LSU purple fig air layer

[JoeP450]

Started this air layer about 3 weeks ago using a soda bottle, roots coming along nicely. LSU purple has bad reviews from what Ive read online which is perplexing because mine are delish. I also have LSU gold and the gold taste somewhat washed out and lacking in sugar/fig honey flavor.






-joep450

[sidney]

I am originally from Louisiana and sadly have to agree with you about thr Gold, however mine is just a year old so perhaps it tales time. The purple is smaller but better but my old Celeste is the best of the three. The brown turkey is too New to bear any fruit.

[achetadomestica]

I live in Florida and the summer rain/humidity really damper the taste of the figs. I had a
very late crop of LSU gold last year that ripened in November. They had honey dripping out of the eye and
were the best figs I have ever eaten in my life. I ate a couple last week and its like a whole different fig
My LSU purple has been in the ground for 5 years and it is a very good fig for this area. Some summers it
has produced continuously all summer. Currently the cardinals have figured them out and are beating me to
the figs. I had a decent crop of celeste that has recently ripened and they are very sweet this year. I also
have a large crop of White Triana ripening and they are for the most part terrible. They are splitting even
though the guy I bought the cuttings from said they never split. I guess my strategy is if I grow about 10 different
kinds occasionally I will get good figs? When I eat a good fig they are so rich I can only eat a couple anyway.
Don't give up on the gold maybe as an experiment when mine gets bigger I will trim it in August and try to get a
late fall crop.

[TucsonKen]

LSU Purple is kind of odd in that it may take several years before the fruit is worth eating. Mine has been in the ground six years, and up until last year most of the fruit was so bland the birds wouldn't even bother with it. Then last year the figs changed shape and got very tasty. I'm interested to see how they taste this year.

[sidney]

Also I have my figs planted in side a 5 Gallon bucket with the bottom cot out then planted in the ground. I saw on YouTube this idea to force the fig roots below the nematode line.

[greenman62]

ive noticed the flavor get better on trees
after they have been in ground for a couple of years.

Also, i think flavor has a lot to do with minerals, soil, sun, moisture , other conditions...

i had gotten a cutting from a tree that the fruit didnt taste all that good.
the tree was fast growing and prolific, but the fruit was fairly small, and just marginal flavor.
i planted it to graft to it, but 1 graft didnt take, and the original tree is fruiting
and tastes very good now. The fruit is still fairly small, but i like the flavor.
i used a lot of compost, some iron and magnesium, and lots of leaf and woody mulch.
Also fish emulsion and worm castings.
i believe compost and mulch add to the beneficial bacteria and keep the soil cool,
keep grass and weeds away from the roots, and keep soil moisture even.
and this keeps the nematodes at bay.

[Pan Dulce]

I got around 50 cultivars, including some of the premier cultivars from France, Portugal, and Spain.  My LSU Purples in some years easily match those in taste.  I know some collectors here in Florida who have over 250 cultivars and they have LSU Purple in their yards.  Give them some time, and don't believe any online reviews.  Plus they reportedly have some nematode resistance.  As far as the washed out taste it goes hand in hand with heavy rainfall, just like many other fruits.

[FruitFreak]

I got around 50 cultivars, including some of the premier cultivars from France, Portugal, and Spain.  My LSU Purples in some years easily match those in taste.  I know some collectors here in Florida who have over 250 cultivars and they have LSU Purple in their yards.  Give them some time, and don't believe any online reviews.  Plus they reportedly have some nematode resistance.  As far as the washed out taste it goes hand in hand with heavy rainfall, just like many other fruits.

Hi there.  Do you grow any of them in-ground?  If so would you mind sharing your strategy regarding nematode mitigation.  Thanks.

[Pan Dulce]

I don't have any in the ground yet, all mine are primarily in #7s and #15s.  I am currently evaluating which 10 or so I am going to put in the ground next year.  The Florida fig collectors I get my air layers from, all have a mix of in ground trees as well as containerized.  A couple of people have 200+ cultivars, and all are in ground.  They just mulch well if their soil is primarily sand. One guy I know says LSU Purple is moderatley resistant to nematodes.  I plan to evaluate that claim next year as well.

On a side note, a couple of local trees I know of are quite large, and both owners use eucalyptus mulch.....

[achetadomestica]

I have had a LSU purple in the ground for 5 years. LOTS of mulch and organics no synthetic fertilizer.
I also have a white Tx Everbearing and Celeste in the ground for 6 years.  I did lose an Alma a
few years back but it never thrived and only lasted 1 year. 

[Ethan]

LSU purple in my yard is delicious! I had mine in pots for years and finally planted them in the ground back in Jan. The tree has tripled in size and the harvest has gotten better too. I did have 2 giant fruits split before they were ripe?

[JoeP450]

Truth be told, figs are so delicate it's virtually impossible to find tree ripened figs in the grocery store and a whole different experience eating right off the tree.



-joep450