Nice size, wouldn't need many of those to fill a person up. Gentile is a pretty old and well known variety, wonder why it has never been grown more here in the States?

Leon.

Nice group of pix. I will incorporate them when I get a chance. Thanx.

According to Georgio Gallesio,"pomona Italiana",It suppose to be a breba only fig.Looking at picture looks like it grew on new growth therefore is a main crop!!!.What do you think Leon !.Can you ask your friend if the fruit is a breba ,or main crop?.Regards

Herman, you are right. Gentile is suppose to be a San Pedro type fig in that it produces brebas. However, my friend says he gets two crops (is it possible the second is being caprified?) from his tree. I don't know the answer. I will ask him when he took these pictures. He is traveling in Indonesia so I won't talk to him for several more weeks. He said the sweetness and flavor is excellent. The Fiorone di Ruvu is much larger than the Gentile but looking at the photo he sent, I'm wondering if this isn't a breba as well. The Fiorone di Ruvo produces two crops and the fig is as flavorful and sweet as the Gentile.
I pray that my plants grow up to produce the same figs but you know how that goes. Albuquerque is not Bari, Italy.

Thanks Leon.

According to image information (that information embedded in jpg images by digital photo machines) the second photo (fig on hand) was shot on 27-June-05, so it is necessarily a breva. If you look at the other figs, they are very different size, they probably are the main crop in growing process. It's only my opinion!

In any case, what a nice fig!

Regards

Good observation.

Thanks Leon!
You are right when you say that Albuquerque is not Bari (Italy), I don't know how is Albuquerque climate, but it probably is not as good as of Bari.

To get that figs it is necessary a perfect (for figs) climate , namely; tons of sun with softened heat by sea proximity, mild winters and enough rain but no much (dry summers). That climate is mediterranean climate!

Those that don't have that luck (like me) have to conform with more modest figs. :-(

Regards

Albuquerque is a dry arid desert at 5000+ feet above sea level. Our annual rain fall is just over 7 inches total. The average temperature during the coldest month, January, is 45 F day and 24 F night. We have had night temps into the teens. The coldest night was in December and reached 10 F. We have a monsoon season during the months of July and August when we get most of our rain. Our climate comes no where near conditions found in the mediterranean.

It didn't know that Albuquerque has a so arid climate! At least the figs will have all the sun that need.

As you already know, my problem is the opposite, here, north coast of Spain, the climate is rainy and cloudy, 50 inches/year of rain, uniformly distributed throughout the year, a little less in summer months. No problem withs temps, never below 25º F and rarely over 90º F.

Because of this it's difficult to get a good crop of figs here (like the breva in the above photo), too much wet and little sun.

Regards

Hello Gentlemen, It looks that indeed it is a Breba, however it produces many of them and for 2 full months.
Also, this variety accorfing to florealia (info@florealia.com)is the variety to choose in colder and more hilly areas where the other brebas never get ripe.

Hi Salvatoretodd:
Do you grow Fico Gentile in NY? If so, I am very interested to know it's growing habits there, including size and taste of the figs. My young tree dropped it's fruit this season. I am hoping that it will perform well in Albuquerque's climate. Please respond. Thank you.

Hi Leon, I am new at this web site and do not check it frequently, that is why I am replying only today.
I do not have direct experience yet with it. I am trying to buy it to grow it in New York. My friend Roberto who is from Firenze states that it tastes like heaven and according to many sources it is the number one breba in terms of quality, productivity, resistance to cold, and long production season. I have not been able to find it in the US. I saw in the site of Adriano that they sell it in Toronto. I sent e-mails to them but never received a reply.
I sould be able to get a cutting now from a friend who grows it one hour north of NY in Sleepy hollow, and states that this was the first year and it produced just a few big brebas and no figs.
I am not personally sure it is Gentile (that's why I am still trying to obtain it even tough he promised me some cuttings) but he saw the above pictures and He believes it is indeed Gentile.
Next best Brebas are Monaco and Paradiso, also available in Canada (Adriano) but not here. Do you have any cuttings of Gentile? Are you interested in the cuttings of the Sicilian "Bifara Palina" or the Catalanisca (Col de dame gris) ?
If you have a fax I'll send you some more info on the Gentile or if my son helps me with the scanner I'll try to send it to you via e-mail.
Ciao
Sal

Leon
This is an old thread but in case you happen to read, can you please briefly write about your experience with Gentile i.e. its growing and fruiting habit, quality and productivity?