Category: Figs

Rooting Fig Cuttings in a Bag

1/15/2012

Black Jack Fig Cuttings

Way back in July, John Panzarella was kind enough to give me some cuttings from his Black Jack fig. I did my best to start them using powdered rooting hormone, but shortly after putting out a few leaves, they died. I have since read that just because a fig cutting puts out a few leaves, it does not mean that good roots have developed. I also read that figs root very easily as long as they are given high humidity, and that using rooting hormone can promote rot. I probably just got lucky last spring when I rooted Alma cuttings that way. So when John gave me some more Black Jack cuttings in early December at the Upper Gulf Coast Citrus Show, I decided to try using the 'bag method' as described on www.figs4fun.com.

First, I placed the cuttings into a sealed plastic bag with a moist paper towel, and left them in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Then I pulled them out, wrapped each individual cutting in a moist paper towel, put them back in the bag, and placed them on a warm seed-starting mat. The seed-starting mat isn't necessary, but I thought the cuttings might root faster with a little extra warmth. Besides, it was pretty chilly, and I thought it couldn't hurt. After a week I could see the beginnings of root initials, and after two weeks the roots were growing through the paper towels.

At this stage the roots are very very fragile, and I accidentally broke off several while I was trying to delicately remove them from the paper towels. I potted all the cuttings in half-gallon pots with a moist peat moss-perlite mix (don't use potting soil with fertilizer pre-mixed into it), and placed plastic bags over the pots to keep the humidity high. It must have done the trick, because some of the cuttings kept right on putting out roots directly into the air! I had never seen anything like it. I removed the plastic bags and the aerial roots quickly dried up and fell off. o keep the cuttings growing until spring, I took them all up to my office and placed them next to a sunny window. All have since put on some leaves, and it looks like they're very happy there. There are even roots poking out the bottoms of the pots.

It amazes me that I started with six dead-looking sticks on December 1st, and now I've got six young fig trees in less than two months. I'm very excited to have stumbled across this simple method. Last week I took somewhere between 30-40 cuttings from seven varieties of fig trees (Alma, BA-1, Celeste, LSU Gold, LSU Purple, Osborne Prolific, and Petite Negra), and I plan on rooting them all this way. By late March, I should have 30-40 young fig trees to share.

Cutting wrapped in moist paper towels, and placed in a plastic bag.

Root initials after a couple of weeks.

Cuttings in peat moss and perlite mix.

I placed plastic bags over each cutting to keep the humidity high.

Look at those aerial roots!

All are now growing well at my office.

Boy #2 really enjoying a Republic of Texas orange.

2 Comments

Figs - Main Crop

6/27/2011

2 Comments

Fresh picked figs.

The main fig crop seems to be coming in in our neighborhood. Boy #1 and I visited our neighbor's tree this weekend, and picked and ate figs until we were stuffed (It's not fruit theft, they moved to Boston). We quickly learned that the best tasting figs were ones that a bird had already pecked. The birds don't mess around, they know which fruit is dead ripe.

I don't know what kind of fig tree it is, but is sure makes a big crop of tasty fruit. Boy #1 calls them 'Sugar Figs'. They don't have a really strong flavor, but they are very very sweet. The skins is kind of purple and light brown, with amber-strawberry colored flesh. I think it is most likely a Celeste, or Celeste-type fig, but I would need a fig expert to tell me for sure.

We've also been picking more of the LSU Gold figs. These are huge, fat yellow figs with yellow flesh, and a slightly thicker skin. They can taste a little watery or bland if eaten right after the tree has been watered, but when picked at peak ripeness they are very delicious, sweet with a very unique flavor. The birds seem to be ignoring the LSU Gold tree in favor of the two large purple figs planted in adjacent yards. Boy #1 prefers the 'Sugar Figs' too, but I like the LSU Gold flavor better.

Our young Celeste, LSU Purple, and South Carolina Lemon Fig trees dropped their fruit, but the Petite Negra has held onto around 15 figs. I've been babying the tree, and trying to make sure it gets plenty of water. Hopefully we'll get to taste these in the next few weeks.

Neighbor's closed-eye fig of unknown variety. Celeste?

LSU Gold Fig

Open eye of the LSU Gold.

Yellow flesh of the LSU Gold

Nice amber/strawberry colored flesh.

Eat 'em up.

2 Comments

Eat a Fig!

5/12/2011

1 Comment

LSU Gold Figs

Boy #1 and I were playing in the backyard earlier this week, and I discovered two ripe LSU Gold figs on my tree. There had been more, but apparently the birds discovered them before I did. I've always heard that birds tend to leave the yellow figs alone because they think they're not ripe yet, but I guess my birds are really smart.

I probably should have let them sit out on the counter for a day, because they tasted a little bit watery. I had watered all the trees on Sunday. The figs we picked in November (from the same tree) were much sweeter and tasted like they were filled with jam, but these were still very tasty. Boy #1 didn't complain one bit, and happily gobbled them up and asked for more.

Figs can produce two crops each year. The first is called the "breba" crop, is early and usually a smaller crop of inferior quality. It grows on wood that grew the previous year. The main crop comes later, and grows on this year's new growth. It is usually a much larger crop of higher quality fruit. My LSU Gold tree is already working on the second crop, and is full of green quarter-sized figs. If the birds don't eat too many, we should have a nice large crop of huge sweet figs late this summer.

White to amber colored flesh

Big bite.

Yummy figs! More?

1 Comment

Figs - Ficus carica

5/5/2011

2 Comments

LSU Gold Fig

The figs are growing like crazy. It hasn't been easy to keep them all watered with all this dry, windy weather. The LSU Gold is full of huge figs, and the South Carolina Lemon and Celeste figs each have a handful as well. The Petite Negra is starting to put out some fruits, so it may just fruit later than the other varieities. The LSU Purple hasn't put out any figs, and so far has been the least vigorous grower, although I would guess that this is related more to the location than variety. Boy #1 and I love figs, and I'm really looking forward to eating these this summer.

Some of the cuttings I tried to root back in January have grown unbelievably well, and others have barely grown at all. One of the Alma fig cuttings I rooted has already filled it's one-gallon pot, and I've already had to re-pot it in a 3-gallon container. The Petite Negra cuttings are really really slow growing, and I still don't know if they're going to make it. If they don't pick up the pace by this summer, I may just get rid of them and try again next winter.

I plan on rooting many more cuttings next year so I'll have more plants to share. I think it would also be fun to host a fig tasting if I get enough fruit.

Alma Fig Cutting

LSU Gold Fig

Celeste Fig

South Carolina Lemon Fig

Petite Negra Fig

LSU Purple Fig

South Carolina Lemon Figs

2 Comments

Figs - Ficus carica

1/26/2011

1 Comment

Three new figs.

I owe very special thanks to Tammy for picking up a South Carolina Lemon Fig for me from the Montgomery County Master Gardener's Fruit Tree Sale last weekend. Also known as the 'Italian Honey', this fig has been really hard for me to find. I also took a little field trip out to RCW nursery, and picked up LSU Purple and Petite Negra figs.

Our neighbors have a large fig tree of unknown variety that hangs over our fence. Last summer, my son and I would walk over to the tree, and he would gobble up figs as fast as I could pick them. Since he liked them so much, I wanted to plant several so we could have figs all summer. I planted an LSU Gold last summer that I picked up from RCW, and a Celeste fig that I picked out of the clearance plants at Plants for All Seasons ($5!). The new trees make 5 varieties, so we should have plenty of fruit from late June to November.

I planted the new fig trees along the northeast wall of my house where they will get good afternoon sun and wind protection. After planting, I took cuttings from the LSU Gold and Petite Negra. I abraded the bark, dipped the cuttings in powdered rooting hormone, and potted them. Hopefully they'll root, and I'll have new four fig trees to share with people. If you want one, shoot me an email. First come first served while supplies last!