Figs and Food Unwrapped

[realfood]

Monday's programme was misleading as it gave the impression that you needed male figs and tiny wasps to be able to get a crop of figs. The program was set in Turkey, where the farmers were shown hanging up bags of male figs infested with tiny insects.
In Glasgow, there is probably not a male fig within 400 miles, nor the tiny insects, but I still get a good crop of figs on my outdoor fig bush.
Anyone have any idea why the Turks were going to all this trouble??

[Guest]

Because what we tend to grow are hardier and self pollinating i.e brown turkey. There are a couple of threads lurking somewhere that touch on it. I think someone said there are a over 200 varieties and the more tender varieties have a better flavour etc. etc. (apparently )

[Scarlet]

In Glasgow, there is probably not a male fig within 400 miles, nor the tiny insects, but I still get a good crop of figs on my outdoor fig bush.
?

I've never had a crop on my fig yet ... I was given it so I'm not sure what variety it was but I've not even seen a grape size fruit

[veggiechicken]

Mine's covered in figs at the moment - no leaves just figs. Whether any will mature is an unknown! I always have some in the summer anyway.

[Scarlet]

Show off

[Guest]

I've never had a crop on my fig yet ... I was given it so I'm not sure what variety it was but I've not even seen a grape size fruit

A couple of peeps said in the other threads they take about 5 years. Is yours only young...please say yes otherwise I will be sad for my 2

[Kristen]

I think someone said ... the more tender varieties have a better flavour

I'm growing a couple of Figs that are in-for-the-winter as doubtful that they are hardy enough to stay out, and supposedly better flavour. Ask me again in a few years time!

My understanding is that Brown Turkey, most commonly sold variety in the UK, is rock hardy but flavour is not very special. I expect picked fresh it knocks spots off travelled-half-way-across-world-to-supermarket-near-you, regardless of what variety they are. The "Finest" ones I have bought in supermarket have been very disappointing, whereas the ones I have eaten, picked fresh, in sunny countries have been fabby.

[PyreneesPlot]

A couple of peeps said in the other threads they take about 5 years. Is yours only young...please say yes otherwise I will be sad for my 2

I had fruit on my madeleine de deux saisons last year for the first time (2), it was planted as a year old stick in autumn 2010.

[Mikey]

I had fruit on my madeleine de deux saisons last year for the first time (2), it was planted as a year old stick in autumn 2010.

That sounds so much more sophisticated than 'brown turkey'.

[Kristen]

That sounds so much more sophisticated than 'brown turkey'.

Go with "Brune de Dinde" then?

[Mikey]

Now just cos I is Welsh Kristen, don't be assuming I is not understanding what you's is doing. We be calling dat 'twrci brown.

[Guest]

I had fruit on my madeleine de deux saisons last year for the first time (2), it was planted as a year old stick in autumn 2010.

Its amazing how easy you can go off some people

[realfood]

This is the answer that I have now received on another forum.
There are basically three types of edible figs:[9]

Persistent (or common) figs have all female flowers that do not need pollination for fruiting; the fruit can develop through parthenocarpic means. This is a popular horticulture fig for home gardeners. Dottato (Kadota), Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Brunswick, and Celeste are some representative cultivars.
Caducous (or Smyrna) figs require cross pollination by the fig wasp with pollen from caprifigs for the fruit to mature. If not pollinated the immature fruits drop. Some cultivars are Smyrne (Lob Incir in Turkey) - (Calimyrna in the Great Central Valley USA), Marabout, Inchŕrio, and Zidi.
Intermediate (or San Pedro) figs set an unpollinated breba crop, but need pollination for the later main crop. Examples are Lampeira, King, and San Pedro.