The ripening figs are bagged against the birds. After noticing avian interest, I spent the early morning cool tying little drawstring chiffon bags around each fruit. I have a few hundred of these purchased in 2020 to protect the first five apricots. I think they are sold for jewellery or party favors.
While it isn't the most attractive sight to greet the eye when stepppng out the back door, being reminiscent of a tent caterpillar (Malacosoma californium) infestation, the bags should not be on the fruit for long. If my research is correct it should just be a matter of days before there are ripe figs on my plate.
I am a little worried, however, that the sun on the synthetic chiffon will heat the fruit too much and not allow air circulation. I am watching closely. The bagged apricots of a few years ago did not do well, with brown patches which I guessed to be scorching, but then the apricots were bagged for a much longer period of time.
This variety of fig was purchased as a Texas Everbearing variety (aka Brown Turkey), however the fruit is not seeming to show the dark bronze typical of the variety, at this stage. It was planted in spring of 2019 along with the apricot, one of the first fruit trees to be introduced outback. I believe the sapling came from Animas Creek Nursery who specialize in plants which should survive local conditions though they are a grow nursery for a Santa Fe retail nursery outlet. Sante Fe is considerably further north at a higher elevation thus cooler and wetter, with a shorter growing season. Not really the same conditions for plants.
I have not done a good job of pruning yet. Quite honestly I am flummoxed by how to prune this young fig tree at this point, so have just allowed it to establish itself as a many limbed devi of the outback.
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