Mt Etna

ETXfigs

ETXfigs

Well-known member
What is the best Mt Etna? This is a rabbit hole that I have never jumped down before and I don't know much about Mt Etna figs. My understanding is that there are many varieties and most all of these have similar flavor and growing characteristics. I heard Ross say in a video that it would be a good idea to have a Mt Etna that produces a good breba crop but many of them don't. I also saw a Lou Monti video and he compares Mavra Sika to a Malta Black that are growing side by side. He says that the Mavra Sika produces more and bigger breba than the Malta Black. It seemed that Mavra Sika is one of his favorite Mt Etna varieties. I have a 1st year Mavra Sika and it is my only Mt Etna. I don't plan on having more than one Mt Etna trees in my collection, but I don't know what are the best Mt Etna varieties. I have heard good things about Azores Dark/Sao Miguel Roxo. How early are Mt Etna's? Which ones have good breba? Anyone here grow Mavra Sika and how do you like it? What is your favorite Mt Etna and why?
 
ETXfigs said:
What is the best Mt Etna? This is a rabbit hole that I have never jumped down before and I don't know much about Mt Etna figs. My understanding is that there are many varieties and most all of these have similar flavor and growing characteristics. I heard Ross say in a video that it would be a good idea to have a Mt Etna that produces a good breba crop but many of them don't. I also saw a Lou Monti video and he compares Mavra Sika to a Malta Black that are growing side by side. He says that the Mavra Sika produces more and bigger breba than the Malta Black. It seemed that Mavra Sika is one of his favorite Mt Etna varieties. I have a 1st year Mavra Sika and it is my only Mt Etna. I don't plan on having more than one Mt Etna trees in my collection, but I don't know what are the best Mt Etna varieties. I have heard good things about Azores Dark/Sao Miguel Roxo. How early are Mt Etna's? Which ones have good breba? Anyone here grow Mavra Sika and how do you like it? What is your favorite Mt Etna and why?
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@ETXfigs LOL I have the same two you have. I grabbed a Mavra Sika , and a Malta Black for myself MBVS which I'm pretty sure is the same variety. I only had two as well I haven't been able to get back to Berkeley CA for a month still stuck in LA
 
Figless said:
@ETXfigs LOL I have the same two you have. I grabbed a Mavra Sika , and a Malta Black for myself MBVS which I'm pretty sure is the same variety. I only had two as well I haven't been able to get back to Berkeley CA for a month still stuck in LA
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I only have Mavra Sika. I don't have Malta Black.
 
You'll get 1000 answers to that question, I have had incredible Colasanti Dark & Takoma Violet, some Chicago Hardy that made to not mind putting it in ground. :)

I still have like 12 or 13 Mt. Etnas and all of them are worthy.
Probably be thinning out some of them though, to make room for other types.
 
Yeah…. This is a difficult one. I love my unknown Chicago Hardy-esque in ground. Problem is that even if you get a Chicago Hardy, there are many different strains floating around.

My best advice to a to try a bunch and cull the ones you like less. Always keep your top 3 or 4
 
Opps if you count Red Lebanese Bekaa Valley than I have at least 3 If Black Malta is counted separately, from MBVS. If I add Gino's Black then I'm at 4 Mount Etna's if Sicilian dark GM series number 11 is counted as well then I am at 5... I actually didn't know I had that many. I'm not in a cold weather area, but there you have it I'm at 5
 
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I have several but all are quite young and have not had figs yet. RLBV, Malta Black, Black Bethlehem, and then 2 unknowns from NJFigFarm: Papa’s Best and Little Sal’s (and lastly, a ciliegia dolce that is a single node cutting that currently only has roots but no shoots to speak of as yet...)

Also I have a local unknown that Could turn out to be similar to a Mt Etna (leaves look a lot like my Malta black) but I won’t know til I get figs ripening from it probably next year. It’s from Abruzzo, Italy from what I can gather, but I know little more than that.
 
Few months back I checked and had around 35 that could be considered a mt etna type. I was collecting everything people claimed better than the next. So far most have been so close that it’s hard to tell the difference. When perfectly ripened they all are fantastic figs but pick one under ripe and the more ripe fig becomes the better fig in your mind. Lyon was a great cherry flavor mid summer but as the season progressed to cooler nights then it was hard to tell from others. Some had peachy flavor early on and moved to a more light berry in cooler weather also. The conditions make a lot of difference in flavor.
 
What is a Mt Etna again?

I like Crozes, RLBV and St Rita. Not sure how many I grow are Mt. Etnas. The 3 mentioned above didn't taste like each other.
 
I assume the qualities that make them similar are:
1. Dark green, rough leaves
2. Dark colored (when fully ripe) fruits with red interior
3. Taste of “berry”
4. Prolific production (and often precocious)
5. Mid-season ripening
6. Reliably produces figs even after full die-back in many situations/ locations
 
Figgin' A said:
I grow several Mt Etna varieties, and the one that really stands out for me is Crozes. I like it so much that I have two copies of it. What I like about it is that the fruit is fairly large with a strong peach flavor. Very productive too.
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Now I grew Crozes for a couple of years, one year it seemed to be "like " an Etna and another year it didn't.
I wasn't really that impressed with it, but maybe I should have given it more time.

I have read arguments that it is not an Etna, while others have said it should be classified as such.
As for me....I tend to lean on the side that says it is Etna like in looks and flavor.
 
Ikibahd said:
I assume the qualities that make them similar are:
1. Dark green, rough leaves
2. Dark colored (when fully ripe) fruits with red interior
3. Taste of “berry”
4. Prolific production (and often precocious)
5. Mid-season ripening
6. Reliably produces figs even after full die-back in many situations/ locations
Click to expand...
That pretty much sums it up to a T.
They all seem to share a size as well, medium...but some vary.
 
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