Hey Chops, you had temps in 70"s there - WOW. I checked mine too, & they are still sleeping. I s'pose it helps that they are in almost total dark.
Ya know, if MFV was really bad, I'm sure UC wouldn't be able to ship the cuttings...like Fl can't ship or get plants in because of canker etc. Guess I'm not real worried about it anymore, but I don't like it. I'll still keep them separated. I have brugmansias which are prone to a mosaic virus... don't know if it's the same virus, but they better not spread it to them. If they get MV, they will look deformed & maybe won't flower. No wonder the cuttings are free!
Joan, mine ripen from end July till before frost. I too only had fig newtons until 03. Last summer was first yr I got a lot of figgies. I will send you some to taste this summer. Would be a good thing for you to grow!!! If you have a basement or garage (above freezing), you put them there to sleep all winter & outside in summer. They aren't as finicky as citrus.

Hey Patty, you really started up something here. I am amazed that this topic has gotten so much activity. Over 2,700 views & 150 posts! I don't think any other topic has reached that level. Pretty funny since it's in a citrus forum.


With this "heat wave" going on this past weekend I got a chance to take out (from garage) my figs and give them their monthly drink. I even left them out overnight to drain without the thought of it getting too cold. Crazy for Jan!! It felt good to get out. I was surprised to count that I have TEN figs potted up! I am going to have some work to do and find places when the ones from UC arrive.

Just wondering how everyone is going to try & root them? Are you going to try right away?

Happy figging! Vinny

Hi Vinny, yeah, this thread's going for almost a year now, thanks to you & us figaholics! I thought I had a lot with my 6 trees LOL - you have 10?!
I hope your trees won't break dormancy since you had them outside! That would be a problem for me
I am going to stick cuttings in 1/2 peet 1/2 perlite in a tray right away. From what I read (another forum), not all will root.
I broke some branches off by mistake & stuck them right in same pot, & they all rooted. I don't think letting them dry out is good. (??)
Our warm temps are gone now - back to 20's at night & some snow this wkend.
What kinds do you have, & what's your fav? I like the darker ones best.
It. Golden Honey produces a lot, but they're bland. I like B.T., Osborn Prolific, Petite Negri (or negronne...not sure), & White Genoa is OK. Last 3 I got from EZ in a trade about 2 yrs ago.
Hey, did you do all those bonzai plants?

Figs are good fresh but they really shine in preserves. Put a packet of Strawberry Jell-O in the preserves and you have an excellent tasting mix. There is something special about strawberry and figs mixed together.
Figs are not ready for fresh eating just because they turn from green to purple or brown. A truly ripe fig is one that has turned soft and I personally look for those that have begun to split. Honey bees will consume a fig when it is fully ripe. This is the moment when a slight lift will disconnect it from the branch. I have swished a many bees away from a fig to steal the fruit.
Karl

Hi Patty, I was not too worried about my trees waking up that day. I just had them out to water & drain overnight, & then back away they went. The temps got much colder now. Today I woke up to 19F! I don't have that many different types. What I have is celeste, kepholonia, kadota, jack's 1/4 lbr (?), & 1 that I picked up on clearance at the local nursery that are a mystery. This past year all I was able to taste was the celeste which was GREAT!!! The others are cuttings which although grew alot, I did not get a ripe fig. Oh, I forgot, I have 2 more at work believe it or not. One is a cutting I rooted last year I am experimenting with. I have kept it in a nice sunny, room temp place. I'm curious to see if I can keep it growing all year. So far it still has it's leaves. The other one at work is a huge bush that my neighbor did not want. Of course I jumped at the opportunity & offered to dig it out for them. After breaking one shovel I got it out & it now sits in a half whiskey barrel in the warehouse at work. The temp is about 55F & I keep a black garbage over it. I don't know what type it is, but I remember it had some really big white (unripe) figs on it when I dug it out. I can't wait until spring this year to see how it turns out. Also, forgot that I have some cutting stuck in the ground around my house that I think might have took. My plan is to not cover them & let them be. ALSO, a neighbor gave me some cuttings that I have on my window sill since Nov. Just the other week I noticed that they finally have roots!! He told me that they are a white fig with red center. I also plan on rooting some branches from my celeste this year because it is such a tastey fig.

As far as the bonsai's go, no I personally did not make them. I know someone that does it & I helped them create their site. There are some really nice stuff on it at less expensive prices then others sell it for.

For those of you reading this you probably think I am a real wacko with all these figs. I'm really not, or am I...

Vinny

I am worried about my dormant figgies under back porch. I was gone all wkend & just went there -- thru basement laundry room door, & it was really cold there. The soil in pots felt frozen, so I moved them into laundry room. I sure hope the roots are OK! The tips of branches are still green on most. It has been so COLD here for too long... almost forgot about them. I stuck thermometer in soil (almost rock hard) & soil temps are 30 - 34*F. I'll be soooo disappointed in myself if I killed them I will leave them in laundry room -- temps at 55 or so, till they wake up which should be in another month.

They will be just fine.
Figs in local gardens is not hard to find (probably domestic variety - Adriatic), although freezes every few years they sprouts again, never die. That's why they looks like bushes, somewhat depressing yes... I'm experimenting with some different variety found on nearby hill ... old tree, never been frozen !? ... I gave it a try in my garden... not sure about variety ... leaf has deeper 'sinuses' than leaf of usual figs 'bushing' arround...

Hey Patty, let's hope for the best. I know they are pretty hardy & it takes alot to totally wipe them out. Good luck! Vinny

Patty,

I bet they are fine. I've left mine in an unheated garage for the past 3 years and each year the soil feels rock hard as you described. I imagine the soil freezes every winter, but it has never killed the plants. A local nursery assures me that it is the elements such as wind, freezing rain, etc that kills the plant- not temperature alone. So far they have been correct.

Thanks, I feel better now.
Tomorrow I will take a cutting of each to root for a friend.

The 6 trees in basement are doing fine. Tips are green & they are already starting breba figs on some! No leafing out yet, but I'll bet they will in next 7-10 days. 2 years ago I let brebas grow & they just fell off when still small & unripe. Then, the main crop started & never finished ripening before fall. Last yr., I pinched the brebas off so main could start growing sooner & I got lots of figs.
Andi, if you're here, I have 5 cuttings rooting for you...some have little breba figs already. They are in hallway with no direct light. I'll have to put your name on them so I remember who they're for LOL

I have been reading this thread all along and wondering what a good fig for a novice grower would be. Would have to grow in a container due to living "UP NORTH" and really want to give it a try so looking for suggestions. Never had a fresh fig before so.....

Hi Joan, most of us here grow figs in containers. Before my trees, I only knew of fig newtons that my Grandma bought LOL...nothing like a fresh fig.
You would like a Brown Turkey to start. All you need is a cool dark place for it in winter...garage? basement? I knew a girl who only had an apartment with balcony & she wrapped the entire tree in old blankets & insulation on her balcony. She showed pics of it covered with snow.
It could even be dormant in a cool (55-60*) dark room. Maybe I should start new cuttings for you...looks like you are a candidate to be a figaholic LOL I will send you some ripe figs this summer.

Patty,

Good to hear they are ok. We are getting some warmer temps this week so I'll have to keep watch for growth. I too have had the same problem with breba figs. I just don't think I have the climate to get a good crop of them, so I'll be pulling them off this year. I hope my little cuttings survived the cold. I happened to water them just before the 20F temps came so I think their roots stayed frozen for a while. We'll see in a few weeks.

Well, I can hardly wait to try a fresh fig. In the catalogs I see so many different varieties, thanks for the info. Patty. I would love a cutting and will gladly pay you for your efforts! I have a garage that is unheated but a tuck under, how cold does it have to get? Guessing the temp averages 35 to 40, experimenting this year with rose bushes in pots to see if they come back. I could also do the wrap it up and put under the deck routine if that is better. This is the best hobby ever and I can't believe how much I have learned!!