Thread: Picked a bowl of figs today.

Originally Posted by saute86

Thanks I will have to make me one.

My first attempt were cumbersome but once I figured out the exact cuts I needed, they worked like a champ
How to Make a Fruit Picker - DIY - MOTHER EARTH NEWS

This is a more elaborate version that IMO looks like a worthwhile project
Make a Fruit Picker to Snag Out of Reach Fruit

yet another version
Mental Masala: DIY: A fruit picker made from recycled materials

I searched these out not so much as a recommendation but mostly so you can see the concept. For me it was trial and error then after got one working, had to improve it.

Nice figs!

Very nice saute. The figs are much sweeter than usual this year due to the lack of rainfall. This lack of rain concentrates the sugars and you end up with super sweet figs. Linda put up some fig preserves last night. I would post pictures but my phone is in the shop. Maybe tomorrow. I've been picking about a gallon a day of Celeste and a gallon of Cajun Gold, which is a large yellow fig somewhat like a LSU Gold but sweeter and more prolific. This is the first year that I can remember of figs over ripening and drying on the tree. I sometimes find one or two but this year with no rain if I miss one real ripe one yesterday it almost like candy today.

Tony, it's never too late to plant a tree, especially figs. The trees start producing young and you can start picking in 2 to 3 years. Like the saying goes, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago or today".
"gene"

Here's another along those lines.
“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.”

I cannot wait until my figs are ready. Being in North Louisiana it will be a few more days before mine start getting ripe.

Our fig tree almost got killed and for the last several years has been fighting its way back. Hurricanes blew it over it laid down spent a year looking dead when one of the branches touching the ground sprouted. I cut the dead original tree away, and now we have like 5 smaller trees growing in a cluster 19 ft away from the original tree. Last winter I pruned and fertilized and now we are picking a qt a day slowly increasing. I am dumping them into a 2 gallon zip loc bag in the freezer. When we can no longer zip the bag we are planning to can them. Peggy took the "first fruit" small batch and cooked them down then made some fig cookies to give to the neighbor kids.

Okay, then its a done deal. I am going to plant. I tasted those figs in my mind all night last night. Need your suggestions for fig varieties to plant. I am about as far in from the coast as Eunice or Opelousas, about 45 feet above sea level. Avg 63" rain per year, 70-80% humidity. Slightly acidic soil.

Gene will know for sure when it comes to figs. He'll pipe in before long.