You have an awesome collection!! I really like how you bend the tops of your cages, I'm going to have to use that for our deer. Also, I can't believe you have a White Madeira in ground, I've been apprehensive even getting one in a pot, since my greenhouse still isn't finished. Now I kind of want to add it to my figgy wishlist. I'll have to pick your brain in our group.
Thanks Michelle! I had WM#1 form over twenty Brebas in a 15G pot. They all dropped 😢 I know Paula up in WA had one that she liked. I was utterly blown away that two main crop figs ripened in ground for me in 2023. Fantastic fig that seems to fight FMV for me. Usually late main crop. Would be better in a pot with a head start for us.
Thank you Dean. I am having a great deal of fun growing figs and experimenting with so many varieties. I really enjoy watching you push boundaries growing figs in PA.
I’m in New Mexico 7B which shows that all zones are not equal. I planted a shrubbery along my block wall 5 feet apart 11 varieties of fig Beer's Black Black Mission Celeste Ischia Kadota Magnolia Olympian Violet De Bordeaux Yellow Long Neck Lattarula Longue d’Aout Black Madeira Marseilles black VS
Glad to hear you are growing in NM. “all zones are not equal” - you hit the nail on the head. I appreciate your comments and the list of your trees. Your list looks great!
I am excited to see how I-258 does in ground. My newly planted tree had three Brebas in the pot last year. They were delicious and my only complaint was the thick skin. I don’t think the skin will be as thick in ground.
I'm in SC,a brown turkey I planted several years ago, was about 20 feet tall in 5 years. Got my first black mission this year, I bought two one foot tall bare root trees, one is over 3feet tall now with 4 figs.
Great Orchard! Seems the PNW is akin to the UK, though we tend to get less summer heat too, so maincrops just about ripen for early varieties in the South, and need a greenhouse further North.
Both the PNW and UK are very big places. I’m sure there are sections that are very similar. I always say it is best to follow advice from people that are growing in your specific region. Sounds like if you are in the Southern UK you might have very different growing conditions from the North. We have drastically different growing conditions because of our vast climate changes. Our coast does not get enough heat to grow most figs, the valleys West of the Cascades get hot with cooler nighttime temperatures, the foothills of the Cascades don’t have a long growing season, the Cascades are not suited for growing figs, the high desert East of the Cascades gets cold and you would need a greenhouse. This is just a small section of Oregon and there are tons of different climates when you start talking about the rest of the PNW. There is no official boundary when talking about the PNW. The most common conception includes the US states of Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and the Canadian province of British Colombia. This is a HUGE area with so many different climates. I think comparing the UK to the PNW on the whole is not a good comparison. There are areas that are very similar without a doubt.
@oregonfigs3314 Thanks for the info! Yes I think I compared them based on videos that I've seen on growing brebas in the PNW. In the Uk, brebas are the only really reliable crops, with very few maincrops ripening in the South. But as you said there are loads of different zones within PNW and UK. Thanks again for the reply, your videos are always great ones to watch and learn from. 🙌🌿
A lot of people down here are having problems with Brebas holding this year. I think I’m just far enough south to avoid that this year. You live in a spectacular place. We visited Butchart Gardens when we were there last. That is a bucket list thing for sure. Bob Duncan has done some incredible things pushing varieties near you.
Pinot Noir country? I'm in WA near Olympia at 400 feet, and had to cut down my Desert King this morning. I'm pissed. Plenty of suckers, but Ive had a hard time overwintering it (and others). 10 years old. This time it had been out of the ground for 4 years, as big as your biggest tree. My little micro-climate has cold air drainage and wind. Full sun. It's odd, because the mother tree is at a friends at 700 ft., and is 8 inch in diameter and 12 feet tall. Friends that are more in the woods have Desert Kings that are doing fine--one a cutting from my tree. We will see if the Chicago Hardy will make it, and the Brown Turkey. Ive struggled with a Nordland as well, but it made it 2 years with in a stove pipe with some heat tape. I also have an unknown variety I found at a very old house in the valley--big yellow breba producer. Might be like Peter's Honey. Same problem though--(30 year old tree) 5 years out of the ground this time and its mostly dead. The low temp last winter hit 8 degrees F. Thanks for the tour!
I am in the Southern Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir grapes do very well here. King Estates is not that far from us and you MUST go there for a wine tasting. My neighbor is putting in several different varieties. I’m not sure of the exact varieties. He did mention Cabernet Franc as one of the varieties. I think the best wines in the PNW come from Walla Walla, Wa. 8F is pretty brutal for figs. My only thoughts would be about improving the micro-climate. Do you have any structures that are south facing that could protect a fig tree?
@@oregonfigs3314 Yes, I have tasted at King estates, and I make wine with grapes from Eastern WA. Oregon is gorgeous. I just visited my son and grandchildren in Oakland, near Roseburg. We swam in the Umpqua river--a paradise. I love your set-up and sophisticated cultivars. I have 11 varieties, most in 20 gallon pots on wheels I can roll into the greenhouse. I'm learning. Thanks.
@@georgehigdon4974 Their Pinot Gris is a great wine and value. They sell a 2008 Blanc de Noirs that is exceptional. It is a sparkling wine made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. The name translates to white from black. It is expensive and I have only had it one time. From their website - The nose pops with Meyer lemon, hibiscus flowers, fresh herbs, green apples and toasty aromas. The palate has gentle lees characteristics with dulce de leche, hazelnut, anise and lemon. 🤯🤯🤯
Great video Chris. Love the orchard updates. I'm curious what your thoughts are on Uncle Corky's. Someone I know has tried the fruits of both it and DK and he thinks they are the same. I'm noticing a lot of growth and leaf similarities myself.
I have ripened both side by side and they definitely are similar in my climate. My DK is a few years older and sets more fruit. The figs on UCD are fewer and larger for me this year. My friend Philip in Santa Barbara (who gifted me my cutting) says they are different. Maybe my UCD needs more time to differentiate it from DK? Both have never held main crop for me. I have a tasting video where I taste both side by side.
For in ground: #1 Desert King, #2 LDA, #3 Brown Sugar Crunch, #4 Campaniere From feedback from other local growers: RDB and DTE get high marks. If Biffaro Zeus holds Brebas this year, it will vault into my top list for in ground. I have recently planted several new Breba varieties and early main crop figs in ground. I’m sure several will become great choices for us. Stay tuned!
I have not experimented with those varieties in ground. I do have B. Grise in a 15G in my best microclimate. It has my biggest figlets this year. It is a phenomenal variety and always is reasonably priced. I do not get good Breba results from potted trees (very inconsistent).
I use a cup of volcanic rock dust from near Diamond Lake for trace minerals. One bag of composted manure (1.5 cubic feet), fir pebble bark mixed into the top six inches, a local mix called frugal pro (lots of sand and organic material in it) and the native soil I remove from the 20” by 20” square or rectangular hole I dig. I have to add a good deal of frugal pro to form the saucer I make because I am planting on an uneven grade. I continue to top dress with composted manures and fir pebble bark in the first few years.
I have never had main crop on Corky’s. My tree has not been in the ground that long though. I will report back later this year. Some people get a few main crop to hold on DK. I have not had any main hold on DK either.
@@oregonfigs3314 Interesting, I grow this variety and it set figs for the first 2 years, but they dropped and since then it doesn't even bother to set figs. I think it's a shame, because it has a lot of potential as an adriatic fig.
@@bonnet1810 - I gave it several years and it would not set figs for me. I was at a point where I had way too many pots and I knew that I should reduce my numbers. I still have way too many pots! 🤦🏻
Wow!
You have an awesome collection!! I really like how you bend the tops of your cages, I'm going to have to use that for our deer. Also, I can't believe you have a White Madeira in ground, I've been apprehensive even getting one in a pot, since my greenhouse still isn't finished. Now I kind of want to add it to my figgy wishlist. I'll have to pick your brain in our group.
Thanks Michelle! I had WM#1 form over twenty Brebas in a 15G pot. They all dropped 😢
I know Paula up in WA had one that she liked.
I was utterly blown away that two main crop figs ripened in ground for me in 2023.
Fantastic fig that seems to fight FMV for me. Usually late main crop. Would be better in a pot with a head start for us.
Love the orchard updates.
I love putting the videos out and sharing with folks. Thank you for your kind words!
Beautiful orchard Chris!
Thank you Dean. I am having a great deal of fun growing figs and experimenting with so many varieties. I really enjoy watching you push boundaries growing figs in PA.
Enjoyed the tour!
Right back at you! You are doing some cool stuff in your neck of the woods. I do have a bit of fig tree growth envy as your trees crank so fast.
I’m in New Mexico 7B which shows that all zones are not equal.
I planted a shrubbery along my block wall 5 feet apart
11 varieties of fig
Beer's Black
Black Mission
Celeste
Ischia
Kadota
Magnolia
Olympian
Violet De Bordeaux
Yellow Long Neck
Lattarula
Longue d’Aout
Black Madeira
Marseilles black VS
Glad to hear you are growing in NM. “all zones are not equal” - you hit the nail on the head.
I appreciate your comments and the list of your trees. Your list looks great!
Great video. I’m adding Ischia Black to my list now.
It is a delicious fig that I absolutely love. Both Breba and main are phenomenal if grown in a dry place.
My orchard is one year behind yours. My I-258 still in a pot, died to the ground last winter but is suckering nicely.
I am excited to see how I-258 does in ground. My newly planted tree had three Brebas in the pot last year. They were delicious and my only complaint was the thick skin. I don’t think the skin will be as thick in ground.
I'm in SC,a brown turkey I planted several years ago, was about 20 feet tall in 5 years. Got my first black mission this year, I bought two one foot tall bare root trees, one is over 3feet tall now with 4 figs.
@@user-wr1yh2zw6l We could never get growth like that! Good luck with your trees.
@@oregonfigs3314 it's a trade off, I have many rows of muscadine vines, but you can't grow wine grapes here, way too much humidity.
Great Orchard!
Seems the PNW is akin to the UK, though we tend to get less summer heat too, so maincrops just about ripen for early varieties in the South, and need a greenhouse further North.
Both the PNW and UK are very big places. I’m sure there are sections that are very similar. I always say it is best to follow advice from people that are growing in your specific region. Sounds like if you are in the Southern UK you might have very different growing conditions from the North. We have drastically different growing conditions because of our vast climate changes. Our coast does not get enough heat to grow most figs, the valleys West of the Cascades get hot with cooler nighttime temperatures, the foothills of the Cascades don’t have a long growing season, the Cascades are not suited for growing figs, the high desert East of the Cascades gets cold and you would need a greenhouse. This is just a small section of Oregon and there are tons of different climates when you start talking about the rest of the PNW.
There is no official boundary when talking about the PNW. The most common conception includes the US states of Oregon, Washington, northern Idaho and the Canadian province of British Colombia. This is a HUGE area with so many different climates. I think comparing the UK to the PNW on the whole is not a good comparison. There are areas that are very similar without a doubt.
@oregonfigs3314 Thanks for the info! Yes I think I compared them based on videos that I've seen on growing brebas in the PNW. In the Uk, brebas are the only really reliable crops, with very few maincrops ripening in the South. But as you said there are loads of different zones within PNW and UK. Thanks again for the reply, your videos are always great ones to watch and learn from. 🙌🌿
@@hopeitgrows2892 - Thank you so much. Love “the hope it grows” BTW 😁
I have the same problem in Victoria, cold nights of 10-12 degrees Centigrade; very hard on the brebas
A lot of people down here are having problems with Brebas holding this year.
I think I’m just far enough south to avoid that this year.
You live in a spectacular place. We visited Butchart Gardens when we were there last.
That is a bucket list thing for sure.
Bob Duncan has done some incredible things pushing varieties near you.
Beautiful property
Thank you Todd.
Pinot Noir country? I'm in WA near Olympia at 400 feet, and had to cut down my Desert King this morning. I'm pissed. Plenty of suckers, but Ive had a hard time overwintering it (and others). 10 years old. This time it had been out of the ground for 4 years, as big as your biggest tree. My little micro-climate has cold air drainage and wind. Full sun. It's odd, because the mother tree is at a friends at 700 ft., and is 8 inch in diameter and 12 feet tall. Friends that are more in the woods have Desert Kings that are doing fine--one a cutting from my tree. We will see if the Chicago Hardy will make it, and the Brown Turkey. Ive struggled with a Nordland as well, but it made it 2 years with in a stove pipe with some heat tape. I also have an unknown variety I found at a very old house in the valley--big yellow breba producer. Might be like Peter's Honey. Same problem though--(30 year old tree) 5 years out of the ground this time and its mostly dead. The low temp last winter hit 8 degrees F. Thanks for the tour!
I am in the Southern Willamette Valley. Pinot Noir grapes do very well here. King Estates is not that far from us and you MUST go there for a wine tasting.
My neighbor is putting in several different varieties. I’m not sure of the exact varieties. He did mention Cabernet Franc as one of the varieties. I think the best wines in the PNW come from Walla Walla, Wa.
8F is pretty brutal for figs. My only thoughts would be about improving the micro-climate. Do you have any structures that are south facing that could protect a fig tree?
@@oregonfigs3314 King Estate, Pinot Gris has been my favorite white, for at least 2 decades!
@@oregonfigs3314 Yes, I have tasted at King estates, and I make wine with grapes from Eastern WA. Oregon is gorgeous. I just visited my son and grandchildren in Oakland, near Roseburg. We swam in the Umpqua river--a paradise. I love your set-up and sophisticated cultivars. I have 11 varieties, most in 20 gallon pots on wheels I can roll into the greenhouse. I'm learning. Thanks.
@@georgehigdon4974 Their Pinot Gris is a great wine and value. They sell a 2008 Blanc de Noirs that is exceptional. It is a sparkling wine made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. The name translates to white from black. It is expensive and I have only had it one time.
From their website - The nose pops with Meyer lemon, hibiscus flowers, fresh herbs, green apples and toasty aromas. The palate has gentle lees characteristics with dulce de leche, hazelnut, anise and lemon. 🤯🤯🤯
Great video Chris. Love the orchard updates. I'm curious what your thoughts are on Uncle Corky's. Someone I know has tried the fruits of both it and DK and he thinks they are the same. I'm noticing a lot of growth and leaf similarities myself.
I have ripened both side by side and they definitely are similar in my climate. My DK is a few years older and sets more fruit. The figs on UCD are fewer and larger for me this year. My friend Philip in Santa Barbara (who gifted me my cutting) says they are different. Maybe my UCD needs more time to differentiate it from DK? Both have never held main crop for me. I have a tasting video where I taste both side by side.
Do you have a list of the figs that work the best in the Willamette valley and are your favorites?
For in ground: #1 Desert King, #2 LDA, #3 Brown Sugar Crunch, #4 Campaniere
From feedback from other local growers: RDB and DTE get high marks.
If Biffaro Zeus holds Brebas this year, it will vault into my top list for in ground.
I have recently planted several new Breba varieties and early main crop figs in ground. I’m sure several will become great choices for us. Stay tuned!
Have you experimented with VdS/Socorro Black/Bourjasotte Grise for breba?
I have not experimented with those varieties in ground. I do have B. Grise in a 15G in my best microclimate. It has my biggest figlets this year. It is a phenomenal variety and always is reasonably priced. I do not get good Breba results from potted trees (very inconsistent).
When you plant your trees do you amend the soil with compost or anything or just use the native soil?
I use a cup of volcanic rock dust from near Diamond Lake for trace minerals. One bag of composted manure (1.5 cubic feet), fir pebble bark mixed into the top six inches, a local mix called frugal pro (lots of sand and organic material in it) and the native soil I remove from the 20” by 20” square or rectangular hole I dig. I have to add a good deal of frugal pro to form the saucer I make because I am planting on an uneven grade. I continue to top dress with composted manures and fir pebble bark in the first few years.
I’m curious does your Corky’s ripen any main crop? Since we left CA main crop just keeps dropping.
I have never had main crop on Corky’s. My tree has not been in the ground that long though. I will report back later this year. Some people get a few main crop to hold on DK. I have not had any main hold on DK either.
Chris, do you still grow Fico Gentile (FL) from Harvey? Would really like to know your experience with that variety.
I do not - I could never get it to set figlets!
@@oregonfigs3314 Interesting, I grow this variety and it set figs for the first 2 years, but they dropped and since then it doesn't even bother to set figs. I think it's a shame, because it has a lot of potential as an adriatic fig.
@@bonnet1810 - I gave it several years and it would not set figs for me. I was at a point where I had way too many pots and I knew that I should reduce my numbers. I still have way too many pots! 🤦🏻