1/20/2024 0 Comments Black mission figExcess fruit can easily be dried and stored. That is the moment to pick your tree-ripened figs, which will be so different, with a so much more intense flavor than store-bought figs, that you simply won’t believe the difference. You can tell when your figs are ripe because the neck softens, and the fruit droops. The fruit of this crop is smaller, usually 1½ to 2 inches long, but the color is just as intense, and the flavor just as good. The second crop will ripen in late summer and early fall. The fruits are so beautiful you will want to create a painting of them, but instead you will enjoy the fantastic taste of the Black Mission Fig, which is considered by everyone to be superior to almost any other variety. You will also notice that the black skin of your figs is dusted with a pale blue powder, which is natural, called ‘bloom’. Inside, the flesh is the color of strawberries, soft and sweet. Unlike most other fig varieties, which are brown or purple, the fruits on Black Mission are very dark, with an almost black skin when ripe. It takes just eight of these plump black beauties to weigh a full pound, and each one is packed with delicious sweetness and unique fresh-fig flavor. They are pear-shaped, 2 inches in diameter and 3 inches long. This crop will be large, and so are the figs. These are figs that develop from small figs produced in the fall of the previous year, which remain on the tree all winter. In early summer you will harvest what is called the ‘breba’ crop. This tree produces two distinct crops of figs a year. The foliage is so beautiful that we would grow this tree for that alone, but of course we grow it for its fruit – and what fruit it is! Growing Black Mission Fig Trees The tree has beautiful large leaves, up to 8 inches long, which are divided into three to five large lobes, with a slightly glossy surface. When planting, think of the future and allow plenty of room for your tree. The Black Mission Fig grows into a large tree, that in time will pass 20 feet in height and spread, and will, when old, possibly reach 40 feet in height and spread. For quality of flavor it simply cannot be beaten, and it produces two crops a year, which hold well on the tree, so you will have fresh figs for weeks and weeks, plus plenty of fruit to dry and store – a very easy process. The Black Mission Fig is a classic, heirloom fig variety with a long history in California. You can also easily dry part of your crop, to enjoy it all year round as dried figs. Within a few years you will be harvesting large crops of delicious fresh figs, to eat out of hand, or slice in salads. It normally has no significant pests or diseases, and it is a very easy tree to grow. This variety is self-pollinating, so you only need to plant one tree to enjoy bumper crops twice a year. Water regularly after planting, but once established the tree is very drought-resistant and needs no special care. Grow the Black Mission Fig in full sun, allowing plenty of room for it to develop.
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