It is possibly a san pedro type fig which means only the breba crop will set, the main crop may need pollination by the wasp which we don't have in Pennsylvania.
I'm having the same problem.

Bass

Hmm, I must have forgotten that FdR is a San Pedro type, yup, it makes sense.

Lou, I have a couple of young trees that grew that way, branches on both sides of the main trunk growing parallel to the ground. The weight of the unripe fruit was pulling them right to the ground. I had to make crutches to prop them up so they wouldn't break. They are not Fiorone di Ruvo.

I have a 1 yr old Pied de Boeuf that had a fig Just like the one in your 4th picture. Ribbed, hard and it rotted. There are two more that haven't changed color yet, also ribbed. I blamed it on the weather but I never grew this fig before so I don't have a clue.

Peg

Lou and all:
I have attached photos of my Fiorone di Ruvo tree from the summer of 2007. The first fig to ripen was picked on June 18th, the same day these photos were taken. You can see that the form in which this tree was growing is very similar to your tree Lou. Interesting, the mother tree has a similar spread habit. My little tree produced alot of brebas for it's size as well as a main crop. The fig was quite good for the trees' first fruit. However, it did drop the main crop at the end of the summer. I attributed it to it being an immature tree. Unfortunately, this little tree died the following year and I was not able to observe the fruiting habits in 2008.
Interesting enough, practically all of the contacts I shared this fig with informed me that although the brebas are excellent figs, they all dropped their main crop.
When I received my cuttings of Fiorone di Ruvo from a friend in Bari, I specifically asked if this tree was completely parthenocarpic. I was told that it was and that it produced two crops. Much to my disappointment, I have concluded that this fig is a San Pedro type fig and that the second, or main crop, needs caprification inorder to fully ripen it's figs. It certainly lives up to it's name as Fiorone.
I was hopeful in that one contact has offered to replace the tree that I lost last year. It has to be the earliest and largest fig I have ever known to ripen in this climatic zone so it would certainly extend the season if one is willing to sacrifice the main crop.
Ironically, I received a fig called Fico Gentile from the same source in Bari and it too, is a San Pedro type fig that produces excellent brebas but drops the main crop.

This first photo is the mother tree in Bari:

First let me say thank you to all of you.

Leon I just happen to remember last night that I have a friend who lives in Bari also. So I wrote to him asking the questions you have nicely address in your latest post concerning the Fiorone di Ruvo fig tree. Your photos are outstanding showing the growth pattern of the tree.

My friend in Bari works for Hitachi and many times he is sent to Tokyo and other areas in that part of the world. I might not get a response back for a while--not that it is needed now.

Now I have to decide is it a keeper or do I get rid of the whole tree. I am leaning to cutting off one of it's branches then tying and taping a long stick to the outside of the bucket. Then a little at a time tieing up and pulling up those other two branches until I can get them to stay in a slightly more vertical position.

Take care all.
Lou

Lou:
By chance is your friends' name Alexander?

Leon,
His name is Domenico.
lou

Hey Lou,

Your tree could be a good candidate for grafting. You could graft on a more desirable variety. Check out the othre theads on this forum for details.

Good Luck,
Little John

Little John,
That's a good idea for next season. I taped and tied a long 2X2 along side the bucked standing vertically. I started pulling up two of its three branches; I can't place too much pressure because it wants to pull the 5-gallon bucket over. I placed a cement block to keep that from happening. I will try to straighten them out a little at a time (slowly).
Lou

Hey Lou,

I've been trying to do some grafting on figs and it seems kinda tricky. What I've learned is not to have a cutting that is too long or it will dry out faster and use a plastic bag over the union to increase humidity. I found a link that you might enjoy.

-Little John

Here is a link that might be useful: fig grafting