Dr. Gowaty

[2Angels]

Dr. Gowaty is an Atreano type that makes large figs that are juicey and fruity in flavor. The fig was brought to America over 60 years ago by Dr. Gowaty. His family is from Israel and this is their family tree that still grows in Israel. He grew it in North AL ever since. It is well-acclimated to our climate here in the southeast USA. While it can split, it does not split easily. The flavor holds up well to rainy periods and doesn't water down much. It is also a bifera fig meaning that it can produce a good breba crop. It is one of our family favorites and we planted it in ground in spring 2023.

Like most of my trees, it was killed to the ground by the January polar vortex, however, it survived, regrew, and is now ripening figs in October. Not every variety can produce in the same year after a die-back event, It is normally earlier for me and starts ripening main crop around Aug. 1st. The interior color can vary, so I'm sharing a few photos. The first photo was taken on 10/29/24, the other photos are from prior seasons.


Click for original




Click for original



Click for original



Click for original



Click for original



Click for original

 

[ktrain]

Mine produced quite a bit this season.
But I just wasn't very impressed with it.
Maybe one more season.

 

[2Angels]

Mine produced quite a bit this season.
But I just wasn't very impressed with it.
Maybe one more season.

Give it time. Mine was bland early on, too.

 

[TorontoJoe]

How many years does the tree have in the ground? How does it look now? This is my wife's favourite flavour profile so any Atreano type is of interest...

 

[ktrain]

I will say, I do like the leaves on this tree, it is one of the nicer looking "landscape" type trees in my opinion.

 

[2Angels]

@"TorontoJoe"#1  We put this one inground last year.  So it has been through one winter. It was a bad winter for us, and it died to the ground. It regrew and started setting figs in mid-May, which was only about 6 weeks after our last frost! The stupid deer got most of the earlier figs, but I'm finally getting to eat some now that deer season is underway. It is typically much earlier than this. 

Since planting it inground last year, the fruit size and the leaves have gotten much larger. The leaves are huge. Like @"ktrain"#2 said, they are very attractive. It is a strong and vigorous growing variety. I enjoy a nice Atreano type, too. If I recall correctly, @"Flomaton Famous"#114 grows this one inground, too, and it is one of their favs as well. So maybe he can weigh in with more data. For me, my thing is a diversity of flavor profiles. I like them all. One of my favorite things about growing figs is the vast flavor profile differences. If I could only have one fig, it would not be this one, but it is a keeper for me nonetheless. I could never have just one fig tree! 

 

[TorontoJoe]

@"TorontoJoe"#1  We put this one inground last year.  So it has been through one winter. It was a bad winter for us, and it died to the ground. It regrew and started setting figs in mid-May, which was only about 6 weeks after our last frost! The stupid deer got most of the earlier figs, but I'm finally getting to eat some now that deer season is underway. It is typically much earlier than this. 

Since planting it inground last year, the fruit size and the leaves have gotten much larger. The leaves are huge. Like @"ktrain"#2 said, they are very attractive. It is a strong and vigorous growing variety. I enjoy a nice Atreano type, too. If I recall correctly, @"Flomaton Famous"#114 grows this one inground, too, and it is one of their favs as well. So maybe he can weigh in with more data. For me, my thing is a diversity of flavor profiles. I like them all. One of my favorite things about growing figs is the vast flavor profile differences. If I could only have one fig, it would not be this one, but it is a keeper for me nonetheless. I could never have just one fig tree! 

This one may be worth a try…. Thanks for the feedback

 

[Flomaton Famous]

I'm very happy with the qualities this tree has. It's grown very well for me this year and I love the fruit quality also. Is it a top 10? probably wouldn't say that like Angel said, but it's definitely a keeper for sure. On a side note, I planted Red Israel  next to it and I've been impressed with it this year also.

 

[2Angels]

I'm very happy with the qualities this tree has. It's grown very well for me this year and I love the fruit quality also. Is it a top 10? probably wouldn't say that like Angel said, but it's definitely a keeper for sure. On a side note, I planted Red Israel  next to it and I've been impressed with it this year also.

Thanks for weighing in. I have Red Israel in a pot and am on the fence about it. It sets a lot of fruit, but the quality hasn't been on point. It seems like a Brunswick type. Maybe it would do better in the ground. I sure would love to see you do a write up about it here. I would be interested to hear your observations on it.

 

[Flomaton Famous]

I'm very happy with the qualities this tree has. It's grown very well for me this year and I love the fruit quality also. Is it a top 10? probably wouldn't say that like Angel said, but it's definitely a keeper for sure. On a side note, I planted Red Israel  next to it and I've been impressed with it this year also.

Thanks for weighing in. I have Red Israel in a pot and am on the fence about it. It sets a lot of fruit, but the quality hasn't been on point. It seems like a Brunswick type. Maybe it would do better in the ground. I sure would love to see you do a write up about it here. I would be interested to hear your observations on it.
[/quote]

 

[TorontoJoe]

I'm very happy with the qualities this tree has. It's grown very well for me this year and I love the fruit quality also. Is it a top 10? probably wouldn't say that like Angel said, but it's definitely a keeper for sure. On a side note, I planted Red Israel  next to it and I've been impressed with it this year also.

Thanks for weighing in. I have Red Israel in a pot and am on the fence about it. It sets a lot of fruit, but the quality hasn't been on point. It seems like a Brunswick type. Maybe it would do better in the ground. I sure would love to see you do a write up about it here. I would be interested to hear your observations on it.

[/quote]

Kind of "pink lemonade" looking when zoomed in. Looks fresh

 

[2Angels]

That's similar to mine but looks better. Many figs are just better when you put them in the ground, so this appears to be the case. Thank you, Randall.

 

[TorontoJoe]

I agree with the "in the ground" thing.... So much more work in a cold climate... but worth it if one can manage it.

 

[2Angels]

I am in awe of what you manage to do. Respect!  That photo you once posted of your inground tree is a work of art.

 

[TorontoJoe]

I have three in the ground right now... and half a dozen pains in my body for each of them... 

I can't complain. There's a local garden centre near me. They're family owned since 1973 with the original owner Giovanni still there every day lifting bags and delivering soil. He's 83. His son is there with him and they've expanded their services a little, but Giovani's house is still next door to his shop where his entire yard is a mini-farm. In the middle is a big fig tree in the ground that he tilts and buries every winter and digs up every spring. I bring him random fig trees to sell... mostly as a reason to sit in on "the bench" with the old peasani and talk about this and that while customers come and go. It ensures I'm keeping in mind that others before me had to work a lot harder than I do.... No matter how much I try to keep up.  

Good conversations on that bench. Along with a lot of experience on how to grow fig trees in the ground here. Not especially scientific... but they eat a lot of figs.

If there's any credit to be given for the health of my in ground trees... it's to my father, and this crew...