The Dark Ones Cometh

[cis4elk]

That's fancy talk for I'm starting to get main crop figs. This is sort of a fake out because I don't have ripe fruit pictures yet. I think this thread is one I'll keep adding to.

MBVS, wins the title for the first main crop fig of the year, AND it did it without a head start in the sun room. I'm still sort-of up in the air on it, this is it's 3rd leaf. Last year it didn't produce much(understandably for my zone), the flavor was meh, and it dropped about half or more of it's figs right before ripening. This year it dropped the first 3 main crop figs right before ripening, then it ripened a few that were half figgy and half dry crap. But today, it ripened the first real fig that made me say "Whaaaat?" meaning that sucker was good! Better than the Atreano and RdB's we had today. The rest of the figs ripening now look like they will be good ones.





RdB, I sort-of hate to recycle pictures from thread to thread, although I am guilty. So on a new leaf, I'll take different pics of RdB soon(there are some on the Atreano ripening thread). It's the second variety to ripen main crop this year. This year the quality is much better than last and I can only see it getting better in future years as well. I do have to say though that it didn't bear nearly as heavy as I would have expected for a 4th leaf tree, I hope that changes with age as well.



Here is one of the branches on my 2nd leaf Sal's EL(Thanks Steve and Ryan). I haven't looked at it for a couple days, the other day only one fig had some color. I'm looking forward to tasting it. For comparison, no pics, my Hardy Chicago doesn't have any figs turning yet. So that bodes well for them being different. Also no head start aside from the shuffle.



More to come.

[jmaler]

Pretty figs. You are off to a good start.

[F. Bennett]

Good to hear, Calvin. My in-ground MBVS started late this year, but it's pretty loaded. I think September will be an indulging month for that tree. Great tasting variety.

[cis4elk]

I'll be watching for when yours ripen. I was toying with the idea of putting it in the ground at some point. I have an RdB I'll be doing a step-over with next year, we'll see how that one goes first.

[mountainfigs]

Looks great. Hopefully it will be a deluge of ripe figs.

My Hardy Chicagos ripen randomly compared to other Mt Etnas, depending on the year and the situations. All the named figs that I assume are Mt Etnas behave this way, ripening early, late, and middle relative to one another, varying sometimes by year, sometimes by growing situation, sometimes by whatever unknown quirk, it seems.

[AscPete]

Thanks for the update, looking good.
No main crop dark figs as yet, but the potted trees are all loaded with green figs. The only cultivar that has main crop figs starting to ripen here is a light fig, Champagne. All the trees were placed outside the last week of April...

[cis4elk]

That sounds about right. We had a really warm April, I was shuffling mine by the 3rd if I remember right. So that puts me 2-3 weeks ahead.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Good work Cal. I just posted this on fb today, of all my dark figs (except the king, which is Preto) the best this year has been MBvs, berry taste, larger than last year, and just really good. 3rd year tree. Permit me to share this picture on your thread. A keeper.

[cis4elk]

Thanks, no worries..post away! That is a nice looking fig, that's what the great one I had looked like. I just had a couple more tonight while watering that I let hang on a day or two longer and they were a little over done, heavier on the dried fruit taste.

[COGardener]

Looking good Calvin! !!! Looking real good. If they disappear over night I know nothing about it! !!!

My JF&E Improved Celeste is just starting to ripen.... I hope they are enjoyed while I'm away.

[cis4elk]

Too bad, you deserve some fresh figs for all your efforts. The fruits of your labor.

[cis4elk]

Thanks all. Here's the RdB, the picture isn't as good as the others though.

[cis4elk]

Thanks all. Here's the RdB the picture isn't as good as the others though.

[cis4elk]

Time for some updating.

Here is Petite Negra RT, bad pic sorry, the light was bad and it was windy.




VdB, these pictures were a couple weeks ago. Many of those figs have...um...gone down the river.




A comparison, PN on left and VdB on the right. Similar taste, PN stains the pith a bit. PN makes figs of all sizes(always has) VdB seems to make rather uniform sized figs. Both are dropping from the tree this year a day or two early rather than hanging on and getting wrinkly. Strange.




Hardy Chicago
It's just about done, has a handful of figs left to ripen. Again this picture is from a couple weeks ago.




Navid's Unkown Dark Greek.
This fig got bigger, earlier, and more solid this year with a wee bit of syrupiness to it. I can't wait to see what else happens in the future with this one. It's a little later than the well known Etna crew, but should ripen all it's figs without an early start this year. The eye is as tight as they come.










A sampling of them from a couple days ago. Hardy Chicago is on the bottom, somehow I cut off the name.









The winner this year for the dark figs for me is MBVS. Special mention goes to Malta Black and UDG, not that any of the other ones listed in this post were bad either. I enjoyed having them all.

[eboone]

Very nice Calvin. How soon is your first usual frost date?

[m5allen]

That looks like a tasty selection of dark figs

[cis4elk]

Thanks, it has been a good season for me for almost all my figs.