"1 or 2 days after the racoons get it. " I burst out laughing when I read this as I had those exact words on my lips (at the tip of my typing fingers) and that is a very accurate way to tell. The racoons just found my garden this week and the destruction has begun. Last year my husband had complained because I was picking the ears just a tad on the immature side and that is why. They also can tell you when a peach or persimmon crop is nearly ready. I find broken tree branches when the fruit is nearly ripeness where they'd been up sampling like a taster of fine wines.

Forgottenone: If my garlic is any indication, you've got it backwards on the flowering. All of my softnecks produced scapes and none of the hardnecks produced a scape. WJB2: for future reference, wait until your plants have lost their bottom 3 - 4 leaves (dried up and turned brown), stop irrigating and when the ground is dried and not wet enough to stick badly to the bulbs then, lift the plants with a turning fork and carefully remove them from the ground. Now it's off to cleaning and curing as described by others previously.

Thanks for the input. Foolishly I didn't record when I first saw the blooms. I think our seasons fluctuate more than they do in San Deigo but from now on I'll pay more attention to the timing. Typically, if I get flowering in the spring, I can be making banana bread for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that follows your 6 month rule. Also typical for this area, if I get fall or early winter flowering, the fruit doesn't make it through the winter - it just never matures. This year was very mild and our few cold snaps didn't last much more than a day or two.

You could just ask whatever you need to ask here. There really are only two fig forums with a large member base. This and the one mentioned by Bob. I think the other forum has more members but most of them are also members here. The thing is there are only a few things that can be done to grow figs in northern climates. They involve covering or burying in the winter. Or potting and moving inside in winter. Or using a greenhouse. There are a million and one ways to do each and there is no perfect or best way. Just personal preference. I personally would prefer growing in large pots with one of ALâÂÂs Mixes and then moving them indoors for the winter. But I have a large adult son and a heavy duty hand truck to move them. If someone has a bad back and no large son or large friend a greenhouse is better. If you can afford it. Lots of people bury their trees or wrap/cover them with good results. All of the subjects have been covered in this forum many many times. No real need to go anywhere else. No way would I be buying that book.