My First Fig Ever!

14 years ago

I have an LSU gold that I think might be rip but not sure. Here are two pictures of it. When I squeze, it has a soft texture to it, and it rebounds. My question, do I pick it now or later? I thought it would be yellow when ripe. I work 24 hours tomorow so I was thinking to pick it later tonight or Saturday morning.

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Comments (21)

loslunasfarms
14 years ago
That fig has at least 5-7 days left to ripen. It has not started cracking, the neck is not drooped.
ejp3
14 years ago
I would wait until the sides start to crack. But if there is alot of rain comming, I might pick before the rain. It will taste much better the longer you leave it, but you run the risk of birds or other animals getting to it first. I have a lot of figs so I can take a chance and let them start cracking without worrying about losing half my crop.
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xgrndpounder
14 years ago
Hi botanicalbill

That is a beautiful fig and picture, thanx for taking the time to post the picture!

Question, how old is that tree?

Regards
Cecil
botanicalbill
Original Author
14 years ago
This is my first year with this tree, I got it in the mail in Feb or March and it was about 10". I have it in a pot with heavy organics, so it stays moist for a long time. Right now wet get about an inch of rain or better a day so I have plastic over the pot so no rain can get to my soil. I will wait till next week to pick, soon as I see the smallest crack in the skin, Ill pick. Ill post the photos here.

Funny story here, probably another post but Ill put it here. I have a BT in the ground and during the summer it lost all of its leaves but kept some nice buds. I wrote the tree off thinking it was a gonner. For some reason it started to leaf out the past few days, it thinks its spring (I know I humanized my plant). So Im hoping for a warm fall and I would guess we get some 40 degree nights by december and hopefuly that will be enough time to get some late figs. Ill get some shots of that tree and when I pick my first fig.

Thanks guys and girls.
xgrndpounder
14 years ago
Thanks,
I have had a LSU Gold but lost it, got one or two coming this winter!

I hear it is a killer fig, some have said it waits until the 4th year to bear figs, you are lucky (probably has something to do about being humanized)

HEHE
Regards
Cecil
loslunasfarms
14 years ago
Bill,

If you can wait, check for lots of cracks (almost shriveling), and a droopy neck of the fig (where it connects to the tree), and if you want to, put something over it (paper bag?) to keep the birds out. My experience shows me they that dem' birds start pecking a few days before the fig has reached its sweetest point.
dieseler
14 years ago
Bill,
so your the member who grows fig plants and has yet to taste one , i remember that you posted that not the exact details but i said something to the effect that just wait till you taste your first ripe fig.
Im happy for you that you will get that chance,
So dont forget to tell us your thoughts please good or bad.
Martin
pezzuti9
14 years ago
Bill after reading your post I went outdoors to look over my LSU Gold tree to find a ripe one to take a photo of it for you to see. My tree has many on it now that are swollen and almost ripe. For about a week now I have been picking a few ripe figs daily from that tree.

It's true that the fig will droop, as it gets ripe. Sometimes it's hard to tell if it is or not depending on the length of the figs neck and the location on the branch.
Before I messed with the fig the one in the photos below did not have that much of a drooped look but if you look at the other photos you can see that my fingers with just a light squeeze have caused the fig to indent from that slight pressure which also indicates the fig can be ripe.

Usually a fig when very ripe will come away from the tree just by grabbing it in your fingers and just giving it a slight roll on way or another. If ripe it will separate from the tree just with that slight twist.

Most times the LSU Gold will have a somewhat yellow appearance when ripe but I have found out over the years that is not always the case. Maybe it is a factor of weather conditions. The one in the photo is more to the greenish side but others I picked from the same tree have had in appearance a yellowish tint.

Anyway this fig I picked, washed, cut it open for you to see and took a bite out of one of the halfÂs and then took a photo for you to see that as well. It was very sweet. As far as my taste goes. I liked eating it. To bad I could not share it with you.

Hope this helps somewhat.
Good luck
Lou
giants_2007
14 years ago
Lou how old is yours i purchased one this year and was hoping for one taste next year it is growing nicely now in z10 fl about 20 inches tall now
Sal
botanicalbill
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks for the feed backs. I will wait till it starts to crack and then pick it. I dont think birds will be a problem, I have feeders up and during the winter I got hundreds of birds, during the summer, just a woodpecker and an occasional dove. I think they find food else where. I have this tree on my patio, close to the house and I have never seen a bird come close to the house, except for when that woodpecker started to drum on the gutter for a few days.
Again, Ill put up photos when I pick.
I have had a few fresh figs when I went to Bulgaria with my (now ex)wife 3 years ago. I ate one right off the tree with out picking it. I do not think it gets any fresher. So I know what to expect for taste, thats why Im growing them now.
paully22
14 years ago
Hmmn, I am getting fig hungry reading all the delicious description. I have hope of getting ONE ripe LSU Gold fig. The others are too small & they all seem to come sprouting out with cooler & rainy weather the last 2 weeks. My tree is in its late 2nd year thanks to Jon.
pezzuti9
14 years ago
Hi Sal,
I don't quite recall when I first got the tree but it has been a few years. I found it to be easy to start from cuttings as well as air layering. At one time I had two growing but I just have the one now. Every year it has put out a good number of figs and a few large briba as well.
At times it can be a little watery which I found out to be the case this year when we had so much rain. Not sure if that is what caused that to happen. Now since we have been in a dry spell for a while they seem to me not to be as watery. I think you can see that in the photos I posted.
Lou
loslunasfarms
14 years ago
Lou, as usual, excellent pictures and advice.
giants_2007
14 years ago
Thanks Lou I know what you mean about the rain and changing a figs taste I'm looking forward to next season to hopefully sample some of my new acquisitions
Sal
danab_z9_la
14 years ago
LSU Gold will bear two crops in zone 9.......not including any breba figs. The first crop does not ripen as often to the bright canary yellow color as does the second crop. The second crop figs are also more flatter in shape with almost no neck. Yes, heavy rain does dilute the sweetness of this fig.

Dan
botanicalbill
Original Author
14 years ago
I picked it early. It was raining all day, even though I have plastic over the pot the bottom of the fruit started to split and the fruit was haning down ward. I also had ants starting where the fruit was splitting. I just wiggled the fruit and it came off. I was much more sweet than I though but not as juicy.

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xgrndpounder
14 years ago
That is a very nice fig & picture, thanks for the pic.

If it taste's half as good as it looks, you have a super fig!

Happy gardening

Cecil
loel
14 years ago
I am so glad to find this blog. I grew up with figs Celeste and brown turkey but never knew any thing about the varieties and growth process. Spring 2009 I planted a Celeste and LSU Gold (source local Home Depot. As of today the Celeste has many small and medium green fruit. The LSU Gold produced only two fruit. One reached silver dollar diameter but before I could pick it the eye opened and sugar ants got to it. I picked the second when it turned yellow but before the eye opened. It unfortunately was nto fully ripe and when cut released too much "milk" and I was hesitant to eat it. I'm not sure I understand the term "cracking". How best do I determine when to harvest?
danab_z9_la
14 years ago
A CRACK occurs when the fig's skin tears and you can see its white MEAT layer between the skin separation. Cracks occur when the fig ripens and swells. It is very superficial and does not go very deep into the fig.....only the skin.

A SPLIT occurs when both the fig's skin and its white meat layer separates and you can see its inside PULP. Splits occur when a fig grows too fast or swells too much from from heavy rain. A split is much deeper than a crack.

Surface skin cracks are a good indicator of fig ripeness. Cracks, on the other hand, open up the fig to bugs and souring organisms which is not good.

Dan
danab_z9_la
14 years ago
Last line in my above post should read:

Surface skin cracks are a good indicator of fig ripeness. "Splits", on the other hand, open up the fig to bugs and souring organisms which is not good.

Dan
botanicalbill
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks danab, I guess I didnt realize there is a difference between splits and cracks. Thats why I picked my fig so early, and well, it was my first one and I couldnt wait.
Thanks for the clarification.

My First Fig Ever!

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