| Plant Guide | Post A Message | Nursery | Florist | Forum Home | Calendar | Articles | Contact |
- so... when are the figs gonna be ready?
Posted by Alex NJ zone seven on July 15, 2008, 20:04:48
My tree is new this year. It is exploding with growth and has a few figs growing on it. My question is when are they gonna finally be ready?
Another Question: I think my variety is Brown Turkey. Is there a big difference in taste between brown turkey and mission? - They'll Be Ready When They're Ready
Posted by Jim, Wilmington, DE, 7a on July 17, 2008, 9:56:55, in reply to "so... when are the figs gonna be ready?"
A lot of the timing depends on the weather. As we're going into another serious heatwave, I'm sure that will speed things up.
Unless you have a variety that is ripe when green (or still light-colored), you simply wait for it to plump up and turn purple. Also, I'd suggest picking the fruit when they're at 50/50 purple and green or 60/40 in favor of purple. Don't let it go completely purple.
Lots of people have trouble with birds eating the figs before they (the people) have a chance to pick them. In Wilmington, some people "net" their trees against the birds.
For my own tree, birds have not been an issue. But ants have! Ants LOVE figs. Last year, I tried making a ring around the trunk of petroleum jelly. This deterred the ants for about 20 minutes. Then, they simply started wading into the goop and reaching the other side! So, that plan went nowhere.
This spring, I applied Bayer Complete Control to the roots in order to nip a small scale problem with the fig tree. The scale seems to be gone, and ants (which are attracted to scale too) are as well. Lots of green, unripe fruit is in the tree.
Here's the dilemma: Should I eat the fruit seeing as how I gave the tree a systemic insect control? The label on the product says that eating fruit from treated plants is safe. I'm not so sure.
One thing I am sure about: Fresh figs, right off the tree, are a delight. - Re: so... when are the figs gonna be ready?
Posted by Joe K on July 17, 2008, 10:23:07, in reply to "so... when are the figs gonna be ready?"
I don't know about the taste difference but you can hurry your figs along by "tipping" you plant. That is, nip off around 1" of all the tips. By doing so, you refocus plant energy from growing larger to the fruits. My plant here is loaded too, I need to make some cuttings to act as tipping. It was a great mild winter for fig growing! - systemic ?
Posted by lk on July 18, 2008, 0:37:07, in reply to "Re: so... when are the figs gonna be ready?"
what type of systemic was it? I am a natural gardener so i think i would avoid eating the fruit. next time use the natural neem oil or some safer product. systemic really gets in the plant tissue and just might not be good for you. What does it say is in the product ?
L - Re: systemic ?
Posted by Jim, Wilmington, DE, 7a on July 18, 2008, 8:37:44, in reply to "systemic ?"
Lorraine,
I'm with you on eating the fruit.
As I am at work and not at home, I don't have access right now to the product (Bayer Complete). Whatever is in it sure is effective at insect control. The sad part is that neither the insects nor the owner of the tree can enjoy the figs!
I'll have to find out more and let you know.
As far as the Neem Oil goes, I've read where people have had bad experiences with it on certain plants. Never having used it myself, this knowledge is not first-hand. - Re: systemic ?
Posted by lk on July 18, 2008, 9:31:21, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
Jim, i have heard good things about bayer, but don't know for sure. i do n't use it. i found on google that this is the main ingredient. not sure what it is , Disulfoton: 1%
LK - Re: systemic ?
Posted by erk120 on July 18, 2008, 14:53:43, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
The poison in Bayer Complete is generally well tolerated by humans. However it is very poisonous to members and the feline, canine and weasel families. So keep it way from your pets. By the way Ferrets are part of the weasel family and figs are a natural part of their diet so they will seek them out, so please be careful if you have one as a pet. - Re: systemic ?
Posted by Jim, Wilmington, DE, 7a on July 18, 2008, 15:06:20, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
I work for weasels, but none of them show an interest in figs...
Onto the larger matter of "to eat or not to eat" the figs, I'm not eatin' 'em! But it's a shame that the choice is EITHER the ants get to them first OR you poison them and no one can enjoy them.
Bayer is not the enemy. The ants are. Such little things, but in numbers, they do great damage. Better than dealing with fishers or watersnakes, though! - Re: systemic ?
Posted by lk on July 19, 2008, 9:16:35, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
oh, i want a fisher and water snakes are good. lets look for a natural ant remedy for next year. i am sure there are many potions on google.
Why are the ants their ? the sap ?
I will try to ask some of the old time fig growers around here.
L - Re: They'll Be Ready When They're Ready
Posted by Jane, Vero Beach FL, Zone 10A on July 19, 2008, 10:02:39, in reply to "They'll Be Ready When They're Ready"
We planted this year about 10 figs and have already eaten most of the crop.
It was too watery taste (too humid this Summer, a lot of rain).
I would suggest not to water them often. - Whats wrong with ants???
Posted by Joe K on July 21, 2008, 12:13:50, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
I see alot of ants and for the life of me, I can't figure out anything they do that is bad that would need to be addressed. They live out of sight and don't hurt anything whatsoever and have zero impact on me personally. I see them fill pots, or have an ant hill here or there, they pollinate peonies, I see them almost everywhere they just do not cause me any bother whatsoever. I can't think of one bad thing about ants.
Am I missing something? - Re: systemic ?
Posted by Jim, Wilmington, DE, 7a on July 21, 2008, 12:15:53, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
The ants, from what I can tell, were there primarily for the scale. The scale secrete a sugary "dew" which the ants go crazy over. The tree had only a very light case of scale. Still, if there is any scale at all, the ants will find them. And once found, the ants tend to them like a farmer tends to his sheep.
As the figs would ripen, the ants would discover those as yet another source of sugar.
You can't win! - Re: Whats wrong with ants???
Posted by Jim, Wilmington, DE, 7a on July 21, 2008, 12:37:46, in reply to "Whats wrong with ants???"
Joe,
Ants are like anything else. Almost any living creature becomes a pest when their numbers balloon and get out of control (including man).
Ants DO eat fruit on trees, they get into houses looking for food there as well. Some ants even cause structural damage to houses.
My yard has zillions of them. So far, though, I have only used insecticide sprays to establish a repellent barrier to keep them out of my house. I have not gone after them any further than that. The Bayer Complete was only used on a couple of trees -- and that to control scale, not ants, although the result is a reduction in both species in the treated trees.
Joe, I have known city folk, country folk, and people in between. I would respectfully think of you as basically a country guy. As Seinfeld would say, "Not that there's anything wrong with that." Perhaps country folk are more tolerant and accepting of ants (and snakes, and fishers, etc.) than their more urban brethren. It may also be that country folk are less tolerant of city annoyances - traffic jams, long lines at the bank or grocery store, etc.
Either way, it seems that you and Lorraine are loving and accepting of ALL of nature's creatures, which you have every right to be. I think you see it all as one creation, one entity. I tend to think of "good anmals" and "bad animals", "good plants" and "bad plants", etc. I fully admit that the latter approach is less noble, less admirable than the former, but I never claimed to possess the "right" way in the first place.
With ants, it's one man's poison may be another man's medicine. I think it's great that you like them. I wish I could ship mine over to you and be rid of them!
I mean absolutely no offense, despite the tone that may be inferred. I truly love your place, and I always genuinely look forward to seeing you and your mom each trip I take over there. It's just that you and I have a lot of differing opinions. That's all. Nothing needs to be made of it beyond that. - Re: Whats wrong with ants???
Posted by Joe K on July 22, 2008, 10:14:59, in reply to "Re: Whats wrong with ants???"
I think there are alot of city/country rural/urban differences but this is probably not really one as many country people use toxic methods to control pests.
But I've just never experienced any problem with ants, not with fruit trees or infestations in the house (I use Ross Environmental services and they spray pyrethreum which keeps my house bug free) and structually for the house, any problem with ants would be a problem before the ants, ie they do not cause a problem but may come in when there is already a problem but a yearly visit from an exterminator which is pretty routine would avoid any of that.
But aside from the idyllic picnic raiding where cartoon ants carry away full size twinkies, sandwiches and fruits from a picnic, I don't think they cause many problems. Of course I do recognize that an urban situation may make taking action more necessary with less habitat etc... But on a side note, if you disrupt their habitat they disappear quickly and you don't need to spray. - What is the half life?
Posted by Joe K on July 22, 2008, 10:17:16, in reply to "Re: systemic ?"
LOL - Re: so... when are the figs gonna be ready?
Posted by datdog on July 24, 2008, 23:03:08, in reply to "so... when are the figs gonna be ready?"
I've been picking a few here and there for about a week now. I had no die back from winter (I don't wrap either) so I'm getting an early start this year.
Kristi
 |
Posting Photos
In order to post photos, you must first upload the photos onto the internet. You need to either have your own web space to do this, or get a free subscription to Photobucket.com or Webshots.com or a photo service like that, or Wunderground.com weather site, and now Google.com has this also through gmail accounts. So upload the photo to the internet, then go to it and right or left click on it (ctrl + click on a Mac) to open it in a new window. Copy the address of where the photo is located on the internet, and paste it into the "Optional Image URL" box on your post before you post it. You may use the "preview" key to see if the photo is loaded and the address copied correctly. You can post multiple messages by typing img src="photoaddresshere" you must surround this by "<" and ">" Post any questions on how to put photos up on the forum and we will help you.