The Fig King Tree Laykah Hetian Hotan

Source : Saf Fa Fig Garden

The Fig Tree King. Terletak di Laykah, Hetian(Hotan). 

Kami menaiki van dan merentasi padang pasir dari Kashgar ke Hetian sejauh lebih 500km perjalanan untuk nenyaksikan pokok tin dan walnut tertua didunia. 

Taman ini terletak lebih kurang 22 km dari bandar Hetian. 

Pokok Tin Raja ini berusia lebih 500 tahun, ditanam pada tahun 1507. 

Sebatang pokok ini tumbuh nendatar meliputi kawasan seluas lebih kurang suku ekar. 

Setiap tahun sebatang pokok ini bole menghasilkan lebih kurang 20 ribu buah yang besar, manis dan kuning cerah pada bulan jun hingga oktober. 

Pada setiap musim sejuk, Hetian diliputi salji yang tebal. Untuk mengelakkan pokok ini 'beku dan mati' , sebaik habis musim buah dan sebelum musim salji melanda, semua dahan2 di pangkas, batang utama di 'tanam atau buried' kedalam tanah sehingga musim bunga bermula. 

Sebab itu pokok tua ini tidak tinggi, ketinggianya hanya lebih kurang 4m tapi dengan cabang2 yg tersangat banyak. Begitulah prihatinnya orang Xinjiang untuk memelihara pokok ini agar terus hidup dan memberi menfaat kepada manusia.

Xinjiang Figs by Saf Fa Fig Garden Part 1

Source : Saf Fa Fig Garden

Xinjiang. Daerah terpencil di Barat Laut China yg menyimpan berbagai2 misteri. Begitu jugalah misteri buah tin Xinjiang yg penuh kontroversi. Alhamdulillah kembara SFFG kali ini kebumi bertuah Xinjiang sedikit sebanyak dapat merungkai persoalan sejagat.

Venice Beach Fig

Source : Los Angeles Fig Forest

Melanzana Calabrese AKA "Venice Beach Fig" (Breba)

I do understand NOW, what all the fuss is about on “Melanzana Calabrese” … after I tasted the fully ripe Breba I almost stepped on my jaw on the floor.

Sweet and juicy with a very pleasant floral aroma.

(9 over 10 sweetness scale)

Armenian Fig

Source : Los angeles Fig Forest

The "Armenian White" or "Armenian" Fig.

During the last 2 years I have acquired three variants of "Armenian" or "Armenian White" fig.

This is a large, Bifera, Light Green to Yellowish Green fig that has Light Pink to Pinkish Honey interior. It is a very juicy fig that has a sweet mellon taste (7-8 on sweetness over the scale of 0-10). The skin is soft and fairly thick and it's easy to peel. It's a perfect summer fruit.

1- from Glendale, California that had a Small eye ( Ostiole)

2- from Beverly Hills, California that had a Medium eye (Ostiole)

3- from Los Angeles downtown that had a Large eye (Ostiole)

After rooting some cuttings of each and growing them I have noticed that they all have been regulated here in my garden and all the Ostioles have become very Small. I found no difference in taste either and they all developed same pattern of large leaves.

This may mean that growing conditions may play a major role in the opening of the Ostiole of certain figs.
I have also acquired an "Armenian" from UC Davis that is being rooted but not old enough to carry fruit, so I will check to see if that one also becomes a small Ostiole.

UC Davis variant of Armenian is the one that every body has in US and people in humid and rainy climates avoid growing it because of the Ostiole size.

Here are some pictures of the fruit in different growing stages until ripening.

Sherbourne fig

Source : Los Angeles Fig Forest

The "Violette Dauphine" AKA "Sherbourne" fig

This 40+y.o. Bifera tree which has a habit of growing more in width than height is, also, growing in Jewish/Persian neighborhood of Beverly Hills. These people love figs.

It has a very dense pulp texture and sweet taste with a lingering berry like aftertaste with figgie/floral aroma. What I call a complex taste and aroma.

The color... the fruit has a Violetish Purple color skin with elongated neck wich is also completely colored. Some, last year, branches will also demonstrate same Violet Purple color, depending of the amount of sun exposure.

The Breba Crop is ~20% larger than the Main Crop but the tree produces abundance of Main Crop.

The pictures bellow show the different stages of growth and fruits.

Dartmouth fig

Source : los angeles fig forest

The "Dartmouth" fig

This beautiful Bifera tree which produces bronze, common type figs with dark pink interior is on a public property on Dartmouth street.

No one knows where it came from or who planted it, could be from seed. According to few tenants, it has been there for over 25 years and once in a while the city employees will trim the tree because it gets very top heavy. The tree looks like it has a very vigorous growth habit.

Although its under full sun entire day, the distance between nodes are 5-8 inches.

The Brebas are very juicy and the tree produces plenty of it. The main crop is much sweeter and more syrupy and with denser texture.

The leaves are very uniform, 5 lobed with long fingers, very rough to the tough.

Overall this is a delicious fig with satisfying sweetness and very pleasant floral/fruity aroma.