What are your Top 5 Fig varieties for as a foundation for Beginners/newbies.

[sheergenius]

Top 5 Fig varieties for as a foundation for Beginners/newbies.

With all the varieties and hype around certain figs and alot of them being similar.
I wanted ask you guys for your list of 5 must have as a foundation which are also great for newbies/beginners.
Not just based on taste alone but reliable, disease resistant, good production and vigor and of course taste(can't forget about the taste). I know that climate and other factors play a part.

Would love to hear from the forum.

MY TOP 5 must have fig types/varieties:

1 Ronde de bordeaux or Violette De Bordeaux
2 your favorite Mount Etna(I prefer Red Lebanese Bekaa valley or Marseilles black VS)
3 Smith
4 Strawberry Verte or your favorite Adriatic
5 Black Madeira KK/Italian 258

I think this is a great start. Great tasting, High production, vigorous, unique.

What you got?

 

[Shaft]

Hm. If I can only pick 5 it would have to be based on ripening. The most important thing to me is an extended harvest. So one very early, one early, one mid range and so on.

Very early: Teramo unk, rdb or celeste
Early: marseilles black vs or red Lebanese bv
Mid: oak st unk, Israeli 7 or smith
Late: col de dame rimada
Very late: zaffiro or black zahar

 

[sheergenius]

Hm. If I can only pick 5 it would have to be based on ripening. The most important thing to me is an extended harvest. So one very early, one early, one mid range and so on.

Very early: Teramo unk, rdb or celeste
Early: marseilles black vs or red Lebanese bv
Mid: oak st unk, Israeli 7 or smith
Late: col de dame rimada
Very late: zaffiro or black zahar

Awesome list. Have you tasted a col de dame rimada? if so, how would you describe it and how does it do in your area?

 

[Shaft]

Awesome list. Have you tasted a col de dame rimada? if so, how would you describe it and how does it do in your area?

tastes almost exactly like a col de dame blanc. The cdds are hit or miss in this area. They have eyes that point skyward, which means more rain can get in, but the thick skins keeps a lot of moisture from doing too much damage.

 

[jmrtsus]

5 varieties for beginners should be old, reliable, easy to grow and obtain tree types. Not people's personal favorites. For example in a moderate climate without the wasp should include the Celeste, Blanche, Chicago Hardy, VDB (of LMF) and Ischia Green. (or similar for location) This will give them a base of good figs that are reliable bearers to develop their own likes. And can probably be had very cheap or free. I don't believe there is 5 that can be suggested for all areas. Nor do I think a beginner should start with potted plants. Fig on!

 

[Shaft]

5 varieties for beginners should be old, reliable, easy to grow and obtain tree types. Not people's personal favorites. For example in a moderate climate without the wasp should include the Celeste, Blanche, Chicago Hardy, VDB (of LMF) and Ischia Green. (or similar for location) This will give them a base of good figs that are reliable bearers to develop their own likes. And can probably be had very cheap or free. I don't believe there is 5 that can be suggested for all areas. Nor do I think a beginner should start with potted plants. Fig on!

Yeah there was a lot to unpack there lol. I dropped the BEGINNERS thing altogether and just gave my list of 5 must have as a foundation for my region

Agree wholly with the in-ground recommendation. Do you mulch @jmrtsus or if not, how do you deal with weed pressure on young trees?

 

[jmrtsus]

Yeah there was a lot to unpack there lol. I dropped the BEGINNERS thing altogether and just gave my list of 5 must have as a foundation for my region

Agree wholly with the in-ground recommendation. Do you mulch @jmrtsus or if not, how do you deal with weed pressure on young trees?

I used the recycled tire rings sold at Lowes. My JD lawn tractor will cut to the edge so no weed eating needed. Once they outgrow I use Cypress mulch as the roaches love the pine bark here.

 

[sheergenius]

5 varieties for beginners should be old, reliable, easy to grow and obtain tree types. Not people's personal favorites. For example in a moderate climate without the wasp should include the Celeste, Blanche, Chicago Hardy, VDB (of LMF) and Ischia Green. (or similar for location) This will give them a base of good figs that are reliable bearers to develop their own likes. And can probably be had very cheap or free. I don't believe there is 5 that can be suggested for all areas. Nor do I think a beginner should start with potted plants. Fig on!

I agree, there is no way to choose 5 for all areas as climates and microclimates play a big part. Even with that said, I like your suggestions. But its actually still similar to what I listed. VDB/Rdb, Chicago hardy (mt Etna type), Ischia green comparable to strawberry Verte. I think the best part of growing figs it is always teaching you something new. Different flavors and textures from the same tree. Thanks for your Input @jmrtsus. We all can learn from each other.

 

[Shaft]

I agree, there is no way to choose 5 for all areas as climates and microclimates play a big part. Even with that said, I like your suggestions. But its actually still similar to what I listed. VDB/Rdb, Chicago hardy (mt Etna type), Ischia green comparable to strawberry Verte. I think the best part of growing figs it is always teaching you something new. Different flavors and textures from the same tree. Thanks for your Input @jmrtsus. We all can learn from each other.

We can definitely all learn from each other John (@jmrtsus) has a lot to teach. He's been growing figs longer than most of us have been alive!

 

[Iamthefigman]

5 varieties for beginners should be old, reliable, easy to grow and obtain tree types. Not people's personal favorites. For example in a moderate climate without the wasp should include the Celeste, Blanche, Chicago Hardy, VDB (of LMF) and Ischia Green. (or similar for location) This will give them a base of good figs that are reliable bearers to develop their own likes. And can probably be had very cheap or free. I don't believe there is 5 that can be suggested for all areas. Nor do I think a beginner should start with potted plants. Fig on!

I thought this post was really interesting so I wanted to drop my two cents in. I have been figging for a little over a year. My first two figs were common varieties found in my area.
1) brown turkey
2) Celeste
The Brown Turkey I planted and it is doing well. My Celeste I potted into a tree pot. It doubled in size over the year. I recently sold it for three times what I paid for it.
My next additions were picked just about a year ago also.
3) longue D’Aout
4) Hardy Chicago
5) Gino’s Black
6)LSU Purple
7) Figo Preto
All of these were started from cuttings. I had a lot of failures. But I think I had a lot of successes.

 

[sheergenius]

We can definitely all learn from each other John (@jmrtsus) has a lot to teach. He's been growing figs longer than most of us have been alive!

Well when he speaks, I will definitely listen.

 

[sheergenius]

I thought this post was really interesting so I wanted to drop my two cents in. I have been figging for a little over a year. My first two figs were common varieties found in my area.
1) brown turkey
2) Celeste
The Brown Turkey I planted and it is doing well. My Celeste I potted into a tree pot. It doubled in size over the year. I recently sold it for three times what I paid for it.
My next additions were picked just about a year ago also.
3) longue D’Aout
4) Hardy Chicago
5) Gino’s Black
6)LSU Purple
7) Figo Preto
All of these were started from cuttings. I had a lot of failures. But I think I had a lot of successes.

I like it, I love the process of rooting cuttings. nice list of figs you got there. Should have some fruitful years ahead. Im new but my collection will probably continue to grow quickly.

 

[AnaFL]

Mbvs is a keeper for me,but i have not tried other mt. Etna.
Smith.....i spent a fortune on Smith because it just didn't root. Eventually one little piece took as a graft on brown Turkey and another cutting rooted. Both from different sources, have different leaves. The graft one gave 3 figs. All split. Taste and look as Smith should.
Vdb grows but refuses to fruit. Maybe just bad luck.
italian honey surprised me with thin skin, no split, juiciest from all and great honey taste

 

[Rigo007]

Varieties that have done pretty well here for me are:
Ruby Rose
LUV
Improved Celeste
Cherry Cordial (this variety is tricky one to grow)
Izmir Not
And an unknown i have here which has no name....

 

[Chosen328]

I think top five figs for beginners should always put in considerations your growing zone, accessibility, cost and productivity. You want cover the major flavor profiles

1. Mt. Etna type
2. Sugar (Improved Celeste)
3. Bordeaux type (RdB or VdB)
4. Honey (White Marseilles/Italian honey)
5. Honey berry (Brooklyn white)
6. Finally…at all cost you must get I258…lol

 

[Shaft]

I agree with Chosen328 about hitting the major flavor profiles. I disagree that W. Marseilles counts as a honey fig, though. I categorize it as a bitter/spicy flavor like LSU Purple.

Ditto on the I258 for sure. GET IT.

@Rigo007 I've got a few cherry cordials rooting atm.Is it difficult because of the fruit drop, or are there other things I need to know about it?

Also is the IzNot worth getting if I have CdDR and CdDB?

 

[Rigo007]

I agree with Chosen328 about hitting the major flavor profiles. I disagree that W. Marseilles counts as a honey fig, though. I categorize it as a bitter/spicy flavor like LSU Purple.

Ditto on the I258 for sure. GET IT.

@Rigo007 I've got a few cherry cordials rooting atm.Is it difficult because of the fruit drop, or are there other things I need to know about it?

Also is the IzNot worth getting if I have CdDR and CdDB?

It's certainly a weird variety. It gave me fruit the first year, as a young tree. The next year, it put out a bunch and dropped them but then it put out more and ripened most of them. It drops and ripens, drops and ripens but it does great in the rain and tastes very nice so we are keeping it for another year and keep our eyes on it to see how it acts next year.

Izmir Not just died on me. I went out and found it dead. I wanted to keep it because it is very different from the CdD's you mentioned. The rains don't split these like it does to the CdD's. It was a great fig for the SOuth and I am hoping to acquire it again and try to grow it again.

 

[mikefons]

Top 5 Fig varieties for as a foundation for Beginners/newbies.

With all the varieties and hype around certain figs and alot of them being similar.
I wanted ask you guys for your list of 5 must have as a foundation which are also great for newbies/beginners.
Not just based on taste alone but reliable, disease resistant, good production and vigor and of course taste(can't forget about the taste). I know that climate and other factors play a part.

Would love to hear from the forum.

MY TOP 5 must have fig types/varieties:

1 Ronde de bordeaux or Violette De Bordeaux
2 your favorite Mount Etna(I prefer Red Lebanese Bekaa valley or Marseilles black VS)
3 Smith
4 Strawberry Verte or your favorite Adriatic
5 Black Madeira KK/Italian 258

I think this is a great start. Great tasting, High production, vigorous, unique.

What you got?

For someone just starting to grow figs I would say these 5 are good, and fairly easy to get.
1. Corky's Honey Delight (sold at Lowes)
2. Tiger Fig
3. Violet De Bordeaux
4. Chicago Hardy
5. White Madeira

 

[Shaft]

For someone just starting to grow figs I would say these 5 are good, and fairly easy to get.
1. Corky's Honey Delight (sold at Lowes)
2. Tiger Fig
3. Violet De Bordeaux
4. Chicago Hardy
5. White Madeira

LSU Tiger or Panache Tiger?

 

[mikefons]

Panache Tiger