Rdb 2021

[JoePAFig]

Well, here's our first RBD this year, it's one of our favorites, reliable, early, delicious sweet figginess.

[MTartal25]

Looks amazing!!!

[Vitooch1]

Very nice ! I’m excited for mine

[JMF75]

Looks real good joe. RdB can't go wrong.

[schampag]

Wonderful! I'm waiting for my first ever!

[cvarcher]

Such a pretty fig on the outside! Does anyone detect a concord grape like flavor from these?

[JoePAFig]

I have to think about that when the next one ripens. There was something we tasted but couldn't quite put our finger on.

[Otis]

I always get a slight earthy flavor from the skin that's very associated with RdB for me and always pleasant.

[Californiacuban]

Just ate my first RdB this year on a large, established tree. Another year, another wondering how this fig is so different in here. I always hear it's a favorite on the east coast...while for me it's likely being culled this winter. I'm just guessing we don't have the heat for it.

[don_sanders]

Or you may have too much heat. There seems to be a pattern of it not being so great in hotter locations…

[BlueEagle1967]

Well, here's our first RBD this year, it's one of our favorites, reliable, early, delicious sweet figginess.

Like clockwork Joe. I started picking mine yesterday. Had 3 and more are ripening. Nice fig in the Northeast.

[drbud]

I grafted it to 3 branches on a 3 yr old Celeste and they all are growing well (1-2 feet each) so am looking forward to trying this one. It seems to get mixed reviews, but is certainly a pretty fig and I certainly have heat if that’s what it needs.

[Californiacuban]

don_sanders While some of Orange County and Southern California is very hot, we have quite drastic weather differences from city to city. My monthly averages below. Also, lots of overcast in spring and some in summer.

Not sure why RdB doesn't do well here. I've talked to a few in Southern California and have heard similar information. The best way to explain the taste is very figgy, earthy, and very little sweetness. Complex flavor, but very flat at the same time, if that makes sense. It's not that I cannot enjoy them, they are just very plain and sometimes even "blah."

Maybe it's a fig that loves rain, which would be pretty rare!

[oat]

I had the same experience with mine last year. Complex flavor, figgy but kinda flat and I waited for the neck to twist completely. I’m hoping it will produce better this year

[Californiacuban]

jrdewhirst, I hav, I got this tree last year as a 15g that was at least 2-3 years old. I tried every stage of ripening and the one I picked yesterday was fully ripe, beautifully cracked, twisting at neck, and basically fell off the moment I touched it. It gets 10 hours+ of direct sun. Very well fed with a variety of nutrients.

It's still early in the season for me this year so maybe the next few will be better. Or maybe it needs root pruning. I did graft it to a neighbor's 10-year old in ground tree last year along with 9 other varieties, so it will be interesting to see how those taste next year.

It's funny, even last year the rats left it alone and kept attacking the CdD Noir right next to it! Like oat said, it's very complex but flat at the same time. It's a great fig to roast or cook with though!

[oat]

Californiacuban I saw wasps went into two of my smaller RdBs. FWIW, I will be able to compare a caprified ones with more mature RdBs. I’m curious how much maturity and/or the wasps will improve the flavor.

[Otis]

I find it one of the most reliable in my limited fig growing experience and they're better this year than last, or I'm better at letting them ripen before making the grab.