Early fig - recommendations?

20 years ago

We have a White Genoa fig tree in the garden that is laden with fruit at the moment, but still weeks (months?) away from harvesting. Sometimes we only start harvesting in May/June.

Therefore, I'd like to grow an early fig, so that we can eat figs some time in December or January. Is that possible?

Did a search and read that White Adriatic, Archipal, Black Genoa, and Cape White are considered early figs.

The earliest fig seems to be Cape White that has fruit in January. The others start in February.

Do YOU have any suggestions as to really early figs? Which fig tree is doing really well in your garden?

All your suggestions are very welcome. Thank you. :)

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Comments (8)

Raymondo
20 years ago
We have an un-named fig in the garden that has produced one lot of fruit and now has its second. These probably won't ripen. Could send a cutting in winter.
Also have 'Black Genoa' and a fig called 'White'. They're too small to tell whether they're early or not. They should fruit properly the year after next.
cosmicgardener
20 years ago
When we lived in Johannesburg we had a big Cape White that gave us two crops a year ( The figs are how I got my oldest daughter but that's another story!) We got fruit in November December and again in April May just before the frosts.
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I have fig in ground and I think it may be Brown Turkey or Chicago hardy. It came with the house when we bought it 20 yrs back. Previous owner never covered it. The trunk near the base is 6+ inches. I do insulate partly. Like you I tie the branches closer together. But make round barrier with fencing material (those green plastic types) to hold a 4 foo stack of leaves. Then I have teepee like thing on top with plastic wrapped around it that does not go all the way to the ground. This is to prevent snow and water from getting in. I used to wrap tightly all the way but found it is too moist inside and branches catch fungus and rot. I think the biggest problem these days is that sometime in Feb it warms up real good for a 2-4 week and then drops to very low temperatures in March. This is the biggest culprit in stressing the plant. Earlier when temps used to hold steady through the winter I had far less problems with fig. 20 yrs back I never covered the fig tree. It did very well except every 5 yrs or so we will get a bad winter with sustained temp below 0F that kills the tree to ground. But comes back up every time. I unwrapped mine in late April. It is just about starting to leaf out. The smaller potted ones I had in the shed have already leafed out. Some have figs too. This year I got a new cutting called Michurinska on ebay. Supposed to be more cold hardy than Brown or Chicago. One of the three cutting rooted properly. Will see how good it is. I gave a rooted cutting of my in ground tree to a neighbor. She does not wrap it and does quite well. But hers is next to the house and so probably benefits from a microclimate.
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pepino
20 years ago
Hi guys
I've been out of the picture for a while and just came back to see the post about figs. I have some Malta Black which has two crops and, from memory, the first crop was just after New Year. I have struck some and I can send one or two in winter. Email me directly if you're interested.
mercury12
20 years ago
Hi spatz

Here in Hobart I have fruit on my archipal, celeste fig and prestons prolific. The archipal is nearly ripe and will put some plastic around the plant and see what happens. this is the method used by some of the people in the fig forum who live in the Pacific North West.

I hope this helps spatz...I got the archipal fig from Graham Brookman who has the "Food Forest" in SA. Also the Rare fruit society in SA have a good collection.

Helen
Spatzbear
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanks heaps for all those suggestions and offers for cuttings.

I will take you up on your offers, Ray and Pepino. Hope you get my emails.

Will also look up some nurseries for some more varieties. Cape White and Archipal sound good to me. Must look into the rare fruit society. Have been meaning to do so for quite a while.

If anyone would like some White Genoa cuttings, send me an email. I can send them later in winter.
Raymondo
20 years ago
Pepino, great to see you back here again. You were missed at this year's TommyFest. The Black Malta cuttings you gave me last year didn't make it but the White did. Of the other cuttings, almost all the grapes made it and one of the pomegranates. The rest sprouted but subsequently died.
mercury12
20 years ago
Hi all

I didnt know this but will do this next time. I lost some fig cuttings as well and have just read that you need to put them in the fridge for a couple of weeks before you plant them...

regards

Helen
Melissiafoods
15 years ago
Hi,
I've just joined this site and have an interested growing a few different varieties of figs in my garden. I have a white genoa and is really prolific with fruit twice a year. I'm looking to grow from cuttings of the Malta Black or black genoa, if anyone has a few spare ones this winter please? Carlos - Melbourne

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Early fig - recommendations?

Comments (8)

Raymondo

cosmicgardener

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mercury12

Spatzbear
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Early fig - recommendations?

Comments (8)

Raymondo

cosmicgardener

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pepino

mercury12

SpatzbearOriginal Author

Raymondo

mercury12

Melissiafoods

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Spatzbear
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