Ronde de Bordeaux 2015

[newnandawg]

This is the first of this power packed little guy. This tree is in a 15 gal pot and is
about four years old and loaded this year. The jammy, sweet, berry flavors were
quite intense and very good as usual for this fig. About a 9 on a 1-10.

[kubota1]

Mike, Great fig! Was that a breba?

[SCfigFanatic]

Mine have just set figs for the first season.
Looks good.

Doug

[cis4elk]

I was wondering the same thing as Art. I have a few RdB brebas ripening now, one I'm probably going to pick tonight. Rain and cooler weather are projected starting tomorrow and for a couple days after. I'll add to this thread.

[newnandawg]

Art, no it is not a breba. Its a lonely main crop, as in doesnt look like any more
ripening soon but tree has many main crop on it.

[kubota1]

Thanks Mike. You've got the touch!

[COGardener]

Looks fantastic!!! I have one I rooted this year, and I am very much so looking forward to figs in a couple years.

How long do you think it will be until the rest ripen?

[newnandawg]

I wish I could say but based on this one
ripening I would think they will start
swelling soon. They have been in the
stagnant state for a while.

[COGardener]

Very nice!!! My Hardy Chicago has been in the stagnate stage for quite some as well, I just noticed a touch of color on the largest oldest one today.... That put a little pep in my step.... the anticipation is killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rusty hooks]

Very nice indeed....patience of a saint waiting for the wrinkles

[Rewton]

Mike, are you also growing RdB in-ground? I am curious how RdB's performance is in a container vs. in-ground. Mine is in ground and was not very productive last year. This year I think it will be a little better though.

[newnandawg]

Steve, I do have it in ground also but it was killed back to the ground this winter. It
has been slow to recover so I dont know if it will produce this year or not.

[Rewton]

Mine was nearly killed to the ground but has a lot of good growth now and some trunks have figs. Some of them should ripen.

[Chrisk]

Very nice Mike. Which one was the best tasting so far this year?

[newnandawg]

Chris, the RdB has been the best so far but I have a long ways to go. LOL

[Chrisk]

Ha, good for you Mike. The day is still young....... The best is yet to come .

[F. Bennett]

That's got me craving some now. I've got a while though.

[Chrisk]

Hey Frank. Get used to Mike ! He will be hitting us with one of those every day from now on so I got myself a big jar of wild figs in heavy syrup from the Euro market and every time I see Mikes post I run to the fridge with fork in hand,lol at least until mine start to rippen!

[F. Bennett]

Yep! I very much look forward to Mike's daily haul this time of year.

[pppldj]

Nice. Mine is in ground and has up to marble sized main crop and smaller putting on at most every node. It's first main crop was fantastic last year. Gotta love that RdB.

[newnandawg]

PPP, was yours killed back to the ground this winter?

[pppldj]

Not completely. Probably about 8 inches above ground survived. Got it late in 2013. Overwintered in the garage and planted in ground late spring 2014. Every fig I have ever planted, going back to the late 70's, freezes back once and then never again. I will see if this continues with my new varieties.

[cis4elk]

Well, here we go. My first ripe fig of the year, not an early start in the sun room, just started shuffling in the beginning of April. Not bad at all, 28g, super tender, I was very surprised by the flavor of this breba. Not the same texture here, but flavor-wise it was straight-up Watermelon with maybe the tiniest berry finish. Refreshing..just like watermelon. More please.

[COGardener]

Very nice Calvin! Nice to see a ripe mile high RDB.

[mountainfigs]

Must be that all out Western sun kicking in. Nice to see a fig ripen so early in Zone 5. RDB comes through again.

[cis4elk]

Thanks!
I never dreamed I would get ripe figs so early, so this is exciting stuff. I hope this is a reproducible pattern. I'm planning on putting a stepover RdB in ground as well, so it would be nice to be able to leave all the brebas on the potted tree and get some super early figs anually without needing to use a greenhouse or sun room.

[pppldj]

Beautiful!!!

[eboone]

Are you guys who are getting RdB brebas getting many of them, or just one or 2 on a plant?

[cis4elk]

I had 2-3 on each branch that grew strong last season. I removed all but 3 because I wasn't sure how they would affect the main crop. The other 2 are ripening now also.

[Posturedoc]

I had one about two weeks ago; it was my only RdB breba on two trees. I'd rate it a blah-plus, which is one plus better than the blah and 2(?) pluses better than the blah-minus brebas I've been eating from most of my other breba producers this year. Small hijack, VdB has been the best breba thus far, blah++. I keep hoping another year of age will have the brebas from these trees tasting better, but mostly they are pasty and mildly sweet. If there's a bit of figgy taste to go with them, it's a bonus. Can't wait for the much better tasting main crop to start.

[newnandawg]

Ed, just a couple this year.