AyyyBaw

Nice, happy growing! If you’re looking for a specific variety let me know. Figbid is a great source for fig cuttings and rooted cuttings, just read the seller’s reviews before purchasing. I’ve purchased many times from figbid and will be selling on there later this year.

Edit - I’m located in South LA about 3 hours from Shreveport. If you have trouble sourcing what you’re looking for let me know.

There are 3 main taste profiles - sugar, berry, and honey. Most people in Louisiana grew up on Celeste or brown turkey (both sugar figs) because it’s what was growing in mawmaw’s yard. I have personal experience with all types mentioned below as in ground trees and all handle humid conditions great. These are all in-ground trees.

Honey: Galbun, by far my favorite honey fig, large fruit size, vigorous tree. Smith is a mix of honey and berry - highly resistant to rain and great flavor.


Sugar: Improved Celeste, more berry flavor than regular Celeste but I would still group it in the sugar fig profile. Also larger fruit than regular Celeste. It would be considered a very good fig by most people.

Berry: My favorite flavor profile. Adriatic figs have a greenish skin with reddish flesh - White Madeira #1 or LSU Strawberry. Dark skin with dark flesh - many of these have splitting problems in high humidity (Black Madeira, some Col de Dames, I-258). I’ve had great success with Malta Black (Mt Etna type fig - these taste great and don’t split. Noire de berbentane, LSU Scott’s Black are also very good.

I’ll be able to taste about 10 new varieties this year (planted last fall). If I could only plant 1 and I already had a sugar fig, it would be hard not to go with a Smith or some type of Mt Etna like Malta Black or St Rita. Malta Black was my family’s favorite last year. Malta Black also produces a breba crop on old wood then produces a main crop on new growth.

I propagate figs every year. Would be happy to share if you aren’t too far away. I have several rooted cuttings that I’ll be growing out all year in pots.

I have failed to sprout peppers many times, but have had good success recently. I soak pepper seeds in warm water the night before planting. I never follow the sowing depth on the package. I always sow shallower, basically surface sow then sprinkle an extremely light dusting of very fine seed starter medium on top. I’m trying to sow as shallow as possible but not see the seed on the surface. I start these inside around 68-70 degrees without a heat mat. Keep a dome on your trays until they sprout then remove and place a grow light 2-3” above the sprouts. I feed a very weak liquid fertilizer to the roots after they have a set of true leaves.

Decided to go with a loquat and I’m interested in learning how to graft. Here is my question - should I start with a loquat seedling and graft multiple cultivar scions to that seedling, or should I start with a grafted tree and graft additional scions to the grafted tree? I’m thinking that starting with a grafted tree might give me a head start on having better fruit, but not sure if having a trunk graft and addition branch grafts is a good idea or not. I have a few 2-3 year old red mulberry trees that I plan to experiment grafting mulberry scions to. I’ve been pruning them hard the last two years. Anyone have experience grafting mulberry to rubra trees? Any recs for buying loquat or mulberry scions or cultivar recs?

I have a first year edulis in a 15g. It didn’t even lose leaves this year. I only covered it on nights colder than 28. It took 32 like a champ uncovered outside. Hoping to taste some fruit this year.

I have a new open spot in-ground where my dead lemon currently is. Northern Vermilion parish zone 9b, full sun until around 2:30-3 right now. Clay soil but on an amended mound - good surface drainage. Any unique recs for something that I don’t have to protect in a “normal” winter for fresh eating?

I had a horrible goose grass problem last year. Round up Quick will kill it. I applied a fall and spring preemergent, so hoping it will be better this season.

Just a heads up. Projected lows in mid-30s here in Vermilion on Sunday and Monday night. If y’all stuck tomatoes in the ground already prepare to dust off the old tarp. One good thing about trellising tomatoes - you can just throw a tarp over the whole trellis and put some 2x4s on the ground the keep it in contact with the ground.

Awesome advice, thanks! Never thought to ask about rootstock. We don’t eat the lemons - just use for juice and zest. Appreciate you. Will likely go with Libson as I’ll be able to bring it inside during freezes.

They just repaved hwy 35 from the Lafayette parish line (northern prong of bayou) to highway 92 (rice bins). The Acadia parish section of 35 south of Rayne is still trash.

ASAP, peppers take several weeks from seed to transplant.