TNJed 2021

[TNJed]

Gonna track my handful of figs in this my second season of figging…

Second leaf Nordland breba in 3 gal pot. 1 Didn’t ripen 100% right. 3 breba held, one wasn’t edible. Picked 6/29 & 7/3. Not much flavor, best parts were slightly sweet. Holding about 5 main crop. Going in the ground soon.

[TNJed]

Surprise Celeste from in ground tree I cut way back this spring for grafting. Good solid candied fruit flavor. Picked 7/22.

[Pdiscool]

I might have to give Celeste a try. Lou Monti also raves about it

[TNJed]

Pdiscool Celeste is pretty bombproof

[Pdiscool]

Think I’ll have to add it to the list then!

[Ktrain]

You're doing better than me man, I lost all my breba with the freeze in April, all the other trees were too young to have any.

Just waiting on a ton of mains to ripen if they do, my luck hasn't been so good lately.

[Bellefleurs]

I hope that you enjoy a bountiful main crop.
Too bad about your breba but TBH with rare re exception I don’t really share the obsession with breba figs. To me they rarely look appetizing.

[TNJed]

Yeah I won’t be growing for breba…if they happen, fine. I brought trees back in for late weather this yr but they are almost all going in the ground at 3 gal….

[Ktrain]

I agree about the breba except my DK.
But my main crop would be further along had the freeze not damaged my trees....bummer but live and learn.
God willing I will see some mains.

[TNJed]

Negronne breba picked 6/19. Looks great, not much flavor. 2 main crop should be ready this week.

[Avant_gardener]

Negronne is a great fig IMO. The standard for us, been very tasty and productive so far.

[TNJed]

Yes someone gave me a rooted Negronne last spring and it’s been a real workhorse. I’ve taken 3-4 ALs from a recurring basal sprout, ripened one breba, and it’s set ~15 main crop that are starting to ripen…and it’s still in a 3 gal pot. 👍🏼 Going in the ground soon….

[Sparky]

CJ, how many different varieties do you expect main crop figs from this year? I put 17 mostly second year figs in the ground this spring and most are pushing main crop but I'm not sure how many will have time to ripen.

[TNJed]

Congrats man! Not sure but ~12-15 varieties. Those are still potted or planted after they started popping figlets. I put 8 baby second yr figs in the ground in March and I won’t know their status til later next month. They were smaller sized. Some of them may be fruiting but they are mostly duplicates of what I have fruiting in pots. They are in a “wilderness” survival situation/experiment so looking forward to seeing them.

In June I planted Rossellino and Martinenca with baby figlets, they’ve both recently started putting out branches at about 3’ so I’m very happy about that. Handful of figs on each. V d’Sollies was similar sized when planted with those 2. It hasn’t set figs or grown. It really didn’t like the blast furnace that really kicked off our summer. It is now sprouting a branch from the base that I almost rubbed off but think I will AL since I don’t have a copy of it.

[Sparky]

Sounds like you are in a similar stage of the "figgin' up" process as me. I also plan to eventually have most of them in the ground.

That branch at the base of your V d'Sollies may be it's way of becoming more vigorous. I've had several figs do that. If it grows faster than the original, maybe keep that new branch and air layer the original trunk?

[TNJed]

Yeah I’m glad I stopped myself from rubbing it off. The plant really didn’t like our first heat wave….the leaves look fine now but the top section of main stem looks weird to me. Could just be lignifying but it looks kinda like sun damage. I would be hesitant to say a fig stem could be sun damaged like that but it definitely happened to my baby Alma. I may end up needing that sprout…

[JMF75]

Nice figs CJ are you more successful this year vs last year at this time? Thanks for sharing

[TNJed]

Yes but they were all just cuttings last yr

[jrdewhirst]

Nordland is an awesome variety. The brebas are huge but unreliable. My recommendation would be to prune for a big main crop.

[TNJed]

Nordland is an awesome variety. The brebas are huge but unreliable. My recommendation would be to prune for a big main crop.

Yeah I’m going to prune all my varieties without regard for breba production. My thoughts are with all my fig brothers and sisters forced to rely on brebas but I’m very glad I can ripen most main crop figs here. But they just looked so good I was really looking forward to them!


Thats

[Realtorbyday]

I swear every time I see a picture of those figs that are shaped like that a voice in my head says "old man nut sack" and makes me laugh

[TNJed]

Realtorbyday Now that you mention it… 😂😂😂

[claret]

So every time you pick figs you have to pop open a new cold one (for size comparison)? I like your technique, CJ!

[TNJed]

I mean….I won’t rule it out!

[TNJed]

First main crop Negronne got knocked off by a critter on July 26. It was pretty ripe but compromised by ants…not much left for me to taste. Today the second one finished and it was a bit larger. Flesh taste was ok, not great, but there was something very weird going on.

I tasted something so spicy I thought I had somehow gotten some black pepper on the skin, which was pretty leathery. I inspected it, then tasted the flesh and skin separately. The skin definitely had a very distinct black pepper flavor. Has anyone ever experienced this? Again, this was not a hint of spice, it was pure black pepper. Very strange and unexpected! Looking forward to tasting the rest

[Realtorbyday]

that's interesting

[TNJed]

Martin’s Black Unknown
-started swelling Aug 2 or 3, picked Aug 9
-could’ve waited another day but first fig ever from this tree
-good size, didn’t weigh it
-juicy, not too sweet, not fruity
-this tree is a second leaf that was a 3 gal until planted in the ground 7/28

[JMF75]

Nicely done!! For its second leaf you can't complain CJ. Congrats

[TNJed]

Thanks, no complaints here!

[ZingsFigs]

Sounds like your having a good crop, I can not wait until next year to see what I get. My Brown Turkey is loaded I am planning on fig newtons this year and some preserves. I should get some of my first year trees figs this year also but I am not expecting a lot out of them.

[TNJed]

Well “crop” is being generous….you’ll definitely get more from your BT than I will from all my second year varieties!

[FIGSinGA]

Thanks for sharing your progress with us, CJ.

[TNJed]

Ronde de Bordeaux, Aug 10

Heritage Celeste, also Aug 10

[TNJed]

I meant to update this thread in-season but didn’t, so now that we’re getting going again I’ll do it and look forward to July/Aug…

Kaye St Unk, think it’s in Brunswick family. Was delicious in 2020, garbage last year. This one didn’t ripen correctly.



Violet Patlican only set 3 figs and they were all ruined by rain. Negronne is a fantastic, dependable fig. Need to get it in the ground.

[TNJed]

Aug 19. The single is Violet Patlican. Wasn’t moldy inside like the other two but flavor washed out. IDK for sure what the two are but I think RLBV.

[TNJed]

drbud Next up was a great visit with a great guy, Hilliard Lawler, aka Dr. Bud. We got to taste some good figs but of course the critters heard I was coming and stole a few Hilliard was trying to let hang. I think my favorite may have been a Luv that was on the ground near the base of the tree.



I think these are all pics of Luv. This was Aug 21 in Indianola, MS.

[TNJed]

Smith I think
Sangue Dolce I think
Hilliard’s wife Mary Steele is handy with a brush!
Sangue Dolce

[TNJed]

Hilliard & Mary Steele have a beautiful home and grounds at Huckabee Hill and I look forward to another visit!

After leaving Indianola I headed to outside of Greenwood, MS, an area called Sidon, where my younger brothers’ family has some land on their mother’s side. My brother had planted 8 baby fig trees back in the spring and I was meeting my bro to do some fishing and to check on the trees. None of the trees were, uh…prospering, but 7 of 8 still alive with zero help post planting. I think Negronne died, leaving YLN, LSU Purple & Red, Nordland, GE Neri, Olympian and Adriatic JH. I watered and put down some mulch. As I headed down the levee back toward the paved road I was treated to a beautiful MS delta sunset.

[Sparky]

Lotus seed pods I presume? My wife cooks with lotus seeds sometimes.

[TNJed]

LSU Red, first fig from tree. Heavy seed crunch

[TNJed]

These 3 Negronne were sun damaged but good inside This MBvs was almost perfect. All picked Aug 25

[TNJed]

Noire de Caromb. Got ruined by rain


Bari 9/12


RLBV 9/14

[TNJed]

Dwarf Unk, Sept 15

St. Mary’s Unk, Sept 15

[TNJed]

Exquisito, Sept 22