My fig was a disaster the last 3 years. (Brown turkey). But THIS
year it was very profuse. My theory is that it wants an arid climate.
Just as my figs were about to ripen, it totally stopped raining. The
blight/mold/fungus (whatever) that has been turning the leaves black
for years, completely stopped (suspended animation... still hanging
there in mid-rot, Nov. 6).
The figs ripened, and the prior years' problem of bugs going into the
opening figs, drooling fermentation, never happened. I got a LOT of
preserves this year, and when I had enough, I picked the high ones and
left them beneath the tree for the deer.
My tree is huge... a mammoth octopus. My ag. agent came out in July
and said, me being in deep woods in Chatham County, I had a really
good fig tree and garden compared to what he would have expected. I
have way too much humidity and virtually no air circulation, being
surrounded by deep woods.
He also suggested pruning off my low branches (which actually lifted
up off the ground when that drought hit).
Enjoy, ye who got a good crop. I have fig preserves with,
respectively, lime, vanilla bean, and ginger-walnut.
Kira