Figs - Dry fruit

Noel starts with ...
Does anyone know what causes fig fruits to become dry and shriveled. Tree has been well watered and fertilized

VF says...
I'm having dryness problem with my Brown Turkey - I think this it's not uncommon with this variety.

VF says...
Hi MaryT. I had a couple of early BT's and they were ordinary to say the least - they were soft and drooping on the plant, but not much colour internally and very dry. I'm not sure what you could do with them, but maybe stewing with sugar and spices could be an option as they smelt good. Hoping now the main crop turns out better. I'm sure I've read somewhere though that it can take up to a few years before the fruit (any fig) are decent(BT worst offenders), but I'm hoping it's sooner though, fingers crossed. I've also got some Black Genoa, Excel and White Adriatic fruiting, so I guess I'll find out soon enough!

VF says...
That's good to hear about the BG (in both ways) - my anticipation levels have just risen! Hope your WA and Picone are good too this year.

MaryT says...
Thanks, Amanda - too late! I should have read up on the forum more carefully :( Still, some of them may turn out OK; will report when they're edible. Thanks VF; sounds like I need a bit of luck on my side. :)

MaryT says...
Yes, VF; we can only do our best. I checked the BT this morning; took off the organza bags and found a couple of wooly bugs on them (squashed now) near the stem of the fruit so they need watching!

Pictures - Click to enlarge
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MaryT says...
Great pics, VF; good to hear that BTs can be good eating. I now look forward to mine with greater expectation. Mine are still green.

VF says...
Thanks MaryT and Amanda. Thankfully they have ended up being a delicious fruit after a few initial duds. (Hopefully it's not a one-off like yours was Amanda :( How disappointing for you. )
MaryT, yours can't be too far behind now, fingers-crossed. Hope yours are just as good. I'm now getting impatient with my other figs, as I really want to eat them up too :)
Amanda, are you going to give figs another go now that you're in a better climate? Should be a cinch for you now after your conquering of Geraldton :)

VF says...
MaryT, all your plants (incl. the figs) are a credit to you - all very healthy looking, and a nice variety. Noticed you enjoy citrus, especially limes and the more unusual - I have a few spare Rangpur Lime seedlings (seeds from Brad, WA) if you're interested in adding one to your collection? (Another good marmalade fruit apparently.)

VF says...
Hi MaryT. Email sent, but sadly have found that Qld citrus cannot be sent interstate - and I'm so close to the border too :( . I can send you other stuff though as per email :). Hope I haven't disappointed you too much, it was unintentional.

amanda says...
This is the white adriatic tree at our new home - I've not had such heavy fruiting on a fig b4 - do fig fruits normally get thinned when like this?

It's a big tree and I will only be able to net the end of a branch here and there - so I guess the wildlife will get the lions share....do Med fruit fly infect figs also?

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

MaryT says...
Wow that is one impressive crop, Amanda. Yum

amanda says...
That's interesting VF..?! I wonder if this is a one-off. The tree was a bit neglected so I gave it a smallish feed (chook pellets) and a reasonable prune - taking all the internal mess out and lifting the canopy off the ground. There was waist high grass underneath it - so that got cut down. That's all I have done.

It had it's new leaves by this stage and had only grown a handful of fruit (and they grew b4 the leaves..?? weird) - so I thought that must have been the extent of it's crop....hehe..nice surprise one month later!? Half of the branches are loaded like this and the rest are more regular bearing.
I will see if it does the same next Jason and send u a cutting if it does!? ;-)

I might try that VF - they look too squished in for my liking - and some bugs like hiding in that kind of arrangement don't they..!

Jason says...
Amanda I did source a white Adriatic a couple years ago, it's very old stock at a nursery so I had to air layer it to get a new fresh plant... Which has since struggled (just got unlucky with a bad hole in the ground) but I haven't given up yet because its still alive, just..

But I wouldn't say no to cutting from that fine example of a tree you have.

My white Genoa seems like it'll be a good variety for me, its a bit earlier by the looks of things it should ripen up before winter.

MaryT says...
Amanda in my experience with Black Genoa I found cuttings very easy to take. Just a matter of chopping a bit off and sticking it in a pot or in the ground and away it goes, without fail, anytime. They say you should let the latex dry (like frangipani, I suppose) etc. but I never did and have had 100% success but I have been criticised for my doing anything I like whenever I like attitude. Unscientific, no no. ha ha

If you have room why not see what the seedling will do? Sometimes they surprise you with great results.

PS: I like this site for figs.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/fig.html

Tommoz says...
Not sure what happened this year but my young Black Genoa's first crop never finished developing. I removed most of the fruit, but left 3 on their to see what they taste would be like.
But it's as if the three have been paralyzed in development for months, never growing to full size and ripening, and now the second crop of the season is starting to bud.

Jantina says...
I'm sure many of us would love to trade fig varieties with you Daniel (me for one) but Australian quarantine is very tight with onerous rules and regulations. Can you import into the US easily?

denise1 says...
I have seen fig in a container on a porch facing the sun. When the crop was ripe, water was withheld, and the crop dried beautifully on the tree. It was a really bushy fig variety about a metre tall with over 50 fruit on it. I dont know what variety it is, maybe Ventura.