RLBV, ICON, LDA, RDB, WM#1, Olympian, Peter’s Honey

Gladstone1969

Gladstone1969

Well-known member
My plates tonight and some to save. Not too bad after >2” of rain. I have to wait to eat them until my wife gets back home tomorrow night. But I did sneak some of the water split ones (not too bad) while picking. The only figs that split badly was the RLBV in area 2. RLBV in area 1 seems to ripen and dry at the same time. RLBV in area 2 swells much bigger, shows cracks, and can split and spoil during the same timeframe. They seriously look like different figs on the outside too. The RLBV in area 1 is gets dark purple quickly and starts to shrink and is like candy. Sometimes it’s not the fig, but where it’s planted, how it’s watered, and what the soil is like. I will be culling RLBV in area 2 and replacing it with a more split/crack resistant variety. It’s an incredible fig - but location, location, location - even if it is a microclimate difference. Lesson learned!!!
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Gladstone1969 said:
My plates tonight and some to save. Not too bad after >2” of rain. I have to wait to eat them until my wife gets back home tomorrow night. But I did sneak some of the water split ones (not too bad) while picking. The only figs that split badly was the RLBV in area 2. RLBV in area 1 seems to ripen and dry at the same time. RLBV in area 2 swells much bigger, shows cracks, and can split and spoil during the same timeframe. They seriously look like different figs on the outside too. The RLBV in area 1 is gets dark purple quickly and starts to shrink and is like candy. Sometimes it’s not the fig, but where it’s planted, how it’s watered, and what the soil is like. I will be culling RLBV in area 2 and replacing it with a more split/crack resistant variety. It’s an incredible fig - but location, location, location - even if it is a microclimate difference. Lesson learned!!!
Click for original
IMG-7561.jpg


Click for original
More-that-will-be-dried.jpg


Click for original
RLBV-area-2.jpg
Click to expand...

I could go for some of those about now. Some great looking figs.
 
Some figs do like certain growing conditions. Are your two areas that much different in growing conditions.
 
In terms of humidity, temperature, and sun exposure time there’s not much difference. In terms of planting areas the lower area used to be grass until I covered it with wood chips a few years ago. It is Virginia red clay but the area is on a slight incline so I thought it would drain well enough. My front corner is a huge raised bed that had fill soil introduced 22 years ago (for planting), and has had plantings and deep mulch since. It is about a foot above grade. I think the water just runs through this area - the CH figs literally swell, turn purple and shrink to dried candy when planted here. In the other area they just swell, don’t turn deep purple, and don’t dry. They crack and sweeten, but stay a bit large and a bit  waterlogged. The trees also grow differently - in the lower area the trees grow like weeds. In the raised bed they are slower. Although I can’t be sure, I think it is due to soil water content.
 
@"Gladstone1969"#72 . I'm sure you wouldn't have  omitted a second source, for the RLBV, but you didn't specifically say they came from the same source. I'm just curious.
 
You make me think that I really need to start some fig sub-forums. I'm going to reach out to everyone in the next few days.... Certainly we should be able to create some spaces dedicated to propagation, pruning, over-wintering in cold climates etc...

I'm hoping we can all brainstorm on this... I'll post about it soon.
 
@"TorontoJoe"#1 . That would indeed be wonderful ((we need something Joe)). If you have a spare minute for me, I suppose I could use it. 

@"Gladstone1969"#72  I guess the same cutting would qualify as the same Source LOL.
 
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