Rafed, maybe it's a genetic thing. Somewhere deep within our bodies are genes that are triggered by some event like eating a fig or buying a tree. Ha, who knows or cares. Whatever it is I'm glad I have it. Could it be the Italian blood in me. I know it's not my English royal connection for then I'd want scones and tea.

"gene"

Well, then probably long long and long time ago it could have been a fobidden fig tree and not an apple tree.

ottawan I was thinking somewhat along those lines long ago. Why didn't they use apple leaves. Everyone know the figs are fruit for the gods.

"gene"

Genecolin:
Do you think apple leaves would have done the trick? Perhaps in my case, but surely not in Adam's.

I'm sorry, but oxankle, that's about the funniest thing I've read all month! =)

I dream of figs a lot also. To me it's the nestolgia that triggers those dreams.
I was day dreaming after eating and excellent tasting fig yesterday. I ate a Bataglia fig and it was perfect in color and sweetness and ripeness. I just closed my eyes and I went back 25 years to when I was a kid pulling down a high branch to pick the perfect and most delicious fig.

Bass

oxankle

Too much info dude ( LOL ).

Rafed

It was not the apple that got Adam in trouble but the pear that Eve had.
Sal

Bass,

Your post reminded me of something I intended to post on a new thread on the other fig forum but never got around to it........

While on one of my fig hunting trips, I came across an old Cajun who made himself a "fig picker" for picking figs that were out of reach for him in his tall tree. He took a length of PVC pipe and cut some large saw-like serrations on one end of the pipe. He then heated that end of the PVC pipe using flames of a propane burner. This softens the PVC where those serrations can be bent slightly to the inside of the pipe by using a gloved hand. To use it he targets a fig by placing it into the mouth of the pipe and gives it a gentle twist so the fig stems gets into one of those slightly bent serrations. The fig falls into the interior of the pipe and ends up in a bag that he has attached to the other end of the pipe.

What does my post have to do with this thread's Dream Fig topic?

..........I Dream of the day my fig trees will be large enough where I have to make me one of those Fig Picking devices.

Dan

Dan,
I remember in the old country my grandparents had a fig tree the size of a large maple tree and that's no lye.

I was little then but I remember my oldest brother and my uncle used to climb the tree when it was time to pick them.
And they would pick them my the bucket full. Given the size of the tree you could only imagine the size of the harvest.

And I can still remember they were quite large figs and compare them to Large Greek Black.

Being so young ( 4 or 5 years old )I didn't care too much for them.

Who would have known 3.5 decades later I would be here discussing figs.

I hope your dream comes true to you and look forward to your posts on it.

These trees seem to grow quite quick so you never know.

I've seen some quite large fig trees throughout Texas, The size of a fully grown Lilac bush ( 15' to 20' ).

Rafed

People have been growing fig trees here in Louisiana long before there was even a United States. There would be some monster fig trees here if those pesky hurricanes would stop knocking them down every so many years. And even when they are not in the direct path of those hurricanes....you can still lose them to the flooding. I lost some nice trees to both flooding and wind damage with the three that visited our area in the lasy few years......really a PITA when they come through here.

Dan

Dan,

I've traveled across the south many times before and I've seen homes and businesses elevated on wooden stakes approx. 10' or higher and they do look like hurricane and flood proof.

The way some of them look is like they can handle three hurricanes at once.

This thought just came across my mind and for all it's worth, Can you build something like that? build a large pot and line it with a pond liner and have it a couple of feet or more above ground?
And for the wind just build corner posts on an angle ( inward ) and quickly cover them to protect them from the strong winds.

Just another wacko idea.

If you think that's too much work then just think about us northerners and the trouble we have to go through in the spring time and fall.

A little time, money and dedication and you get years of enjoyment.

Rafed

Rafed,

I am conducting cultivar suitability research on over 200 fig trees. I spend a lot of time on optimizing propagation methods too. My intent is to grow all of my fig trees in the ground. I wouldn't have enough time for my fig studies if I tried to build something to protect them. As it is now, I'm looking for more property so that I can test even more cultivars.

There are many promising heirloom figs in Louisiana left to study. I am especially interested in those that have been re-planted by the owners (or their fore fathers) following repeated hurricane destruction as they usually turn out to be excellent figs......why would one want to re-plant a marginal tree? I found one heirloom fig that was re-planted by an old timer THREE times after the hurricanes killed each on of his replanted trees in each incident. He discared many named figs but kept this heirloom for its flavor.....not sentimental reasons. I ate figs from his mother tree. That heirloom fig definitely belongs in the "super-sweet" category and unlike any other fig that I have seen or tasted. I have a feeling it will turn out to be one of my best discoveries......time will tell.

Dan

Fellows:
My wife was from W. Monroe, La. and in the yard of her grandfather's home stood a fig tree that towered over the eaves of their small house. I think the tree would have reached l4 to sixteen feet at least. I remember another in S. Texas that obscured the second story windows of an old hotel there---that is where I first tasted ripe figs. There is no hope of having such a tree here, but I think I can keep in-ground trees alive.
Ox

No doubt this internet info sharing is helping many people grow figs in less than ideal climates. Marseilles VS's good properties were completely unknown to most in this country until Herman2 reported the results of his fig trials. Now it is a documented success in most parts of the country. Our Canadian friends are adding greatly to our collective knowledge base of those special cold climate cultivars. I hope to add to that base by finding those that are bug and rain tolerant.

Dan

Ox,

Would that tree be in Port Lavaca on the road to Poor Boys bait house?

Cecil