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Where is the fruit coming from this year?
Based on past harvests here, and looking around at cultivars this year bearing the most figlets per tree, and considering which cultivars seem most likely to ripen well due to being "early" or robust in a short growing season, the most prolific cultivars here seem to sort out into a few categories:
Though select other cultivars may do as well as early, these four categories help simplify the matter, reliably, and maybe, at risk of getting too personalized, in a way that matches my taste preferences. Seems a good way to springboard into high fruit production. Even with these cultivars it can take a good 2 or 3 years to really get the fruit rolling in, so a special focus on flavorful, prolific cultivars early on can be important.
Other cultivars that I've found to be productive in early years, and/or that others speak highly of, include: Celeste, Italian Honey / Lattarulla, Conadria, Florea, Zingarella, Malta Black, and so on. Some of these aren't as reliably tasty to me as the group of four above, but tastes vary.
While there are many more cultivars that can be prolific early and with which others have had good experiences, figuring those out seems not as foolproof as referring to a few distinct groups such as the four above. The Mt Etna cultivar, or, say, clan, goes by dozens of names, many highly regarded. Similarly, the Late Bordeaux group: multiple well regarded names, though their late ripening production in years without brebas may be an issue (which is why I list them last of the 4 groups). Then there is Ronde de Bordeaux, highly held, has been called "the perfect fig" and one doesn't have to look too hard to see why. Also the LSU cultivars, a group of scientifically bred figs that reflect well on science and vice versa.
Fig trees and bushes, like any growing thing, can be finicky, in growth let alone in production of fruit, so after collecting a lot of different varieties these past few years, I've been focusing this year and singling out even more than in the past flavorful cultivars that seem to take it upon themselves to be prolific. Ronde de Bordeaux, Marseilles Black, LSU Improved Celeste. Starting over, I would start with those three. Multiples of those three. I would add a few Late Bordeaux trees for the potential brebas and for the unusual color of the unripe figs. (By "Marseilles Black" I mean also "Gino's Black" and quite a few other Mt Etna cultivars that within a year, or two at most, produce well.)
Selections from these "prolific four" fig groups provide an assortment of figs somewhat similar to Pete's recommended introductory, gateway cultivars. Difference being that the gate in the gateway may not be as big with the prolific four because, of the Dark figs, Marseilles Black (etc) can be more difficult to come by than Hardy Chicago (though HC itself as a Mt Etna can be prolific), and, of the sugar figs, LSU Improved Celeste can be more difficult to come by than Celeste (Celeste can also be very prolific). For honey figs, Italian Honey would have to be added to the prolific four groupings unless LSU Champagne could serve as replacement. Several Late Bordeaux varieties are widely available. One flavor gap in the prolific four groups is that they provide no "Adriatic" flavor or look, light on the outside, dark on the inside.
Though acquiring Ronde de Bordeaux, Marseilles Black, and Improved Celeste took somewhat longer than acquiring other similar more easily accessible cultivars, the fruit productivity has been as great or greater, for me at least, and looks to be greater going forward. One partial caveat would be that I made mistakes early on growing the more easily accessible cultivars, mistakes that I make less frequently with less severity now. That said, Improved Celeste, Marseilles Black, and Ronde de Bordeaux seem perhaps especially forgiving of mistakes, and simply more prolific in general than their more readily available counterparts.
I'm inclined to think of these four prolific fig groupings, along with trees from other highly productive (and flavorful) cultivars, as comprising a core orchard, an orchard within an orchard (as far as home orchards go). I probably will treat the core orchard differently in the future, giving the pots the best sun and so on. I've already placed these cultivars in the best low limb and low cordon space, in ground.
Since all of my trees are currently 5 years old or younger, with most being 3 and under, identifying and growing cultivars that are quite prolific in their very early years is especially rewarding. The Bordeauxs, the Mt Etnas, and the LSUs have caught my eye the most. I go outside and see a bunch of figs on a tree rather than bare limbs (or tiny figlets) and they usually belong to a Bordeaux type, a Mt Etna, or an LSU. Not that Lattarulla, Zingarella, Malta Black, and some others are not doing well at the moment. And granted, many of the most superb tasting cultivars will ripen but ripen late and few, I expect, meaning the success of the season will depend largely on the core. Anyway, a mid-June view from one young home orchard.
Based on past harvests here, and looking around at cultivars this year bearing the most figlets per tree, and considering which cultivars seem most likely to ripen well due to being "early" or robust in a short growing season, the most prolific cultivars here seem to sort out into a few categories:
- Ronde de Bordeaux (a category unto itself)
- Mt Etna types (Marseilles Black, Gino's Black ... )
- LSU types (Improved Celeste, O'Rourke, Champagne, LSU Purple, LSU Black / Scott's Black ... )
- Late Bordeaux types (Violette de Bordeaux, Petite Negri, Negronne, Vista, Nero 600m / Valle Negra ... )
Though select other cultivars may do as well as early, these four categories help simplify the matter, reliably, and maybe, at risk of getting too personalized, in a way that matches my taste preferences. Seems a good way to springboard into high fruit production. Even with these cultivars it can take a good 2 or 3 years to really get the fruit rolling in, so a special focus on flavorful, prolific cultivars early on can be important.
Other cultivars that I've found to be productive in early years, and/or that others speak highly of, include: Celeste, Italian Honey / Lattarulla, Conadria, Florea, Zingarella, Malta Black, and so on. Some of these aren't as reliably tasty to me as the group of four above, but tastes vary.
While there are many more cultivars that can be prolific early and with which others have had good experiences, figuring those out seems not as foolproof as referring to a few distinct groups such as the four above. The Mt Etna cultivar, or, say, clan, goes by dozens of names, many highly regarded. Similarly, the Late Bordeaux group: multiple well regarded names, though their late ripening production in years without brebas may be an issue (which is why I list them last of the 4 groups). Then there is Ronde de Bordeaux, highly held, has been called "the perfect fig" and one doesn't have to look too hard to see why. Also the LSU cultivars, a group of scientifically bred figs that reflect well on science and vice versa.
Fig trees and bushes, like any growing thing, can be finicky, in growth let alone in production of fruit, so after collecting a lot of different varieties these past few years, I've been focusing this year and singling out even more than in the past flavorful cultivars that seem to take it upon themselves to be prolific. Ronde de Bordeaux, Marseilles Black, LSU Improved Celeste. Starting over, I would start with those three. Multiples of those three. I would add a few Late Bordeaux trees for the potential brebas and for the unusual color of the unripe figs. (By "Marseilles Black" I mean also "Gino's Black" and quite a few other Mt Etna cultivars that within a year, or two at most, produce well.)
Selections from these "prolific four" fig groups provide an assortment of figs somewhat similar to Pete's recommended introductory, gateway cultivars. Difference being that the gate in the gateway may not be as big with the prolific four because, of the Dark figs, Marseilles Black (etc) can be more difficult to come by than Hardy Chicago (though HC itself as a Mt Etna can be prolific), and, of the sugar figs, LSU Improved Celeste can be more difficult to come by than Celeste (Celeste can also be very prolific). For honey figs, Italian Honey would have to be added to the prolific four groupings unless LSU Champagne could serve as replacement. Several Late Bordeaux varieties are widely available. One flavor gap in the prolific four groups is that they provide no "Adriatic" flavor or look, light on the outside, dark on the inside.
Though acquiring Ronde de Bordeaux, Marseilles Black, and Improved Celeste took somewhat longer than acquiring other similar more easily accessible cultivars, the fruit productivity has been as great or greater, for me at least, and looks to be greater going forward. One partial caveat would be that I made mistakes early on growing the more easily accessible cultivars, mistakes that I make less frequently with less severity now. That said, Improved Celeste, Marseilles Black, and Ronde de Bordeaux seem perhaps especially forgiving of mistakes, and simply more prolific in general than their more readily available counterparts.
I'm inclined to think of these four prolific fig groupings, along with trees from other highly productive (and flavorful) cultivars, as comprising a core orchard, an orchard within an orchard (as far as home orchards go). I probably will treat the core orchard differently in the future, giving the pots the best sun and so on. I've already placed these cultivars in the best low limb and low cordon space, in ground.
Since all of my trees are currently 5 years old or younger, with most being 3 and under, identifying and growing cultivars that are quite prolific in their very early years is especially rewarding. The Bordeauxs, the Mt Etnas, and the LSUs have caught my eye the most. I go outside and see a bunch of figs on a tree rather than bare limbs (or tiny figlets) and they usually belong to a Bordeaux type, a Mt Etna, or an LSU. Not that Lattarulla, Zingarella, Malta Black, and some others are not doing well at the moment. And granted, many of the most superb tasting cultivars will ripen but ripen late and few, I expect, meaning the success of the season will depend largely on the core. Anyway, a mid-June view from one young home orchard.
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