LSU Gold Fig
I remember I once wrote on the TXRFG forum that LSU Gold must be the king of figs due to its huge size and great flavor. The fruit is yellow and massive, sometimes measuring more than three inches across! The amber-strawberry colored pulp is very sweet and tasty when fully ripe, although it can taste a little bit watery if picked shortly after a rain. I originally planted LSU Gold because it was recommended by the Urban Harvest website, and because I had read that birds would often leave the yellow figs alone because they didn't think they were ripe yet. It turns out the birds in my yard must be smarter than most, and they always get their share.
When LSU Golds are good, they're really really good. Unfortunately, for me getting a good ripe LSU Gold fig has been particularly difficult.
The problem with LSU Gold is that it has a big open eye which lets in all manner of bugs, fungi, and bacteria in to destroy the fruit. It is true that LSU Gold figs will secrete a drop of honey which seals the open eye, and prevents these invaders from getting in. I've looked all over the internet, and as far as I can tell I'm the only person to have photographed this. Unfortunately, the drop of honey only seems to plug the eye when the weather is dry, and in our mostly humid climate it usually isn't effective. Heavy rains will dissolve the seal of honey, re-opening the eye and allowing the bugs to make themselves at home, and creating favorable conditions for fermentation (souring) which completely ruins the fruit.
This year has been particularly wet, so I expected to lose some fruit to souring and birds, but I was not prepared to watch nearly all of them rot on the tree. Of the 100+ fruit my tree set this year, I wasn't able to harvest more than five good ones this year. I didn't get that many last year either. Even during one of the driest summers on record, I was only able to pick around 20 good fruit. I just can't justify growing a tree whose crop can be effectively destroyed by RAIN. My goal is to grow fruit trees that will provide my kids with reliable crops of delicious fruit, and the LSU Gold has just not delivered. So as much as it pained me to do it, I cut it down. I'll probably replace it with one of the figs recommended by George McAfee, or one of my potted citrus trees.
When LSU Golds are good, they're really really good. Unfortunately, for me getting a good ripe LSU Gold fig has been particularly difficult.
The problem with LSU Gold is that it has a big open eye which lets in all manner of bugs, fungi, and bacteria in to destroy the fruit. It is true that LSU Gold figs will secrete a drop of honey which seals the open eye, and prevents these invaders from getting in. I've looked all over the internet, and as far as I can tell I'm the only person to have photographed this. Unfortunately, the drop of honey only seems to plug the eye when the weather is dry, and in our mostly humid climate it usually isn't effective. Heavy rains will dissolve the seal of honey, re-opening the eye and allowing the bugs to make themselves at home, and creating favorable conditions for fermentation (souring) which completely ruins the fruit.
This year has been particularly wet, so I expected to lose some fruit to souring and birds, but I was not prepared to watch nearly all of them rot on the tree. Of the 100+ fruit my tree set this year, I wasn't able to harvest more than five good ones this year. I didn't get that many last year either. Even during one of the driest summers on record, I was only able to pick around 20 good fruit. I just can't justify growing a tree whose crop can be effectively destroyed by RAIN. My goal is to grow fruit trees that will provide my kids with reliable crops of delicious fruit, and the LSU Gold has just not delivered. So as much as it pained me to do it, I cut it down. I'll probably replace it with one of the figs recommended by George McAfee, or one of my potted citrus trees.
Huge open eye on an unripe fig.
Very rare drop of 'honey' sealing the open eye.
Soured on the tree.
Look at all that ruined fruit. I never had a chance.
Now you see it...
now you don't.
