Giant Figs!!

[jomoncon]

Spring of last year, I purchased a Black Jack fig through mail order. It was advertised as being a naturally small fig plant, and that's what I wanted. Celeste & Brown Turkey are the typical varieties in the New Orleans area, but they can get to be really large trees.

Well, this Black Jack has grown into good sized bush, about 5' tall & wide.

But it's the figs that are amazing. I've never seen such large figs!! They are averaging 7" and I can barely hold 2 of them in my hand! They taste is pretty good, but we've been having a lot of rain lately, so they are kind of watery right now. I'm only getting about 4 or 5 ripe figs a day, but the tree is still young & they are still a lot of green ones. I wanted to can some of these whole, but I will only be able to get a few of these giants into a pint jar. Better plan on making preserves instead. On hot biscuits, fig preserves are delicious!!

 

[Sunsaver]

I have several starts of these giant figs that i got from a nieghbor. They can be as big as base balls or bigger. But they are not very sweet compared to other varieties, but make excellent preserves.

 

[Greenthumb18]

WOW! Those are some figs you have there. I myself prefer the white figs over the purple ones.
I go crazy for figs they really are great tasting!

Enjoy your figs! They look amazing

 

[lesa]

I had no idea they could grow so large!! 2 of them will make a jar of jam!! I almost got one as a houseplant- but then I remembered I am out of room! Enjoy!

 

[cityfarmer]

Nice job! What are you going to do with them?

 

[vfem]

Holy WOW! I'm getting ready to get me some Celeste cuttings to plant in the spring once I get them to root. Also the popular varieties here in NC. BUT MAN, that tree and the size of those figs is really intriguing me.

 

[jomoncon]

Nice job! What are you going to do with them?

Right now, we're just eating them as they become ripe. I'm not getting enough at one time to process them. But I just read a publication put out by the LA Extension service that gave instructions for freezing the figs until you have enough for canning. I really want to make some fig preserves.

 

[rebbetzin]

Those are huge!! We can grow fig trees here. But, they can get really big. I suppose, they can be kept more as a bush, if it is kept trimmed.

 

[Sunsaver]

Holy WOW! I'm getting ready to get me some Celeste cuttings to plant in the spring once I get them to root. Also the popular varieties here in NC. BUT MAN, that tree and the size of those figs is really intriguing me.

I have celeste, and they are the sweetest, creamiest textured, best tasting fig on earth. Green with a white and pink blush when mature. So sweet that sugar ants will destroy them unless you dust with DE or other organic control. The crops are somewhat unreliable compared brown turkey, sometimes not fruiting at all. But it sure is worth the wait, once you get a good crop. Figs need to be mulched heavily, and water deeply during dry spells. They do not like to be fertilized, even if it's organic. Too much fertilizer will cause the fruit to drop or ripen unevenly. I learned this the hard way.

 

[dinkadoo]

Hey jomocon



Ive never heard the blackjack name but I have 3 bushes about 8-9' tall and wide. These have been in our family since the early 1900's as starts passed down. People can't believe the size of these things. But you are right, they can be watery. Ouestion for you. Do you get a second crop in Aug. or early Sept.? I do and these are considerably smaller but much sweeter. I've been told these are Jerusalem figs by an older gardener-as good a name as any!