Congratulations! I-258 is a phenomenal fig.Got my first and one of only two I 258' s on my first year tree. I know it wasn't going to be great being first year and I know I should have taken it off but man even not great and a little under ripe you can tell the potential... And so very different from my alma. I have a feeling I'm not going to meet a fig I don't like.
For the most part I agree with you except I think there are a few exceptions. This is just from growing 1 year in my yard. I have noticed that when a small 1st year tree has figs and is also pushing out green leafy growth and forming figs, it can be a fragile balance to keep it pushing out that green growth. For example if you have two identical trees, one had the figs removed and another with the figs left on, and you miss a day or two of watering in summer heat. The tree with the figs on it is more likely to stop pushing out green growth while the one without figs is more likely to continue forming leaves and figs. Then if you remove the figs off the tree that stopped growing, it may start growing again. I had a great WM#1 rooted cutting that I got from Bass. By the time it was 2' tall it had 30 figs on it. One day I noticed that my I-258, CDD Roja, and the WM#1 all had mottled colored leaves at the top (sign of FMV). The I-258 and CDD Roja quickly grow out of it while WM#1 stopped growing. All growth came to a screeching halt. The figs did not taste good. Then it got rust really bad and the tree looked horrible. If I could find a pic of it, I would be embarrassed to show it. So then I removed all the figs and it instantly started growing beautiful green leaves again. I know you could say that I should water more regularly, sprayed with sulfur, etc. but my point is that there are some situations where the tree would do better with the figs removed.
For sure, under certain conditions, there will be edge scenarios where that may be the case. In general, though, it doesn't matter based on my observations and what I've seen some other growers report. I've experimented with growing the same varieties from the same mother tree, some figs removed, some figs left on, on generally healthy young trees, and noticed no appreciable difference.
Really? I guess that's what I saw in some videos... That pretty much all trees take a few years to come into their own and produce good fruit so not to expect much the first year.
. I'll spend more time enjoying this instead of worrying over every little thing I've got one more i258 that I will enjoy the heck out of!.. I'm going to try to let it get a little riper than the first one . I bet it'll be even better.I didn't. It wasn't tony but not to big. The other one is bigger. It looked like it might have been only around 50 grams based on other figs I've weighed. I'll weigh the next one for sure. I was too excited and forgot
I have several I-258 trees. In my experience this well known splitter splits less when it gets consistent water every day. My tree on a timer ripened a vast majority of its figs without splitting, while I got very few ripened figs on the trees where I watered manually and not on the same schedule.I had my first I 258 this year off my first year tree as well. Wow, it was good- probably my favorite of all that I had! Now if only they would stop splitting!
Good to know. Thank you for sharing.
After seeing the productivity he got in “Figs with most net production” and looking at the pictures of his soil along with his comment within that “My growing medium is a locally sourced pre-mixed organic potting mix heavy on worm castings and plant-based compost. The same stuff I use for my vegetables.” —I realized that my potted fig soil mix needed to be more nutritious. I added about 50% organic potting mix (Master Nursery Bumper Crop) to my soil mix and it has made a significant difference in fig growth and production.
What @scott_va said above. @scott_va, glad it was helpful, and thanks for responding to the question. I think it's easier to pinpoint those things when looking from the side... me, I just do what I do the way I feel it should be done... everything matters... ask me what those factors that comprise a better terroir are, and I get that hourglass sign in front of my eyes LOL
