Re: Figs Next
- To: Janet B
- Subject: Re: Figs Next
- From: r*
- Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 11:40:20 -0700 (PDT)
Thanks, Janet. Riedy's fine--you know what they say about roses...
>From various book and catalog descriptions, I had an idea that the real
Turkey Brown produced larger fruits than mine. Perhaps decreasing in
size is a function of age. Near where I work up in Albuquerque is a yard
with a small grove of two-storey high fig trees. The fruit is deep golden
brown when ripe and is enormous, at least 2" (50mm) or more across. But
really insipid. A friend told me they were probably Brown Turkey, the
only fig hardy enough for around here, but who knows? They're not what I
have.
On Wed, 29 Sep 1999, Janet B wrote:
> Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 14:22:20 +0300
> From: Janet B <janetble@otenet.gr>
> To: rriedy@unm.edu, medit-plants@ucdavis.edu
> Subject: Re: Figs Next
>
> Hello Reidy (dont know if that your given name or not please say if you want
> to be addresed differently)
>
> We have a Brown turkey fig purchased from Deacons in England. Not sure about
> their naming reliablility but we have had no cause to question it. this all
> leads to our Brown turkey fig which has large fruit - at least a couple of
> inches across - starts green and then turns brown - yes it really does turn
> brown - as it ripens and it fruits once a year, every year. I'm sure someone
> else will have good info on what it might be, but I do not think it is Brown
> Turkey.
>
> regards Janet
> Richard & Janet Blenkinship
> Crete
> Zone 10/11
>
>
> janetble@otenet.gr
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: riedy <rriedy@unm.edu>
> To: <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 1999 2:33 AM
> Subject: Figs Next
>
>
> > Hope I don't wear out the mat asking questions, but you medit-plant people
> > are so knowledgable, it whets my appetite to ask things I haven't been
> > able to get answered out of books or people around here. This question is
> > about a fig. I have a fig bush a little over 2 meters high and
> > easily that wide that produces two crops every other year, one in late
> > June/early July and again in late August/September. The off-year crop,
> > like this year, comes in late August. The fruit is quite small-about
> > thumb-size-and when ripe is purplish-brown and often has an azure bloom.
> > The flesh is coral pink. What a flavor! Like fresh honey. The plant is
> > a prolific bearer, and I freeze most of the crop to enjoy through winter.
> > Does anyone know if this could be the so-called 'Turkey Brown,' which
> > catalogs say is the most cold hardy fig? The woman I bought the place
> > from said she remembered her father planting the fig the year the house
> > was built in 1960. Since then the village has had sub-zero Fahrenheit
> > (below -18C ) temperatures with an all-time low of -25F (-32C) in
> > 1974. My first winter here (Dec. 1990) we had sub-zero F temps four nights
> > in a row, the lowest hitting -10F (-24C) (knock on wood-we haven't seen
> > that in nine years). But it had little effect on this fig, very
> > little die back at the tips of some of the branches. So, is cold tolerance
> > actually a trait of old figs? I do not touch this plant year around
> > except to pick its fruit. I don't water it, fertilize it, spray it, cover
> > it or anything. It's not in a protected location. Incidentally, my
> > yearly average rainfall is 200mm (7/8"), but we have a very high water
> > table, and I understand Ficus in general has
> > roots that go to China. Very dry air--as I write this, humidity outside is
> > 12%. Our average January nighttime temperature is 17F
> > (-9C) and daytime temp 50F (10C); the average July daytime temperature is
> > 92F (33C). So as an approximation you can see the fig gets a nice wide
> > range of temps.
> >
> >
>
>
