November 1st Figs

[Figgin' A]

I couldn't even imagine that this would be possible up here, but this year has been very different. Global warming. El Nino. Whatever.



WM#1 - poorly ripened, small, and bad-tasting 



Tia Penya - good size and sweetness (Brix 18), some flavor, still not bad



Craven's Craving - large, sweet (Brix 17.5 and 22), good flavor, still very enjoyable. A far cry from summer-ripened, but I was still very impressed. I did not expect this quality.

 

[JMF75]

Nice figs Oak. I had a De La Señora Hivernenca and it was delicious. I need to wake this variety up earlier.

 

[Figgin' A]

Nice figs Oak. I had a De La Señora Hivernenca and it was delicious. I need to wake this variety up earlier.

Thanks. Glad to hear about the DLS. The BM killer, as one pop fig grower once said. I am going to have to try it sometime and see how it compares to my CC. So far, my CC is getting better and better as it matures. No splitting recently, large size, and good taste even in cold weather.

 

[Inflorescence]

Looking good for so late in the season, way better than mine! And I’m waaaayyy south of you!

 

[ktrain]

Dang those look great, you certainly have a green thumb.

 

[Figgin' A]

Deleted

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Dang those look great, you certainly have a green thumb.

Thanks, Kevin. The incredible part is that my figs have been neglected by me over the past month. My season was officially done in September. What was left were some stragglers here and there and a bunch on Tia Penya and Craven's Craving, as those were first-year trees that set most of their fruit too late. I put some of my trees in the grow tent in early September when we had a cold spell, but I did not like ripening figs in the tent, so I took back them outside a few days later. These figs have been underwatered, with much less sun, and survived 3-4 frosts completely unprotected. Yet, somehow, they ripened pretty decent fruit.

 

[TorontoJoe]

Those look great! The skins don't even seem very thick. 

This is definitely a new experience for me in November. I've had the odd straggler here and there but never anything like this.


Click for original




This is the real shame though. All these just days from ripening and the temps are dropping. All because I didn't get the tree up early enough this year. There's still no freeze in the forecast so hopefully they'll be good enough for jam.


Click for original

 

[Figgin' A]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 

Nice tray! And a beautiful tree - I hope you still get a bunch of figs from it ripen in the next couple of weeks. 

A part of me wishes I had more figs ripening now, but the other, bigger part tells me I made the right decision to plan all of my figs to ripen well before October. Too risky up here. I hope next year is as warm, but something tells me it won't happen here for a while. Gonna give them all a decent headstart again next year.

 

[TorontoJoe]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 

Nice tray! And a beautiful tree - I hope you still get a bunch of figs from it ripen in the next couple of weeks. 

A part of me wishes I had more figs ripening now, but the other, bigger part tells me I made the right decision to plan all of my figs to ripen well before October. Too risky up here. I hope next year is as warm, but something tells me it won't happen here for a while. Gonna give them all a decent headstart again next year.

Agree 100%. It’s nice to have figs all the time but it’s too risky. I’m going to aim for my earliest start ever next spring.

 

[Figgin' A]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 

Nice tray! And a beautiful tree - I hope you still get a bunch of figs from it ripen in the next couple of weeks. 

A part of me wishes I had more figs ripening now, but the other, bigger part tells me I made the right decision to plan all of my figs to ripen well before October. Too risky up here. I hope next year is as warm, but something tells me it won't happen here for a while. Gonna give them all a decent headstart again next year.

Agree 100%. It’s nice to have figs all the time but it’s too risky. I’m going to aim for my earliest start ever next spring.

I am curious to know what you mean by 'my earliest start ever.' What month do you have in mind?

 

[TorontoJoe]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 

Nice tray! And a beautiful tree - I hope you still get a bunch of figs from it ripen in the next couple of weeks. 

A part of me wishes I had more figs ripening now, but the other, bigger part tells me I made the right decision to plan all of my figs to ripen well before October. Too risky up here. I hope next year is as warm, but something tells me it won't happen here for a while. Gonna give them all a decent headstart again next year.

Agree 100%. It’s nice to have figs all the time but it’s too risky. I’m going to aim for my earliest start ever next spring.

I am curious to know what you mean by 'my earliest start ever.' What month do you have in mind?

I'm not even sure yet. I got the popup greenhouse going in early March once with a heater in it. When my wife saw the hydro bill she wasn't impressed. I would love to do first week in March but I need a plan. One year I rented space from a local greenhouse. Started them all in February... It was glorious.... But he moved out so no longer an option.

 

[Figgin' A]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 

Nice tray! And a beautiful tree - I hope you still get a bunch of figs from it ripen in the next couple of weeks. 

A part of me wishes I had more figs ripening now, but the other, bigger part tells me I made the right decision to plan all of my figs to ripen well before October. Too risky up here. I hope next year is as warm, but something tells me it won't happen here for a while. Gonna give them all a decent headstart again next year.

Agree 100%. It’s nice to have figs all the time but it’s too risky. I’m going to aim for my earliest start ever next spring.

I am curious to know what you mean by 'my earliest start ever.' What month do you have in mind?

I'm not even sure yet. I got the popup greenhouse going in early March once with a heater in it. When my wife saw the hydro bill she wasn't impressed. I would love to do first week in March but I need a plan. One year I rented space from a local greenhouse. Started them all in February... It was glorious.... But he moved out so no longer an option.

To be frank, I don't like the greenhouse idea here in Ontario. As you noted, it's too cold here for an early start and electricity costs will be high. Another reason is the lack of sun. Too many cloudy and too few sunny days up here in March and April. It will be impossible to get optimal fruitset under those conditions without supplemental light. I think an indoor grow tent is the way to go, but I realize it may not be possible for some growers.

 

[TorontoJoe]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 

Nice tray! And a beautiful tree - I hope you still get a bunch of figs from it ripen in the next couple of weeks. 

A part of me wishes I had more figs ripening now, but the other, bigger part tells me I made the right decision to plan all of my figs to ripen well before October. Too risky up here. I hope next year is as warm, but something tells me it won't happen here for a while. Gonna give them all a decent headstart again next year.

Agree 100%. It’s nice to have figs all the time but it’s too risky. I’m going to aim for my earliest start ever next spring.

I am curious to know what you mean by 'my earliest start ever.' What month do you have in mind?

I'm not even sure yet. I got the popup greenhouse going in early March once with a heater icrn it. When my wife saw the hydro bill she wasn't impressed. I would love to do first week in March but I need a plan. One year I rented space from a local greenhouse. Started them all in February... It was glorious.... But he moved out so no longer an option.

To be frank, I don't like the greenhouse idea here in Ontario. As you noted, it's too cold here for an early start and electricity costs will be high. Another reason is the lack of sun. Too many cloudy and too few sunny days up here in March and April. It will be impossible to get optimal fruitset under those conditions without supplemental light. I think an indoor grow tent is the way to go, but I realize it may not be possible for some growers.

Hmmm. Maybe if I put chrome paint in a humidifier in the garage I could turn the whole thing into a reflective grow room 

The grow tent would be difficult for me... but this forum is a good place for creative people to noodle around ideas. I think at very least with input, I'll figure out a way to improve the head start.