Soil could be a factor and lack of summer heat could also be a factor, although probably a minor one. I grew figs in Venice near the beach in Zone 11 (Sunset 24), and we did not get hot summers, but the figs were very sweet. Typically it would be in the mid to upper 70s during the summer and the winters were in the mid to upper 60s and the average low for January was 50, although it usually got down to 45 every winter. I also grew figs in Texas in zone 8, where there was a frost every winter, and that does not harm the trees, since they lose their leaves anyway.

For me, September is very late for figs to be getting ripe. Mine started getting ripe in mid July and were pretty much finished by the end of August.

Within one species of tree, individual trees can very greatly. I had two identical trees that had very different tasting fruit. You might need to get a different tree. Did you taste any of the fruit from the tree before you got it? Figs grow easily from cuttings, and so if you find a tree with great tasting fruit, get a cutting from that. They grow very fast.

No early tastings - I tasted the first one the day I was given the tree. That was was *definitely* not ripe. ;)

We've had lots of heat up here this season.

What I may do is move it into a larger pot to ease its roots, instead of putting it in the ground. I could give it a year to see if they get better.

That is so encouraging! Yes, this tree appears to be young (I didn't ask). About five feet, with slim branches.

Now I'm leaning toward planting it, to give it the best possible chance to grow to its full potential. Maybe I'll start an LSU in a pot while I wait to see what happens.

Is that true about the sap, by the way? That if the white sap runs when you pull the fig, it's not ripe yet? These sure look ripe to me.

HereinSF asks
Is that true about the sap, by the way? That if the white sap runs when you pull the fig, it's not ripe yet? These sure look ripe to me.

Never should be white sap seen for a ripened fig.

Martin

This post was edited by dieseler on Mon, Sep 15, 14 at 17:17

"Black Mission" is one of the most underrated and one of the finest figs that can be grown. It is a flavor standard. If your tree is not giving you delicious, complex-flavored figs, you should take a good, critical look at your cultural practices. Your tree might also be too young to produce figs packing a lot of flavor. Trees need at least 3 years to settle in.

Root Bound trees = stressed trees = poor nutrition and uneven moisture levels, at the roots = poor quality figs, aborted figs or, poor flavored figs.

You mention cracking of the figs. Ripe figs can have water cracks and sugar cracks. If you over water a fig tree at the last stages of ripening, you can dilute the sugars inside the figs and the flavor will suffer and become bland and washed out. Restrict water reaching the roots as figs ripen and water just enough to prevent leaf-drop. Grow fig trees in hot, blazing sun, but keep containers cool by shading them if necessary to prevent overheating the medium. Keep medium moist at all times but not drippy wet.

You also mention that your figs are in a "sizable" pot. Your container should hold at least 12-18 gallons of a quick-draining growing mix. Small containers heat up very quickly and stress the roots from excessive heat. Did you add Garden Lime to the soil? Figs hate acidic soils that are loaded with peat moss. If your trees dry out very quickly the container is probably filled with poor quality roots that do not absorb water very well.

So, I'll guess it's probably a cultural thing...not the fig variety... As others have suggested make damn sure your tree was propagated from an original tree that produces high-quality fruit. Many dishonest wholesale nurseries grow figs from seeds and release them onto the market as the real McCoy, and they are not. If the parent tree produces great figs, then your tree has the same potential, so then, your problems are cultural, bad harvesting timing, or a combo of both.

Don't give up on "Black Mission"...you'll be sorry. : ))

Frank

I am so grateful. This is excellent information.

I just got the tree last week, so I can't account for what it's been through up til now or what kind of soil it's in. But this info is plenty of fodder for me to take good care of it from this point on. I do need to get it out of that pot; it's clearly outgrown it.

I gave one fig a taste today - the figs are droopier than they were a couple days ago. Still a drip of white sap where I pulled it away, so maybe not perfectly ripe. But it had more flavor.

I'm very encouraged. Thanks, all!