Introduction

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Hello,

I still haven't made a formal introduction since joining the forum. I'd like to do so now...

I'm Ryan down here in Spring Hill, FL. I've been friends with Wills for several years now and him and I live an hour away from each other. I work as an acupuncturist in Wesley Chapel ( just north of Tampa). My journey into figsanity started while I was doing research on a Brown Turkey that "magically" came back to life (I did not knowing figs could do that) after it experienced Florida winter. LOL! Running into figs4fun and reading about the different colors, tastes, etc really got me and I've been hooked ever since, minus a little hiatus which I have recently just come out of.

If I may ask, I'd also like to know about how you ended up here. Feel free to share how your journey into figworld started...

Thank you!

[F. Bennett Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close F. Bennett]

Hi Ryan. Glad you made it here. My fig interest all stemmed from my grandfather, who grew fig trees in Cleveland, OH.

[Harborseal Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Harborseal]

Welcome to this side of the fig hedge

[DBJohnson Fig Phenom Find all posts View Profile Close DBJohnson]

Welcome, Ryan! I've been a denizen of the web for over 20 years, so when I became interested in figs, it was only second nature to look for resources on the net. Found a couple of fig forums and settled here in the friendliest and most community-minded one.

[fitzski Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close fitzski]

Hello, Ryan.

My start into to the fig growing world started when I inherited a fig tree from my sister-in-law's father. That was the only fig tree I had for over 10 years and then i visited a place called Logee's in CT and bought a few more. I found the forums after that and that's when I quickly went into the double digits.

Even though I said I wanted to keep my new varieties this year to under 10, i'm now approaching 25ish.

[WillsC Admin / Owner Find all posts View Profile Close WillsC]

Only took you a YEAR to make an introduction post?

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Thank you for the warm welcome and sharing your introduction to figs!

I'm looking forward to being an active participant of this community and connecting with all the wonderful fignuts out there.

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Lol, yes, I'm a bit of a procastinator! I purposely waited an entire year to make this post just to prove it, lol.

[Jamie0507 Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Jamie0507]

Hi Ryan! So glad you decided to say hello & join in the many conversations we have here on the forum, naturally most are "figsanity-based" as most of us are beyond help 😉 lol
I've been eyeing up your cuttings on Ebay for a long time now.. Actually Ive been bidding & losing miserably in truth haha! But at any rate, very glad you decided to say hello..
As for how I ended up here, it began with my grandmother's love for figs (shes 96 now). She always talked about her father's tree in Newark, NJ.. How delicious they were, how the tree was always a gathering point for the family.. Now I never got to eat figs from this tree, but she planted the seed. I started looking for fig trees actively when I moved into our new home last year.. Started with one Celeste, shortly after I found Bass who sold me 2 more.. And it was on from there! Lol! I still havent tasted a fresh fig, but I suspect that will change this upcoming summer.. I hope Anyways, welcome to the forum! we are glad to have another figgy friend to add to the bunch!

[m5allen Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close m5allen]

Hi Ryan,

I am not to far south of you in Tampa - I am in between Oldsmar and Westchase. Nice to see another west-central FL grower.

I started off as a blueberry grower and then some guy named Bamboo Rabbit posted something on GardenWeb about figs. I had never had a fresh fig before, so I just happened to go to Publix and they had some Kadota figs for sale. It was love after first bite.....all downhill from there.

[JohnnyK Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JohnnyK]

Welcome to the forum Ryan.

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Jamie, I really wish that you get plenty of fresh figs this summer! And If you don't, I will express mail you some, lol.

Thanks for the welcome.

[Jamie0507]

I like this guy already.. Like big time!! Lol thank you for making such nice wishes for me.. I really & truly hope to stuff my face with figs this summer! Either by my own trees or through express mail from you Ryan! 😉👍 Looking forward to hearing more from you as we draw nearer to the official start of fig season!!! (Not that too many of us are bothering to wait for spring to get em going lol hehe)

[newnandawg Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close newnandawg]

Ryan, glad to see you become active. I have a few of your trees in my possession so I can give you a good plug.

My interest interest in figs began over 50 years ago as a kid climbing up into a friends tree and picking and eating them. That was a typical southern brown turkey but who cared. From then it was enjoying fig preserves at every opportunity. I have had a couple of BT's and the Original Celeste over the years but the real hobby or insanity began about six years ago. I stumbled across a different variety, Hardy Chicago. I then started researching figs and bumped into another forum. I tried to enjoy that but it became impossible due to some members and lack of involvement of the owner. I was pointed in this direction shortly after Wills got it up and running and was fortunate to have him ask me to help out. I now have about 150 varieties, of those 100 are in ground. The rest is history. 👌

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Allen, wow, you are not very far at all. And we're always around Carrollwood too. We'll have to meet in person sometime soon!

[m5allen]

Sure thing, I love to meet local people who share my interests. In addition to figs, I grow a lot of blueberries and blackberries. Wills came down last spring to visit me, and I think he was stopping by your place on the way back home, small world.

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Thanks, Johnnyk!

[Hershell Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close Hershell]

Well it's about time. I thought you had gone dormant again but it's good to see you active Ryan, I can't wait for you to stir things up with a good question. As for me I was working at Kenisaw State on a greenhouse and met heymike and he asked if I grew figs and I said that I had a tree. The next day he brought me a Magnolia, excel and VDB and I thought that was a disease or something. I took them home and just set the pots in the gh and didn't care much about them and a few months later saw a ripe VDB and ate it and was infected. And how many did I buy from you on eBay. Well you know the rest of the story.

[FMD]

VDB, a disease ... LOL Hershell.

[Sarahkt Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Sarahkt]

Welcome, Ryan!

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Newnandawg, thanks for the welcome! You and figs go way back. How are the trees doing?

[newnandawg]

They are sleeping and doing fine.

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Thanks, Sarah!

Feels like home again! Good to be back.

[IamKriya Member Find all posts View Profile Close IamKriya]

Hershell, thanks man!

Thank you for all your support this whole time!

[pppldj Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close pppldj]

Welcome to the forum!
I planted my first fig tree in the late 70's. It was a gift. I moved 15 years later and planted a fig tree at my new house. Lived there 16 years. Both trees are still doing fine today, just weren't that good. Went thru hard times in life. Divorce, walked away from house, economy crashed, employer went out of business, etc. Started life over. Found a most wonderful woman, remarried then house hunted. I wanted a fig tree at our new home. Internet searches brought up forums and a world of figs I did not know existed. Joined a small fig forum that still exists, but is not very active. A friend messaged me about this forum and I joined and here I am. This is a good forum!

[Taverna78 Vetern Member Fabio Find all posts View Profile Close Taverna78]

Yo!!!! How you doing Ryan ! Glad see you finally talk on here!

[DaveL Veteran Find all posts View Profile Close DaveL]

Hi Ryan and welcome. I always had a love for gardening and when I retired I was looking for a hobby to fill some quiet time. My wife found out she love figs, so as the saying goes happy wife, happy life. Two birds with one stone so to speak.

[jmaler Fig Phenom Find all posts View Profile Close jmaler]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your particpation.

You have a nice place for growing figs. You also have some great ideas on rooting cuttings.

[bunti Member Find all posts View Profile Close bunti]

Hi,

I am Kavitha, from Charlotte, NC. I am originally from India and I know more about tropicals. I have good collection of Jasminum flowers. I am learning more about native plants. 6 months ago fig bug caught me. I have 15 fig plants, I have got 10 cuttings from Wills. Planning to get more. I have started collecting Figs and Jujubes(Chinese Dates). My Dream is to have my own farm and grow veggies and fruits and start fruit and veggie pick. Since the fig bug caught me, I am online on forums all the time and knowing more about figs.
my profile photo is my dog, Bunti. He is Tibetian Terrier. I am excited to meet new people and learn more from their experiences.

Lets be one big fig family.

[Jamie0507]

Welcome Kavitha it's great to have you here

[IamKriya]

Hi Kavitha! Welcome!

I was looking into getting a Tibetan Terrier a couple of years ago. I've read that they make excellent family dogs. And, they don't shed!!!

Good luck with the cuttings!

[bunti]

TTs doesn't shred. They like people's company. They are very sweet. They don't like to be left alone at home.