Another mystery and what is happening to the fruit ?

[Smokymist]

This was sent to me as a Tiger Panache and it's obviously not, but it has a nice big fruit. I picked this one as it was getting soft, and the cracking on the end worried me. So what is making it crack like it is ? pardon the dirty fingernails lol
Thanks !

[Clarktj2]

Was it in any rain? Rain and humidity are the main culprits of splitting

[bullet08]

giant praying mantis with three mandible.. maybe.. more likely heavy rain.

[Smokymist]

[mwhight34]

Have you been watering a lot? Has there been any wild swings in your air temperature/humidity? Those are usually what cause figs to split like that when ripening

[Smokymist]

To answer all , I'm in East TN, so we've had hot, but we have REALLY had humid. Many days of temps in the mid 90's but with really awful humidity. We just the past two days had rain. I thought we'd never have rain again ! So should I have left this on the tree, being there are only two fruits on the entire little tree, or was a right to pick it, if it felt a little soft ?

[jrdewhirst]

When a fig cracks badly, it's damned if you do and damned if you don't. If you pick it unripe, it tastes like crap. If you try to let it ripen despite the crack, bugs and bacteria get it and it probably spoils. The less ripe the fig when it cracks, the worse the odds. A fig that needs 2 more days to ripen may be OK; a fig that needs 5 or more days probably spoils.

[arachyd]

The split doesn't look too bad. I'd leave one like that on the tree and hope the crack dries. If it ripened I'd also cut it before eating to look for any sign of spoilage.

[Realtorbyday]

What would happen if you tried sticking a small piece of plastic wrap over the split? Has anyone tried that?

[KSBorder]

RbD; Thinking alike!

I tried that with a Preto Breba that got large and started to split into 2 halves. I took off the organza bag and put some parafilm over the split and worked the organza bag back over the fig. (It was a large fig!) I only waited a day before picking it but I like to think it made a difference. The fig had not darkened, and was not filled with liquid, but it was sweet and did not taste spoiled or sour, probably the best fig I have had this year. (Sometimes damage will encourage ripening and perhaps this did.)

So, at best it helped, at worst did not harm. Probably should not try for more than 2 or 3 days at most.

I also did that with one other fig, a Valle Negra last year. I will do it again if it happens.

[Realtorbyday]

We need more experiments. It's time for fig science. I have a few that seem to crack. Next time it happens, I'm going to try this and see what kind of results I get.

[Mario]

Good idea! I never tried it but it sounds like a good experiment.

[acerpictum]

The film could prevent bacteria and yeast from entering and aerobic fermentation. But the film will not keep the fig from splitting during a sharp increase in size after the rain.

[don_sanders]

Fabric surgical tape will help if you only have a few to protect.

[Smokymist]

Thanks everyone !

[Kid Fig]

According to my PHD in Xenomorphology; Facehugger egg disguised as fig....

[Herefiggyfiggy]

Could it be a reverted Panache?

[Smokymist]

What is a reverted Panache ? Beautiful fig, large, just not the stripes.

[Herefiggyfiggy]

Form what I understand it reverts back to a green fig without the stripes. The same fig as Panache, without the stripes. They can sometimes revert back to the solid color.

[Smokymist]

Interesting !!