  All three rooted and one small plant went to my parents, the other two are below:

 
Two more new additions to the backyard orchard are two different types of Muscadine Grapes.  I've up-potted them into some temporary containers and in a few weeks, I'm going to build an arbor with a bench seat for them to grow up.  I'll post pics of the arbor when complete.  I MAY try to document the process, but think it will take too much time and I'll be in a rush to complete it! :)

 

 

Finally (for this post!), here's one of the Williams Hybrid Bananas just looking happy:

 

Happy Harvests!

I hope everyone had a great weekend!  I thought I'd share a few pics of some of the newer additions to the garden.

First, this isn't new but is worth sharing.  I started some Strawberry Verte cuttings from Jon at Encanto 3 years ago and have two beautiful and highly productive trees that continue to produce bountiful harvests of fantastic tasting figs.  Just about every limb looks like this:

 

This is a one year old Black Madeira started from a UCD cutting.  It is highly infected with FMV and, after a full year has only about doubled in size from the original 4" cutting.  It is now starting to branch out and seems to be holding its leaves which had been continuously falling off, so I'm hoping it finally starts a growth spurt:

     

At the same time I started the above Black Madeira, which I just up-potted this weekend to a 2-gallon container, I also started this Excel which got to over 5' tall, produced about a half a dozen delicious figs, was topped, and is now in a 25 gallon container:

 

Here's a new addition...a LSU Scott's Black received from a generous local member (thanks, Levar!):

 

About 45 days ago I received a single 9" CDD cutting from UCD.  I divided it into three 3" cuttings to try to maximize my chances of success.  All three rooted beautifully and had been inside until a few days ago.  When I checked on them today, the once beutiful green leaves on all three appear to have been bleached (probably leaf scorch from the sun), so I think I need to move to shaded area until they get a little stronger, but I'm sure all will make it:

 

Finally, an impulse buy today at HD's...

I found a fruiting Miracle Fruit plant for $24.95.  I've had my eye on these for a while and, due to the time they take to produce fruit (something like 4-5 years) and the value of the fruit (more than $1 for a single berry), fruiting size plants are often selling for more than $100.

This is an interesting fruit (which I've personally not yet tried!) in that the the berries they produce have little taste or nutritional value, but they coat the tongue with a substance that makes everything else taste sweet for the next hour.  So, you can eat a berry and then drink straight lemon juice and it will taste like lemonade!

Because of this effect, the berries are supposed to help chemotherapy patients whose sense of tastes get altered by the chemicals making everything taste metallic.

In any event, here's the nice, healthy Miracle Fruit Plant:

 

It had one over-ripe/split berry on it at HD's, but it was gone by the time I got home, so it fell off either in the store or in the car on the ride home, but there are numerous clusters of more berries forming:

 
I'd love to hear more about the Miracle Fruit, including any suggestions, from any growers that have experience with this!

I just got back from a run to a couple of stores to stock up on some groceries and found a couple of treats.  First, Publix had some flavored vinegars on sale that are being discontinued and then found some brebas in a heavy syrup at a Western Beef.

Sorry the first pic came out a little blurry!

Jon - Thank you!

Speed & Joe - Thanks!  I'm anxious to post pic's of the inside, too, but it's not for the pics! :D

Eli - IF there is a FMV-free Panachee, I suspect the cuttings won't come from UCD ;)