Register  |   | 
 
 
 


The search returned 53 posts

Only find topics started by CharlesC
   
Topics  |  Posts
Subject: Florida figs? Replies: 21
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 346
 
There is research showing high carbon and nitrogen levels, like that found in molasses, is helping to fight off nematode damage.  Another good reason to grow some sugarcane if you are in zone 8+.
http://www.hawaiiag.org/harc/VEG3.pdf

http://hanfordsentinel.com/ag-at-large-when-nematodes-lurk-molasses-to-the-rescue/article_12d73b9a-92b2-11e0-9fcc-001cc4c03286.html

Or you could breed more nematode resistant varieties like me.

Subject: Florida figs? Replies: 21
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 346
 
Some more reading, if you're in the mood,  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg214

Florida nursery that sells figs, http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/JFE/product-category/fruit-trees/fig/

Subject: Florida figs? Replies: 21
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 346
 
Florida definitely needs watering.  Soil is mostly sand, sometimes mixed with some gravel, or a bit of clay, but usually it's just sand that dries out quickly.  I've known people who replaced the top 12 inches of their yard for gardening, but that's not realistic for most.  Regular watering, time release fertilizer, improve soil as much as you can.....

Figs originate from a very hot part of the world, it's kind of rare to find varieties that don't like heat I think.  Baud breaks down his list by climate if that helps. No, I haven't tried them all.  http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http://www.fig-baud.com/choixfiguiers.html&langpair=fr%7Cen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools

This fellow has a lot of cutting varieties for sale, although he may get behind on tree orders.
http://www.figcuttings.com/p/winter-2016-fig-cuttings-for-sale.html

Subject: --- forest of seedlings Replies: 56
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 2,614
 
Your larger operation will likely find the best seedling, but hopefully several of us seedling growers will find something that will be useful in some part of the world.  Good luck.

Subject: Florida figs? Replies: 21
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 346
 
June,July, and August is monsoon season in Florida, so closed eye Sep., Oct., Nov. ripeners are his best bets.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1901206/the-top-25-fig-varieties-for-pierre-baud

Subject: --- forest of seedlings Replies: 56
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 2,614
 
Here is a (Grantham's Royal x unknown) seedling from seed I got from Greenfig.  Germinated 1-2016 and started fruiting 10-2016.  Sid mentioned his Greenfig seedlings are starting to fruit also, so it's encouraging to know it doesn't always take a long time.  I like this one so far for it's fruit stem that helps it droop, keeping rain out of it's eye.  It also looks like it will have decent size fruit.  It's too early to know if it's male or female, open/closed eye, or even if it's persistent, but time will tell.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/86845950@N03/30128935934/in/dateposted-public/

Subject: recommendations for the South ? Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 203
 
There are a huge number of possible answers.  Taste preferences differ, and there is no perfect fig.  There will be some problems with rust, splitting, souring, bugs, etc...  With that said, here are a few that seem to be loved by almost everyone who grows them.

Lightish- Dalmatie/Stella, Strawberry Verte
Brownish- Longue D'Aout, Improved Celeste
Blackish- Figo Preto, LSU Scott's Black

Search the forum for their names, you will probably like what you read.

Subject: Hand Fig Pollination Procedure Replies: 20
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,201
 
Helike13, the way I check if pollen is ready in carica is to squeeze the ripe fruit once or twice in june, and look for a bit of smoke. No pollen smoke means it needs more time. The timing of other species may be a bit different, but pollen should be available around 2-3 months before that species normally has it's main crop. Check a few fruit weekly. Pollen can be stored if kept cool to help with timing differences. Good luck.

Subject: Negronne or RDB? Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 469
 
http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&langpair=fr%7Cen&nv=1&oe=UTF8&prev=/language_tools&rurl=translate.google.com&u=http://www.fig-baud.com/choixfiguiers.html&usg=ALkJrhhhHchr_5rl7s617j1kt3Jkpli14A

Pierre Baud's top 25 has both Negronne and RdB. Negronne for small areas, RdB for large areas. My VdB from USDA was vigorous and productive, but prone to rust and souring. If Baud's Negronne is for small places, it must be different than my VdB.

Subject: Hand Fig Pollination Procedure Replies: 20
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,201
 
Congrats on the successful hand pollination, and thanks for the post, it was interesting and informative. I have some wasp made seedlings thanks to Greenfig and his little flying friends. If rust resistance is one of your goals, almost all of my resistant seedlings came from either Ronde de Bourdeaux or Strawberry Verte. Two varieties rainy area hybridizers should have IMO. Good luck with your seedlings.

Subject: Fig breeding steps Replies: 95
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 6,785
 
Condit mentioned he did his pollinations in June.  Northern hemisphere.  There are early, mid, and late season capris, plus weather differences, so getting pollen somewhere in May-June-July would be a good bet.

Subject: Want seeds, v2015 ? Replies: 87
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,904
 
Igor,

High humidity, dew on leaves every night, and lots of rain makes a paradise for many microbes.  Where does it come from? The fungal spores are just in the air I suppose.  It's a problem that can be overcome though with some time.  Thanks again for the seeds, I suspect we will get something great from them or their children.

Subject: Want seeds, v2015 ? Replies: 87
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,904
 
I did my first ranking of the seedlings.  As expected, most of the seedlings, over 90%, have a bad case of rust.  None were completely clean, but I was glad to see some showing noticeably above average resistance.  I won't know about their fruiting traits for a year or more, but a preliminary ranking based on things like rust, branching (I prefer naturally well branched, instead of one stem rocketship), and vigor (above ave., but not monstrous preferred by me) was interesting to do.  I didn't cull any of them, just ranked them for future reference.

None of the seedlings lost their leaves over the winter(low 40F), which surprised me a bit, but I was happy about it as I eventually want figs to be hardy enough to be evergreen in most of Florida(20F ish).  That may not be possible, but I'll give it a try.

Hopefully, some of the more disease resistant seedlings will turn out to have large, delish, persistent, rain resistant, closed eye fruit as well, time will tell.

Note1: staring at fig seedlings doesn't seem to make them fruit any faster.
Note2: Gillette capri seems to have some rust resistance, which should be helpful.

Subject: Want seeds, v2015 ? Replies: 87
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,904
 
Igor, I'm not in FL at the moment, but I've been told your RdB and GRoyal seeds have germinated and are doing well. They get some water daily via timer. Next time you see your wasp friends, please let them know their hard work is appreciated. Anticipating what the seedlings might turn into is fun.

Does anyone know if UC Davis orchard can be visited? I'll be nearby in Feb

Subject: Some good names for seedlings Replies: 15
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 260
 
From my reading, a persistent capri is the needed bit to get some persistent seedlings, any female will work, but may as well use high quality common females.  Making some new high quality persistent capris is a priority. 

43,560 square feet to an acre, so if he is giving 4 square feet per seedling before culling then 10,000 seedlings/acre is possible.  60,000 is too many for me though.  I plan on culling earlier, with trays of seedlings getting some frost in a freezer, then sprinkling ground up rusty leaves on the survivors to lower the seedling numbers to a manageable number.

Subject: Hardy chicago in Hawaii Replies: 5
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 253
 
I'm glad HC is doing well for you.  Do you have any breeding plans for it yet?  I have a small one that hopefully will get some Gillette pollen next summer, size bump + HC based capri maybe.

Subject: Some good names for seedlings Replies: 15
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 260
 
Hi Sas, these seedlings are still small. A keeper could be many things, LSU Purple lookalike with better flavor, earlier ripening Col de Dame, larger fruited RdB, Brunswick with closed eye, caprifig mothered by a great tasting variety for future use, etc... Several people on the forum are in the early stages of hybridizing work with figs, so I was curious what you thought would be some great names.  They might become reality.  Igor does get to name the pick of the litter so to speak, since these seeds came from him.  When the mothers are CDD, RdB, Strawberry Verte, and the like, there is a decent chance of getting interesting children.

Subject: Some good names for seedlings Replies: 15
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 260
 
What would be a good name for a seedling fig that turned out to be a keeper?  I'm raising some vigorous seedlings from seed Greenfig was generous enough to offer, and it got me to thinking about fig names.  If you had a seedling that deserved a name, what would you call it.  What would attract your interest, be descriptive, and be unique enough to avoid confusion with other names. 

You could do the useful and practical LSU thing and give a color and something that suggests which area it was made in.  LSU Gold, LSU Purple etc... for areas similar to Louisiana.  You could go for savory names such as Ambrosia, Heavenly Gold, etc...  You could use a loved one's name such as Sarah's Christmas fig (for a green/red), or Billy's Midnight fig (for a dark), etc...

Anyway, what would you like to see in a fig name.  Any thoughts are welcome.

Subject: Killing ants in the greenhouse Replies: 16
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 211
 
An anteater and his assistants,

  [image]     [image]  [image]  [image]  [image]  [image]  [image] 


Subject: Annual Wish-List of 6 most desirable cuttings for 2015-16 Replies: 90
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 3,909
 
My wish list:

1. Saleeb
2. Black Bursa
3. Colar
4. LSU Red
5. Nero 600m
6. Brooklyn White

Subject: Smooth leaves Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 154
 
Thanks, I'll check it out.

Subject: Smooth leaves Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 154
 
Rust is a common fungal disease of figs in rainy areas.  It doesn't kill the plants, but it does weaken them through leaf loss.  Some people pick off all the infected leaves, or spray with anti-fungals approved for other fruit trees, but most people I think just put up with it, since there isn't a decent cure yet.  Since I'm starting to hybridize figs, and I get a lot of rain, I'll be selecting heavily for seedlings that are naturally more resistant.  Plants over time usually develop many defenses against things that attack them, some physical, some chemical.

[image] 

More info,
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/NR/rdonlyres/3CB47A0E-BCBD-4802-B05A-B60386A052AA/71575/pub3159FigRustHIGHRES.pdf
http://lyra.ifas.ufl.edu/LyraServlet?command=getNewsletter&oid=6070518&path=0.10&countyID=liberty.ifas.ufl.edu

Subject: Smooth leaves Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 154
 
Do you recall any of your fig varieties having noticeably smoother and glossier leaves than normal?  The thought being that smooth and glossy leaves should shed rain better and help with fig rust.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
Wow, 195 inches of rain is a lot.  Only 55 inches here, but we likely have similar needs in plants.  If I come up with something promising, I'll be sure to send you one for testing.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
Matthew, thank you, I appreciate that.  If I manage to improve something, perhaps you will be able to improve it again sometime in the future.

Igor, RdB and GR have many good qualities, their seeds have a chance to be exceptional, so yes I would be interested.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
Hybridizing plants has been a hobby of mine for a few years now.  There is a lot of potential here with fig's general good health, good productivity, and tolerances for poor soil, drought, salt, extreme heat, some cold.  Most of the world's good soil is already being farmed with corn, wheat etc...  the poor soil areas of the world could use an improved plant to help produce a lot of food.  I think I can make a plant that will produce nutritious food year round in zones 9+, even in less than ideal soil.  It will take years, but I think it's something that's worth doing, and I enjoy the process anyway.  Watching the seedlings sprout, taking care of them, wondering what they will turn into, deciding which parents should be combined in the next generation to fix which traits.  The whole thing is a lot of fun.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
I appreciate the feedback guys.  From reading the various international threads here it sounds like the US is spending billions of dollars to regulate and control these things, so I think I'll go to the international market down the street and get the fig seeds there instead.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
I've read here the US government doesn't want us buying cuttings from Europe.  Does that include seed also? Has anyone tried it?  Which countries in EU have the wasp?  So many ?  lol  There are some interesting varieties available on Ebay.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
Thanks Igor, I remember you saying you were out of LSU seed.  Your Unk. Black and Strawberry Verte seedlings are doing well.  At certain times of year I'm travelling, so I'm not always here.

Subject: Anyone have pollinated LSU seeds Replies: 14
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 132
 
I was wondering if anyone from the California wasp areas has some LSU variety that has ripe fruit that has fallen to the ground or maybe damaged by birds etc...  that they could mail east.  Even if the seeds produce mostly non-persistent trees, it could save me a years time.  Seedlings could be screened for rust resistance, soil tolerance, growth habit, etc... the fruit of a persistent capri could be useful also, if anyone has one. Thanks.

Subject: Evergreen fig tree? Replies: 25
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 3,164
 
Has anyone ever tried the figs of Ruth Bancroft the pumila x carica hybrid? Also, is the plant rust free, or have the adhering abilities of pumila?

Subject: Losing a fig tree? Replies: 3
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 100
 
Raise thousands of seedlings, wet the leaves nightly, throw away the worst affected.  Repeat for 10 years.

Subject: Prettiest ripe figs Replies: 13
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 474
 
Panache could be fun to work with if the strips hold.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Subject: --- PIX: Black Prince (capri?) Replies: 27
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 961
 
There are papers online that discuss the need for persistent capri to make persistent new wood females (main crop). Persistence on old wood (breba crop), however, isn't mentioned much, if at all.  I don't think breba persistence is well understood yet.  Not from what I've read anyway.  Just from my limited observation, breba and main persistence seem to operate independently of each other, suggesting different genes controlling this.  I'm not sure how breba persistence is passed on.

Just a thought, but you could try crossing Desert King, which is known for having a great breba crop, with a persistent capri to maybe get something that makes two full crops.  It's worth a try anyway.  I have 11 months of heat here, so I know that cross is in my future plans.  Good luck.

Subject: Best dog Replies: 23
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 366
 
Terriers were bred specially for vermin control.
http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/groups/terrier/

Subject: Prettiest ripe figs Replies: 13
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 474
 
I'd like some opinions on figs that consistently look good when ripe, both light and dark.  It's for a home hybridizing project aiming for a fig that could be used commercially in the future.  There are a lot of other needed traits for a commercial fruit, but in this thread I'm just looking for some figs that are pretty enough to look appealing while sitting beside apples, peaches, bananas, etc... in a grocery store.  Consistently looking good on the inside would be nice too.  Thanks.

DFIC0023
[FP824-01]

Subject: Is Hamma capri extinct? Replies: 0
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 68
 
Hamma, the palmata/carica hybrid, is known for fathering Alma, but I don't know of any source for it.  Is Hamma still alive somewhere, or have we lost it?

Subject: Gashing to ripen Replies: 3
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 230
 
This paper about gashing (slicing) Sycamore fruit might be interesting for people who have trouble getting their Carica to ripen in time.

http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/50/3/378.full.pdf

Subject: Want seeds, v2015 ? Replies: 87
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,904
 
Update - many seeds from your Unk. Black started sprouting a few days ago, and Strawberry Verte began yesterday.  Thanks.  As Mr. Gump once said, "You never know what you're going to get."

Subject: Help from Florida Fig Growers Replies: 4
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 302
 
In a pot with no native soil is the key.  The leaves will spot, but many common varieties will produce. 

In the ground is more iffy.  The half of FL that freezes and the half that doesn't freeze are two different worlds when considering nematode vulnerable plants.  Clearwater is near the borderline most years.

Subject: Pests yet again! Replies: 10
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 388
 
Eggs require O2 also.  How much, I'm not sure, but depriving oxygen should kill eggs.  Measuring O2 requirements of RKN eggs would be a good experiment for a student.

http://www.aviagenturkeys.com/media/146026/atl_incubator_ventilation.pdf

Subject: Pests yet again! Replies: 10
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 388
 
I've often thought the reason RKN don't live under concrete slabs and large boulders is the lack of oxygen in those places.  Sandy soil allows oxygen penetration.  In theory, if one was to place a large trash bag over a potted plant, place a small candle on the soil surface, and tightly seal the bag against the plant trunk for a day, it could kill anything requiring oxygen.  Just a theory though.

Subject: Pests yet again! Replies: 10
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 388
 
You can start a few cuttings in clean soil. If your in ground soil is infested, do not use it at all, or at least cook it first.  Elevate the clean pot on some bricks or something to prevent ground contact.  I don't know of a way to sterilize infected soil and roots without killing the plant.  It might be possible, I'm just not familiar with it.

If you can find a RKN resistant variety, you can then practice grafting.  There are many instructional grafting videos on the internet.

Subject: Varieties for a 3 in1 tree Replies: 4
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 445
 
Which 3 varieties would you choose to make a grafted 3 in 1 tree.  I'd like 1 early, 1 mid, 1 late, with different flavors.  Rainy zone 10 conditions.  I'll probably use Celeste or LSU Purple for the roots.  Thanks.

Subject: Do I have a Caprifig? Replies: 35
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 1,954
 
Copied from Condit's The Fig,

Methods Used in Fig Breeding: Few if any common fruits are so easily hybridized or so productive of fertile seeds as the fig. Various methods of pollination are used. Both Hunt in Georgia and Tanikawa in Japan split open the apex of the fig and introduced pollen on the point of a knife blade. Mature profichi of the selected male parent are either split lengthwise or a circular disk with the stamens attached is removed from the apex. From such pieces, left to dry overnight, the pollen can readily be collected. Figs pollinated in June mature in August, at which time the fertile seeds can be secured.

Subject: Sources for Varieties for Central Florida Replies: 12
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 732
 
I'm still new to figs, but here is some info,
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg214
http://agnic.msu.edu/hgpubs/modus/morefile/hg87_79.pdf

And two Florida nurseries that sell figs,
http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/Figs.htm
http://www.pepesplants.com/fig-trees.html

Subject: Your ideal fig Replies: 15
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 661
 
What would be the characteristics of your perfect fig if you could make your own?  And do you have one that you consider perfect already?

For me, in a sandy, rainy zone 10, I would start with:

a closed eye (insects, rain)
a droopy syconium (rain)
skin that doesn't crack, split, or get ugly looking (insects, rain, visual appeal)
obvious color change when ripe
good taste even if slightly unripe
flesh that is firm enough to resist a bird peck
complex, sweet flavor that leaves a good aftertaste
two productive tasty crops
small seeds
nematode and rust resistant
dense foliage
well branched
10-12 foot maximum height

Subject: Nematode and rust resistant Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 588
 
Thanks for the tip on LSU Gold. Grafting adds an extra step in propagation and, if done commercially, adds a bit of expense, but it may turn out to be the best answer for nematodes in the near term.  When my little resistant varieties have grown a bit, I'm sure I'll start grafting other varieties on to them for performance comparisons.

Subject: Nematode and rust resistant Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 588
 
That's true.  That's why it's important to get several sources of resistance and mix them, then test the seedlings as best as we can. 

Granted, no plant is perfect, but we can use selective breeding to try to improve them for human uses.  Health, productivity, flavor, etc... It's kind of like why we don't pick an average random fig to plant in our yard, we pick the ones that taste the best, are the healthiest, most productive.  It's the same idea, just with an eye towards the next generation.

Subject: Nematode and rust resistant Replies: 7
Posted By: CharlesC Views: 588
 
Deep mulch helps against RKN, as does planting next to a concrete slab that plants can hide their roots under, or just keeping plants in pots elevated off the ground.  Mulch breaks down faster when it's hot and rainy though, so people have to stay on top of it, and most people, like me, get distracted by life and lapse.  For a long term solution, I prefer hybridizing resistant varieties, so people in the future can just plant them without worrying about it.  I enjoy hybridizing anyway.

Pumila grows well in the shade, which may be useful, and there is also a variegated leaf pumila, which might look good on caricas, if it transfers. 

pumila.jpg