2021 Ripening Record (eboone)

[eboone]

OK, I decided to try to do an ongoing ripening thread this year, inspired by that of jrdewhirst, rather than my usual year-end post, hopefully reporting when things are fresh in my mind. I have some catch-up to do with the first few varieties. Please keep comments or responses about this topic.

My fig growing efforts have changed over the past few years. I have downsized my number of figs in pots considerably and increased my in-ground plants. This year I have just three mature plants in pots ( as well as several young plants intended to be planted next year, some of which may ripen a fig or so). There are 9 plants started early in a greenhouse, along with the three in permanent pots, that were planted in late May. I have 14 inground plants that got a head start under two low tunnels. I have 7 mature plants with at least two winters inground and another 9 planted last year, none of which got an early start.

The season has been characterized by a lot of rain since the figs started ripening, with a lot of figs splitting and spoiling in the early going. There is a pair of cardinals trying to decimate my figs. A mouse or vole has been eating some low-hanging fruit in the low-cordon section. But things are looking up as more start to ripen.

In the next post I will keep an updated ripening list, with subsequent posts on each fig as it ripens.

[eboone]

Updated Ripening Order

* Means greenhouse start
# Means inground with low tunnel start
& Means inground with no head start
! Means just planted this year
? Means first year plant

8/8 # Florea - ripe figs earlier missed

8/9 * Norella (2 destroyed by birds a week earlier)

8/9 *! Moscatel Branco

8/16 *! LSU Red

8/17 # Improved Celeste

8/20 *! Lyndhurst White

8/24 # RdB

8/26 # Black Celeste

8/31 & Old Brooklyn Italian

9/1 & Syrian Dark

9/2 *! Teramo

9/3 & Red Sicilian (MN)

9/4 * Soccoro Black

9/4 & Unk Chios Dark

About 9/4-6 *! Moscatel Preto should have ripened, first three figs damaged by wet weather

9/6 & Bryant Dark

9/6 *! Smith ( should have had another day or so for ideal ripeness)

9/7 & Unknown Abington

9/7 & Malta Black

9/9 & Marseilles Black vs

9/10 & Hardy Chicago

9/16 & Ciliegia Dolce

9/16 # Black Zadar

9/17 *! Strawberry Verte

9/17 # Salem White

9/17 ? Trabia

sometime between 9/19-9/26:
# Black Bethlehem
# Abebereira
# Niagara Black
& Sal’s (Gene)
& Trabia
& Green Michurinska

10/1 *! White Madeira #1

10/1 & Attilio Purple

10/2 # Bourjasotte Gris

10/4 # Nero 600m

10/4 # Salem Dark

about 10/6 & Darouj

10/13 * Col de Dame Gris

10/23 Grosse Monstreuse di Lipari

10/29 Adriatic (JH)


Yet to ripen:

& Red Lebanese (BV) - woke up very late
*! Stallion - dropped figs after planting, new crop may be too late

[eboone]

First fig: Florea - before Aug 9

Initially thought Norella and Moscatel Branco were the first to ripen but the next day found a number of spoiled Florea down low on some shoots which I had overlooked due to thick foliage-these ripened before August 9 but I am unsure how many days earlier. Florea was started under a low tunnel this year, and ripening started about a week earlier than last year. Florea has been a real splitter due to rain. The eye really expands dramatically with rain. To date this year I have had just 2 decent figs, about 10 mediocre ones, and at least a dozen ruined inedible figs. No pictures at this time due to my disappointment. 😢

[ginamcd]

My first four Florea did the same. Hoping the remaining 50+/- on the tree ripen normally. Though last night the TV weather people started talking about heavy rains possibly heading to the northeast from Hurricane Ida...

[eboone]

Norella will be counted as next, on 8/9, but I think it would have had a few earlier than Florea which were destroyed by birds. I now have bird netting and a small woven plant cover over the canopy, looks stupid but I kept losing figs with just the netting.




Link to prior post with pics: https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-h...3-norella-2021

[cvarcher]

Arent you blocking the sun with that canopy?? Maybe try moving the plant up agaisnt the house and place green organza bags over each near ripening fig.

[eboone]

Moscatel Branco was 3rd to ripen, on 8/9, though first ripe figs were about the same as Norella.
Link to post with pics:

https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-home/1029813-moscatel-branco-2021

[eboone]

LSU Red, with an early greenhouse start before being planted, was 4th to ripen, first fig on 8/16. Some figs have been washed out flavor-wise but it holds up much better to rain than a number of others, especially Florea.

[eboone]

Improved Celeste was my second fig overwintered inground to ripen, initial fig on 8/17. Some of these also were a little bland from the rain. Also seems to be the favorite of ground critters ( mice or voles). It did not ripen figs any earlier this year than last despite the low tunnel.

[eboone]

Lyndhurst White is a large green fig with a pink center, a honey-berry flavor. First fig on 8/20. Flavor also washed out a bit but has not split despite its size. The pic shows a 62g fig. This one had a greenhouse start before being planted.

[eboone]

Ronde de Bordeaux (RdB) is my third inground plant to ripen, first fig on 8/24. I believe it benefitted from the low tunnel head start. Prone to splitting in heavy rain.
No pic yet, figs have been damaged.

[jrdewhirst]

TJwestPA -- Another related thought is that splitting happens when hot dry weather is followed by humid weather. My guess is that the tree adjusts to dry heat by closing pores in the leaves, reducing transpiration. Then when humid weather comes, the trees can't adjust fast enough. Given ample water as well, the tree pulls more water than it needs and fruit bloat.

FWIW, I do think steady moisture is better than alternating dry / wet.

[TJwestPA]

jrdewhirst That certainly makes sense. Rapid swings in weather patterns, temperature, and humidity like we get here, just isn't something that figs would experience much of (or need to adjust to) in their native, Mediterranean climate.

[blaze]

Agree it’s dry followed by wet. Not just wet. I keep my trees very moist all summer and have minimal splitting problems. I never let them completely dry out.

[eboone]

Black Celeste is my next inground tree to ripen figs- also benefiting from the low tunnel in early season. 8/26 was the first fig. No apparent splitting on the first couple figs despite rain.

[Otis]

I've always enjoyed your year end summaries, Ed and this is great 'as ripening' info. TY

[jake44141]

Ed, it's good to see the chronical of your ripen record this year. I am sure that many of us appreciate and enjoy it. Last year's season review was a long wait. Your and Joe's information has helped me tremendously.

[Figgerlickinggood]

My first fig is Terramo. Ripened August 13th.

[jrdewhirst]

Comments on taste? Don't leave us hanging!!!

[Figgerlickinggood]

jrdewhirst it’s a very nice refreshing sweet taste. It will get even better as it grows.

[jrdewhirst]

Thanks! I have a young one. Not ripe yet.

[eboone]

Update

Here is an RdB ripened today-it did not rain yesterday

[jrdewhirst]

I hate to be a pita, but I think it needs to hang longer. My best RdB have cracked skin.

[cvarcher]

LOL some of us never seem to get it right. For the first figs picked I start out alittle early too and then as they ripen I let them lag longer and longer.

[eboone]

I have been a little disappointed in the effect of the low tunnels on my inground low cordons so far - admittedly I should have had them up a few weeks sooner. I think I gained at most a week or so. None of the three Mt Etnas which were under the low tunnels seem to have any advantage so far over the other older inground Mt Etnas which were not under low tunnels.

[MASS FIGS]

eboone when did your in ground trees wake up? When did you put the low tunnels on?

[Figgerlickinggood]

eboone my very first Smith ever ripened this morning along with 2 more Terramo. The Smith was excellent. I finally got to see why everyone loves it. Also over night three of my Shoeneck Unknown which yesterday were green, this morning doubled in size and turned a burgundy color. Not soft yet. The Shoeneck Unknown is completely full of figs. Last year only had one. My Chiappetta is also full of figs not ripe yet. Here’s a picture of the Smith.

[Cguitar]

Ed how is Stallion growing for you? Mine is in a 10g container & had a greenhouse headstart. They have a rich berry taste & never split. Stallion also ripens figs as a young tree. 👍

Your thread about it last year was a great one!

https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-home/821698-2020-stallion

[eboone]

Hi Chris
Mine suffered a set back when I put it in ground in May-it has recovered and is growing well but the figs that had set dropped off

[eboone]

Chris-the color on yours looks more like a standard Celeste

[Cguitar]

Ed that stinks. Going in ground must have been too much of a shock to hold on to the figs. I know what you mean about the color. Mine typically have more of a blue tint added to the color when fully ripe. I'll post a photo below.

[Drfig]

My rdb is a few days behind you Ed. Must be the cloudy days we have been having. Also the florea you sent me is a power house every branch loaded in container

[eboone]

Every node on the inground mother Florea has a fig also, but it is allergic to rain. I expect once we get a few days in a row without precipitation it will make some better figs.

[Cguitar]

Ed most of my ripe Stallions look more like this one.

[eboone]

That looks more typical

[eboone]

In post #15 above I noted the lack of any Mt Etna progress. Over an hour later I was back in the heat tying down some shoots to serve as extensions for some low cordons. On two Mt Etna class fig plants which did not have the low tunnel boost at the start of the season, which were planted spring 2020 and cut back to about ground level last fall and covered well for the winter, I found swollen colored figs: Old Brooklyn Italian and Syrian Dark. OBI was ahead-I took this pic:



Unfortunately a bird apparently pecked at it later in the day, and it rained overnight. When I went to cover it with an organza bag today I found it pecked open and soggy. The other fig is a little behind and is now covered.

But this is two Mt Etna figs ahead of the three which got the low tunnel boost in the spring. I am surprised- all the plants boosted by the low tunnels appeared to be growing 2-3 weeks ahead of those not boosted. The three boosted Mt Etnas were Salem Dark (in the past early for me), and Black Bethlehem and Unk Chios Dark, which are not known for earliness. All three boosted Mt Etnas have been in ground at least a few years and are, truth be told, growing like weeds on steroids and covered with figs. We will see how this works out.

[eboone]

And reporting some color change and almost ripe figs - Soccoro Black, in a permanent pot and given a greenhouse early start, will have figs this week.
Moscatel Preto has a few swelling figs(no color though)-this one had a greenhouse start before it was planted in May. Figs on it by week end, I predict.

[eboone]

Home made scarecrow hanging from the edge of my patio roof to scare away the cardinals. I moved the Norella and Soccoro Black plants just under the edge of the roof to reduce rain effects. The shirt and CDs swing in the slightest breeze-hoping for better results

[eboone]

I feel for those inundated by the recent hurricane Ida. Here in inland PA I measured over 4 inches of rain from noon yesterday to noon today. Needless to say the figs continue to be affected.

I am counting yesterday as the ripening date for Old Brooklyn Italian which was mush, today for Syrian Dark, and a Bryant Dark with significant color was destroyed by birds today. All are inground with no head start. The Syrian Dark pics are above, it is quite soggy and split. I thought Mt Etnas did not split in rain?

I will add better Syrian Dark pics at a later time

[ginamcd]

Rain is on my doorstep, but thankfully only Florea, RdB and Imp Celeste have figs swelling and showing color.

Here's to sunnier skies ahead!

[Cguitar]

That stinks Ed! We are a few hours behind you with the rain. Yesterday was fine but it's been raining all day here. Heavy downpours and steady 15-20mph winds started around rush hour. It all should pass by early morning. This will be a big test for a bunch of varieties that had figs in the early ripening process yesterday.

[eboone]

I destroyed about 20 ruined figs this AM, trying to keep the fruit flies down. Florea, RdB, IC, LSU Red and the two listed above

[jrdewhirst]

Do you ever dry figs? I think that a ripe fig bloated by rain could still make a decent dried fig.

[eboone]

I will try it if the fig is just bloated or soggy but these have been exploded and / or mush that falls apart.

[jessup42]

You can take a purée and spread it out on the tray of a dehydrator to let it make a fruit leather

[blaze]

I give my smushy ones a sniff for fermentation. Did have a few smushy Mt etna bags of mush after the rains.

[eboone]

Today my first Teramo looked ripe but the bottom was mushy and spoiled. So we will count that but no taste report.

Every fig today was ruined. But we had a beautiful sunny day and we are expecting better figs soon.

The first Moscatel Preto was still green and the bottom blown open, not sure when to count that as ripe. The first two Soccoro Black were damaged by birds.

And I have swelling and color on figs from Red Sicilian (MN), Malta Black and Unknown Abington- all inground