kiwinut - I picked the first brebba from my Marseilles today, as you say, it was nothing to get excited about. I have eight more brebbas which have enlarged and gotten yellow within the past two days. However, my Marseilles is just covered with main crop figs, some almost as large as a quarter. It seems that the ripening brebba crop, admittedly small, has had no effect on the main crop. Last year I only had the brebba crop, and wasn't too thrilled about them - hope the main crop this year is an improvement.....Elder

Awesome pics Herman! I think letting them sit until they droop is a good idea. I wish someone had told me sooner about LSU figs trees. I got one LSU Purple and on LSU Gold from Burnt Farms in May. Both were 3 foot tall. They came as bare root. I soaked the roots in water, then potted them in a 10 gallon pot. Today compared to Swowden and Areano they are my fastest growing trees! The tips started to yellow and curve due to our long hot days in the Carolinas. We've had lots of rain in the past 2 months but our temperature stay in the 90s till September. Now my LSUs are 4 foot tall with figs! I had to repot them yesterday. The roots were very white and no disease but very dry in the center of the root ball. I created a better soil mixture this timed and planted them into a huge plastic tub from Lowe's. This morning I check on them and they are doing fine. My Atreano produced 2 huge golf ball size figs yesterday. I ate them before I could find my camera. They were very sweet...sweeter than my Kadota this year which had 10 huge figs clustered in the center about a month ago. I don't have to worry about birds in my area. I got 2 huge hawks that patrol my back yard. Since I built my green house last month. I'm going to fertilize all my trees again next weekend and plop them in the greenhouse over the winter. Say Herman, do you have any Stella fig trees? I've got one and it is growing so slow! It has one fig on it the size of a pecan the tree is 3 years old! I may repot it and see if that will helps. Any recommendations? Dennis

Hi Herman, thanks for the photos and report. Here's how it stands in my garden at the moment: My Excel fig is doing very well this year. It was the first fig variety that I got via the GW (thanks, Leon!) It's not located in the best spot in my back yard, but has been a vigorous grower. The last two years it gave me only one or two figs, but this year it is loaded. Previously, the fruit ripened in September, but picked my first one this year around the beginning of this month (August), had one yesterday. The bulk will be ripening soon. The green fruits with pale pulp are large (by my standards) and sweet; the fig flavor is good. I'd rate it a solid B/B+. I still prefer the dark figs, but this one is a keeper. My Takoma Violet (local fig) began ripening it's fruit at the beginning of the month, which is similar to last year. It produces small to medium violet figs with red pulp, and rich flavor. The distinctive features that I've noticed about this fig is that it starts ripening early, and continues over a long period; it's also seems to be hardy variety. The dark violet/black 'Noire de Carombe' (not sure of ID) has long finished its brebas, and the fall figs are just beginning to color up. Last year they were already to eat by now, so it's a little behind. This is my favorite. Unfortunately it's in the front yard next to the sidewalk, so I not only have to fight the squirrels, but the two legged pests too. The Paradiso (a green fig) is not showing any movement yet towards ripening.

Hey Figuring, I'm a newbie too. This is what I have learn so far from the threads. I would not put indoors to a heater room. It needs a rest. I potted my 1 gallon fig into a 10 inch pot, a little too big but it will grow. It was a cheap $5 pot from that Wal- store. I'll get a better pot in two years. So in three years I will repot it with new soil & prune the roots. (search for the tread with photos on pruning, there are a few threads on what to use as soil. Did you find the thread on Herman's pinching tips?) So in the fall you will get a hard freeze to make all the leaves fall. I think the temp. is to be no lower than 25 degrees. My garage is unheated but has a end gable vent. It may get below 10 degrees. So until I can close this vent, I'll take it to the basement away from the window to sleep for the winter. I'll have to remember to give it a little drink every so many weeks. The balancing of not to much and not to little. Then in spring I'll bring it up. I'll have to harden it off before I can put it into full direct sunlight.