Fig Watercolors from USDA Pomological Collection. 9.24.2020

 These are from the USDA Pomological watercolor website.  

They have this introductory statement

"USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection is one of the most unique collections in the Rare and Special Collections of the National Agricultural Library (NAL). As a historic botanical resource, it documents new fruit and nut varieties, and specimens introduced by USDA plant explorers from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection spans the years 1886 to 1942. The majority of the paintings were created between 1894 and 1916. The plant specimens represented by these artworks originated in 29 countries and 51 states and territories in the U.S. There are 7,497 watercolor paintings, 87 line drawings, and 79 wax models created by approximately 21 artists. Lithographs of the watercolor paintings were created to illustrate USDA bulletins, yearbooks, and other publications distributed to growers and gardeners across America. "

They have the following attribution requirement. 

 "Use of the images in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection is not restricted, but a statement of attribution is required. Please use the following attribution statement: "U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. Rare and Special Collections, National Agricultural Library, Beltsville, MD 20705" 

The "Royal Black" fig original had the following notation:

"Mr. Tassa, living at 631 Maryland Ave., S.W. has brown, white, and black fig varieties said to have been brought from Italy in about 1894 by his brother who lived near Pennsylvania Ave. and 2nd Street, N.W. The black fig resembles this drawing. A son of this brother who imported the figs lives at 1365 Meridian Place, N.W., and has two fig trees. of the "black" variety growing on the premises of a house owned by him at 1368(?) Meridian Place (opposite side of street, next to alley). H.R. Fulton, August, 1942"

I did some minor editing.  My eyes need a little sharpening and color enhancement, and I removed some extra border so the images would be larger.  The watermark is automatic.

Edit:  I made some changes to this post for clarity, and improved the photo uploads.  9.25.2020

Vintage German Fig Illustration from Vintage Printable. 9.24.2020

 Vintage Printable provides public domain illustrations for download.  I doctored this one a little, croppin extraneous border, and modifying the color for clarity.

Celeste Figs. 9.24.2020

 This is the first crop ever for my Celeste fig tree.  This was grown from a cutting.  Celeste is a historic Southern variety.  Some of the references say it won't bear in the Maritime Pacific Northwest, but they were written before climate change started accelerating.  With a warmer season, maybe it will.

This tree is about 5 years from rooting the cutting.  The breba crop fell off, but these main crop figs, while small, are so sweet and rich!  And there are a few bowls full.  

Celeste is also called "The Sugar Fig".  Good name, these are very sweet.  The darker figs usually have the richest flavor, and these are no exception.

Figs with Yellow Jackets. 9.17.18

 This year, almost all of my breba crop was lost to yellow jackets.  I've grown figs for 18 years, and never lost a crop to any insect, including yellow jacket.  This year was kind of a biblical plague of the creatures.

One nest was inside the garage wall.  After trying traps, and catching what looked like thousands, I gave in and hired an exterminator.  That took care of those.  However, there are still yellow jackets now eating the main crop.  I've hung traps in the trees, which are catching many yellow jackets.  There seem to be less, but there is still some damage.  We'll see!

First Main Crop Figs. 8.29.15

Smith Figs.  8.29.15

Hardy Chicago Figs.  8.29.15

 First of the main crop figs.  Main crop is the fall crop.  Rained last night, no splits this time.

Smith - in container.  There was one fig last week.  This one was broken from the rain, so I harvested it.  Excellent flavor even though not quite ripe.  The others will be left on a few more days.

Hardy Chicago - in ground.  Usually the first of main crop figs for me.  I was just going to pick one, but kept finding more. I pruned heavily this winter, to keep branching low.  Probably no loss of crop, since the brebas always fall off for my tree.

Not shown until I get to Battleground today - Sal's, while small, has several ripening figs.

Edit:   Added photos of Sal's figs and comparison with Hardy Chicago.  Maybe the Sal's were not quite as ripe.  I thought the Hardy Chicago had more flavor, sweeter, juicier.  But if not for tasting them side by side. I would have liked the Sal's very much.

Hardy Chicago Figs.  8.29.15

Hardy Chicago Fig Tree.  8.29.15

Sal's  Figs and Hardy Chicago Figs.  8.29.15

Sal's Figs on tree.  8.29.15

Winter Gardening. Fig Replacements. 1.23.15

Fig Row with replacement trees planted.  1.23.15



King Fig about to be planted.  1.23.15

This is from yesterday.   My approach, to trying to grow figs in Battleground, is evolving.

The challenges:

Climate.  Freeze damage is more of an issue than in Vancouver.  Almost a non-issue in Vancouver.  I lost top growth of several at the Battleground place, last year.  The unprotected ones of experimental varieties sustained significant freeze damage - an unknown, and exposed growth on LSU Tiger.  Haven't checked Champagne yet.

One problem with the freezing, is that it may limit fertilizing.  If growth is rapid, it may be more susceptible to freezing.  So it may take longer to bear fruit.

Herbivores.  Despite covering and hardware cloth, Smith was destroyed to ground level and into the roots, by voles.  Unknown was also destroyed to below ground level.  I had left one exposed this winter.

As a result, I decided to give up some experimental varieties, and go back to standards that have known hardiness, from my Vancouver yard.  Last year I grew cuttings from Hardy Chicago and Lattarula, and I continued a cutting from 2 years ago from King.  Those have all done well without any protection at all, from local freezes.

I dug out the remains of Smith and the unknown.  I planted King in a section where I had laid down black plastic to kill grass over the winter.  There is evidence of fireplace disposal or old fire there, with ashes and char.  Those have been leaching for at least the past 4 years, and possibly much longer.  I replaced soil in the top 18 inches, 18 inches around, although it may still be affected.  King is usually very vigorous, and this is a good spot for a larger tree.  I planted Lattarula where Smith was, and Hardy Chicago were the unknown was.  Sal's had no freeze protection and looks fine.   Sal's seems to me the most hardy, and tolerant to neglect, but growth is slower.  Maybe the slow growth is why it is more durable.  Aubique petite has had no freeze protection in prior years, and only winter 2013-14 was it freeze killed, so starting over.  So I did protect that one, and Carini.  Carini should be OK once it is established.

Across the road, I need to check on Brunswick, Champagne, and Atreano.  Brunswick was OK a few weeks ago.

So now, all of the varieties that I grew successfully at the Vancouver place are in-ground at the Battleground place.

The plastic/mess is intended to kill grass.  I just want to mow up one side and down the other.  In those spaces, I want to plant vegetables and/or bee forage, with straw mulch.

This time I applied hardware cloth surrounds and deer fencing cylinders at the outset.  They do need some mulch.

Addendum:  I checked the figs on the acre across the street.  Brunswick looks great.   Minimal freez damage, maybe 5 twigs.  Most of the rest have viable-looking brebas.  Growth last year was only about 6 inches.  Might need some nitrogen.  Then again maybe that's why it did so well.   Champagne hard to say.  Maybe one sprout survived from last year.  Atreano, hard to say.  There was only one sprout from last year.  It looks like it might be alive.  If so, it's one of the larger sprouts from the 2013 freeze damaged fig trees.

More on Bagging Fruits for Protection. 1.1.15

This is my momentary obsession for gardening.  It will pass.  Something to read and learn during winter.  Meanwhile, some references.

oisat.org describes how to make fruit bags from newspapers.  I can see that working in dry climates, or summer fruit in dry summer areas, such as here.  "works well with melon, bitter gourd, mango, guava, star fruit, and banana" "...prevents insect pests, especially fruit flies, from finding and damaging the fruits. The bag provides physical protection from mechanical injuries (scars and scratches) and prevents female flies' laying activities, latex burns, and fungal spots on the fruits. Although laborious, it is cheaper, safer, easier to do, and gives you a more reliable estimate of your projected harvest."  They use  double layers of the newspapers and sew or stable them to make the bag.

Detailed discussion for various fruits, on Hawaiifruit.net.    They used manufactured bags of various types from Japan.   It's interesting, they note " For hundreds of years throughout most of Asia, farmers have been covering fruit with paper either to protect their appearance or to increase the time the fruit would be on the tree thus making it sweeter." and "This practice first came to Hawaii with the early Japanese immigrants and in the 1920’s Ohau farmers employed school children to wrap figs."  They describe their experiment showing of the first 100 bagged figs, 94 were harvested undamaged.  Six were damaged, thought due to rats.  Of 100 unbagged fruits, 86 were damaged beyond recognition by birds.  Because of the bird damage, insect damage was not possible to assess.  

The Hawaii article discussed multiple varieties of fruit.  The only ones I can grow from their list, are figs.

From rfcarchives.org.au, "In Japan where the average orchard is only two to three acres, bagging is an important cultural operation for fruits such as loquat, persimmon and nashi fruit (Asian pear). ...  bagging is undertaken to reduce the number of pesticide applications and to improve fruit appearance.. provides a major defence against fruit piercing moths ...makes po ssible the production of fruit of a very attractive blemish-free fruit with considerable eye appeal."  Some of the bags in Japan are impregnate with pesticide, something I won't do.  The article goes on to state bag are used for mangos in the Philippines.  Among the types of bags, newsprint was one type that worked well to dramatically reduce insect damage.  Plastic bags did not work well in their work with mangos.  On the same website, one writer used nylon bags made from old curtains, with successful protection of the fruit (1983).   

This article on pears, did not describe insect damage, but rather lack of negative changes in pears due to bagging.  "

Preharvest bagging of pear fruit (Pyrus communis L. ‘Doyenne du Comice') with micro‐perforated polyethylene bags c. 30 days after full bloom did not affect fruit size and weight, density, maturity, and flesh content of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. Bagged fruit had a greener and lighter skin colour than non‐bagged fruit, whereas the development of blush on the sunny side was not different between treatments"

Apparently, bagging can also be beneficial for persimmons.  

What interests me here is that, in so many years of gardening, I haven't read about bagging fruits.  I'm sure the method will not benefit all fruits, in all climates, but it looks like it's worth testing for apples and a number of other fruits.  It's surprising the method has been around so long, and so widespread, and yet is not part of the general gardening knowledge here.

Edit:  Adding more articles.  In Sicily, in the province of Enna, peaches are bagged in parchment paper bags.    The resultant peaches are called "Pesca Settembrina".   A farmer came up with the bagging method in the 1960s to save peaches from the Mediterranian Fruit Fly.    Also "The pulp firmer and more acidic, due to the slow maturation, make it particularly suitable for the preparation of jams; are excellent in combination with the white meat which give it a special taste."... " The remedy comes a few years later: the parchment paper bag in which the fruits are wrapped 120-150 days before fully ripe peaches protects from pests, from the weather and avoid the excessive use of fertilizers from industrial sources."

Back from Vacation. 10.11.14

At the Acropolis.  Oct 2014

Mosques, Istanbul.  Oct 2014.

 Ning and I went on a cruise vacation for 2 weeks.  Now returned safely.

I almost canceled - recovering from pneumonia and bronchitis, and side effects of work and Gleevec.  I thought the cruise would be healing, and it was.  Very worthwhile.

There were a lot of places - Venice, Athens, Ephesus, Istanbul, Naples/Pompeii, Rome, Florence, Toulon/Marseilles, and Barcelona.

I took more than 1,000 pics - easy to to with electronic camera with good memory card.  Very selective with pics to post - respecting the volume of memory needed, and this blog is really my gardening log.

When I was late teens / early 20s, I was a young soldier stationed in Turkey.  Getting to visit again was a bit of a bucket-list item.  That and Ephesus, and Rome, and Pompeii, and Barcelona.  I could not ask for more.

Four O'clocks, Ephesus Turkey, Oct 2014

In front if Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Oct 2014

 Since this was my year of the 4:00's, I liked seeing some in Ephesus.  Similar to some I grew here.

I tasted figs in Athens - larger but not as flavorful as the ones I grow.  I imagine that is because they need to travel from the countryside, so are not fully ripe.

Observing city and countryside trees and plants, there were lots of Sycamores, lots of olive trees, scattered fig trees, vineyards.

I-pad panorama views are pretty interesting.  They pull a lot into the photo.

As an autodidact student of religion and social history, I loved some of the places.  Example, Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, built in the Christian Roman Empire, started in the year 537 possibly on older Christian and possible prior Roman or Greek Polytheistic temple site, some of the materials taken from the Ephesus temple of Artemis; with mosaics of religious figures, destroyed in the iconoclast period, sacked by the crusaders sent by the Catholic pope, rebuilt, then remade into a mosque by Ottoman Turks, victorious over Constantinople, becoming Istanbul, and finally, Ataturk, fed up with the intrigues and politics of the Caliphate, expelled the Caliphate and secularized the Mosque.  There has been some restoration, while still respecting the interplay of Christian and Muslim aspects.

Palms, Toulon France.  Oct 2014.

Sycamore, Topkapi Palace Compound.  Istanbul, Oct, 2014

 I am probably unusual in spending as much time admiring an ancient sycamore, as admiring paintings or sculptures, but that's how it is.

The Vatican / San Pietro piazza looks to me a lot like ancient Greek and Roman temples.

The Pantheon of Rome, built close to 2000 years ago and in continuous use, first polytheistic, then Roman Catholic, beautiful stone work, soaring spaces, and natural light via ostium at the summit.  Amazing place.

Inside Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Oct 2014

Pompei, with Vesuvius.  Oct, 2014.

Panarama inside Pantheon.  Rome, Oct, 2014

Panarama, St. Peter's Square, Oct 2014.

Figs. 9.20.14

Champagne Fig.  2nd year in container.  9.20.14

Carini Fig.  9.20.14

 The first-year Carini fig has produced a few figs.  Burgundy-red.  Big juicy figs, pronounced fig flavor.  Last year this variety also produced same-year from cutting, but I lost the tree due to freeze.  This fall I will store the new trees in a shed, which worked well for the ones I treated that way last winter.

This Champagne fig is 2nd year from cutting, stored in container in shed last winter.  The figs are smaller, glowing yellow, and very very sweet.  I like them a lot.

Figs, Okra, Home Office. 7.22.14

Figs.  7.22.14

 When figs start to ripen, first it's one, then another one, then a couple.  Sometimes then, they start to ripen like crazy.  Right now it's a couple at a time.  I like that.  I don't feel like I have to eat more than I want.

The okra is growing like crazy in the new sunroom.  Today I saw the back-sides of the leaves were covered with aphids.  Washed a lot of them off.  Applied neem oil.  That didn't seem to much, at least not immediately.  Tomorrow, insecticidal soap.

For former dining room will by my home office / family room.  The former family room will become the dining room.  It makes more sense, due to the flow from the kitchen.  Also with the entrance to the sunroom.  Forgot  a before photo.  I only have energy for about 30 min at a time.  So after 2 months, ugly carpeting is gone, chandelier gone, walls repaired, sealed, and painted.  Next is bamboo flooring and re-install, seal, paint the trim, and install ceiling fan/light.  Then it's done.  There will be room for a seed starting stand in addition to a place to work on computer.

Figs.  7.22.14

Okra.  7.22.14

Home Office.  7.22.14

The new room feels like a big project, but as long as I don't mind an unfinished room, it's just baby steps.

The room is not about gardening, but it is where I'll write about gardening when not in the sunroom.

New Starts. Fig trees. Carnations. Roses. 7.12.14

Today I planted some carnation seeds for next year.  We will see if they grow.  It's interesting starting seeds in July, but that seems right for perennial flowers that bloom the second year.  Starting plants for next year is either a suspension of uncertainty, or an expression of a type of hope - that next year will come and I will be here to enjoy.🐝

I had 3 fig cuttings in the fridge.  It was either start them, throw away, or leave them there untill the apocalypse.  So I rinsed them and placed  in moist paper towels in plastic bags.  They look reasonably green and viable.  These cuttings were wrapped in moist paper towels and plastic wrap, still moist and not rotten or moldy.  Probably there since April.  This is the last of staring new fig varieties.  These were Ventura and O'Rourke.

All of the freeze-killed fig trees are back from the dead.  The last was Atreano. Now about 2 foot tall from the roots.  No fertilizer.  See if they do better next winter.  Very lush growth on most.  

I gave away a Hardy Chicago start.  Very happy to find it a home.  🏡  Its mid July now.  No more fertilizer for any of the fig tree new starts.

 

Pencil-size pruning from healthy, vigorous rose bush.

Most of the leaflets are pruned off.

 This is my experiment to start some new roses.  It arose not out of wanting more rose bushes, but because I had left over Dip-And-Grow and didn't want to waste it.  And I am in the mood to try cuttings.

Roses can be easy to grow from cuttings.  I usually start them in winter from vigorous appearing dormant growth.  I have also grown roses from a bouquet, that someone brought into work, mid summer, and from a roadside bush about to meet the bulldozer.

These are mostly from unnamed varieties that I grew from cuttings a decade ago.

Incision to expose cambium.

5 seconds in Dip-And-Grow

Wrap lower part in wet paper towel.

 It's an attempt to use the fig method, which works very well for me.  The main difference is, this is Summer wood, while the fig cuttings are from dormant wood.

1.  I pruned sections about pencil-thick and pencil-long, or a little smaller, from this year's growth.

2.   I removed all leaflets, except the first couple in each leaf.  The reason is, I wanted to leave a little for photosynthesis, but not enough to draw more water than the rootless cutting can absorb.

3.  I made an incision in the lower section, where I want roots to grow.   The incision is made with a sharp knife, through the cambium layer.  Rose wood has a waxy layer, that may inhibit absorption of hormone.   Making the incision also exposes the cambium, which may respond by making callous.  Callous is basically a stem - cell type that can produce roots or vascular tissue, but not usually buds or leaves.  

4.  Dip in rooting hormone, 5 seconds.

5.  Wrap in moist to wet paper towel.  The paper towel is sterile, so will not contribute to rotting of the cutting.  Moisture content is easy to manage.  The white paper is easily inspected for mold and mildew, and easily replaced if those grow.  When roots form, the paper towel is easy to removed, almost falls apart on its own, but wont cause damage if left in the growing medium to compost itself when the roots are growing.

6.  The cutting is placed in a plastic bag.  I blow up the plastic bag, so there is only minimal contact with the leaves, to reduce infection of the leaf with rot causing organisms.  This makes a nice humidity chamber for the cutting, which should not require any watering until it starts growing and is removed.

7.  I placed the plastic bags in a warm room.  Easy to find in July, my house is not air conditioned.  The shade is closed so there is not direct sunlight.

8.  Now wait and see.  If the paper towel becomes moldy, I remove it, rinse the stem, and replace with fresh wet paper towel.  This is mostly the same as I do for figs.  I have never done this for roses, so they might grow and might not.

My grandfather's sisters grew hybrid tea roses by starting cuttings directly in their rose bed.  They cut sections, and stuck them into the soil.  They covered the cuttings using a mason jar, to create a miniature green-house for each cutting.  That was in the 1950s and 1960s, but I imagine they learned that from previous generations much earlier. 🌹

Place into plastic bag, blow up, crimp top.

Incubate in warm location out of direct sun.

Fig Tree Progress Report. 6.22.14

Fig Embryos on Brunswick Fig.  6.22.14

Fig Embryos on Sal's Fig.  6.22.14

A few weeks back, I snapped off the growth tips of the "Vancouver Brunswisk" fig tree, that I moved to Battleground in Dec 2012.  Last year it barely grew - expected after the loss of roots and branches necessary for transplanting.  I did the same with the Sal's a couple of weeks ago.  The Sal's is much taller than when planted, but still a bit puny. 

With the loss of apical dominance - suppressive hormones that are produced by the growth tip, and lost when the tip is snapped, off - growth of figs is stimulated. 
If the current growth is any indication, there could be lots of Brunswick figs this year, and more Sal's than I expected.

The next challenge is mold and spoiling due to late fall rains.  I've learned my lesson.  I will cover the figs, maybe with zip lock bags, this fall.  Or a plastic cover, held on by clothes pins.

I'm optimistic.  It would be great to get a nice fig crop in Battleground.

Fruit Progress Report. 5.3.14

Hollywood Plum fruit set.  5.3.14

Shiro Plum fruit set.  5.3.14

 Fruit set so far.

Hollywood Plum.  Not a lot but better than I expected.  I did not hand pollinate this year.

Shiro Plum.  Much more than Hollywood.  I did not pollinate this one either.

Hardy Chicago fig.  Very few brebas.  Growth is good so far.

Petite negri fig / Petite aubique.  Generous production of brebas.

Hardy Chicago Fig.  5.3.14

Petite negri fig with brebas.  5.3.14

Winter Images. 1.5.14

Beehive and Bird Feeders

Fig Trees Frosty Morning

All of the raised beds are built, filled, amended, weeded, and have a layer of compost.

Charlie needs the warm blanket, because arthritis.  Homework for me.  Baigou likes the fire.

Fig Cuttings and Okra & Pepper Experiment. 12.24.13

It's very early to do this.  But what harm does it do.

Prepped cuttings a nice guy sent me for Maccool Fig and more that another nice guy sent for Dominick fig.  Both are family propagated figs that family members made available for others.  Can be searched on figs4fun forum.

Washed the cuttings.  Trimmed to right size about 4inches. Thoroughly clean tools betwen varieties.

Used sharp knife to make vertical incisions near base.  Roots often grow much faster from the cambium layer exposed by the incisions.

Dipped in Dip-and-Grow at 1:5 dilution.  This is from last year.  I hope it's still good.

Labeled- very important!

Then wrapped in wet but not soggy paper towel.  Place into plastic food bags.  Seal.

Also set out seeds of 2 okra varieties to soak.  Plant them tonight.  Baby Bubba and Long Green Dwarf.  Those because both are sold as more compact or dwarf so if the grow indoors I might have room for them.

And 2 pepper varieties.  Tabasco and Red Portugal.  Planted seeds directly in seed starter medium.  I will cover with plastic in a while.

I will grow them under lights, on a heating mat.  If the grow, that's very interesting.  If not, it wasn't much effort.  My coworker told me she starts okra plants before now and grows them all winter.  I read peppers can make nice houseplants.

About to have the coldest day in years.

According to the forecast, today's low will be 15 and tomorrow's low will be 12 

I would be concerned about the fig trees I nurtured through this year, but I'm too tired.  Whatever happens, happens.

I should be more concerned about faucets. 

The only other plants that I'm concerned about are the Buddleias, that I nurtured through their first year.  I read they can freeze down in the midwest, but then grow from the roots. 

Other plants could be affected.  May not know until Spring.

We'll see.

from weather.com http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/98663

December

Sun   1 OBSERVED Hi  57°F Lo  48°F Precip (in) 1.80in.	Mon   2 OBSERVED Hi  52°F Lo  33°F Precip (in) 0.02in.	Tue   3 OBSERVED Hi  43°F Lo  25°F Precip (in) 0.01in.	Wed   4 OBSERVED Hi  39°F Lo  20°F Precip (in) 0in.	Thu   5 OBSERVED Hi  33°F Lo  16°F Precip (in) 0in.	Fri   Today Hi  31°F Lo  15°F Precip 50 %	Sat   7 Hi  29°F Lo  12°F Precip 0 %
8 Hi  33°F Lo  19°F Precip 0 %	9 Hi  38°F Lo  27°F Precip 10 %	10 Hi  41°F Lo  31°F Precip 20 %	11 Hi  43°F Lo  35°F Precip 100 %	12 Hi  45°F Lo  38°F Precip 50 %	13 Hi  45°F Lo  35°F Precip 60 %	14 Hi  43°F Lo  35°F Precip 60 %
15 Hi  43°F Lo  36°F Precip 60 %	16 AVERAGES Hi  45°F Lo  32°F RECORDS Hi  57°F Lo  10°F	17 AVERAGES Hi  45°F Lo  32°F RECORDS Hi  59°F Lo  6°F	18 AVERAGES Hi  45°F Lo  32°F RECORDS Hi  60°F Lo  0°F	19 AVERAGES Hi  45°F Lo  32°F RECORDS Hi  60°F Lo  3°F	20 AVERAGES Hi  45°F Lo  32°F RECORDS Hi  61°F Lo  11°F	21 AVERAGES Hi  45°F Lo  32°F RECORDS Hi  61°F Lo  3°F