Im no fig expert so hopefully one of them will come along shortly but fwiw Ive NEVER heard of figs ripening the next season. The opposite actually, Ive read many times its best to knock them off before you winterize the tree.

As for trying to salvage them THIS season, you could always try throwing a tarp up over the tree after the sun sets to try and keep the cold air off but if the temps keep dropping I doubt that'll help.

Gd luck!

hi,
i was wondering the same thing here on
long island.
although temps have been way above average.
they have to change soon and there are still many figs.
but one thing i can say in italy where figs grow
everywhere temps in the inland areas in sept can
be in the 50's and 60's and in late october nights
can dip into the high forties.
yet even in mountain areas figs can ripen til almost
nov. i guess it depends on the variety.
i guess time will tell.

marcantonio

If it's any consolation to you, I actually had my Violette de Bordeaux (from Paradise Nursery, grown in a pot) go into last winter in my garage, with unripe figs still clinging to it, which did NOT fall off during the winter while dormant, and DID ripen early in the spring, as my very first figs of the season. And were actually very nice, despite their long time to maturity. I only had about three that did this, but still, what an unexpected gift!

I've been pleased with how prolific with fruit the VdB fig is even at a young age, and they didn't seem prone to splitting at all. Most of my other figs have all ripened for the most part, though there are still some Adriatics (JH) and Flanders coming along, along with the maybe-Nero. But the Adriatics which had fruit moving toward ripening, definitely split with the recent heavy rains, and I doubt they'll be any good compared to what the ones that ripened in the hot dry weather before this week's rain were like (awesome fig). I wish the VdB still had more left to ripen, but it tends to come along sooner than the others, which is actually a plus in Zone 5. I do rate it highly.

Sherry

I'm no fig expert by a long shot!

But I have made a couple of my fig trees that had figs but wasn't ripening, I used a q tip and olive oil on the eye, they are starting to swell & ripen, Me and my little wife enjoyed some Alma figs yesterday that we used the olive on.
It is worth a try, if it works it will be about 7 days for them to ripen.
Cecil,

Cecil,
How did the taste compare to ones that had not been oiled? Several of my trees have fruit that is still green and I was considering using the oil trick on them. Approximately how big were the green figs you oiled? My Alma has some that range from almost half dollar size on down, same with my Conadria and Green Ischia.
Woody.

Hello Woody,

My Alma figs were about quarter size! I oiled one fig on my little Celeste tree, that fig was about a little smaller than a nickel! It is swelling up as fast as the 8 or so of my Alma's that have really started to swell! as far as taste, they taste great when I can beat my little wife to them :) (PS the unoiled figs on those two trees are doing nothing.

Cecil

Thanks Cecil,
I will give it a try this weekend. I don't have to worry about the wife getting them, she doesn't like figs so they are ALL MINE!
Woody.

Woody,

Tell us how your oiled figs turn out OK !

Some people just have it "made" How about a better 1/2
that doesn't like the beloved figs ;)

Cecil,

Cecil,
Oiled some of my figs today, hope it works since it was starting to lightly rain while out there. Left a branch on each tree un-oiled as a control group. Will keep an eye on them especially since our temps will only be in the mid 70's this next week, no extra heat to hasten the ripening.
It is nice not having to share with the wife, her favorite fruit is Red Delicious apple. I planted one for her last fall and told her that she has to take care of it, didn't tell her it need a pollinator (ain't I a stinker!!!). Of course if any body close by has a crabapple it will work.
Woody.

Hello Woody,
I hope the oiling works for you, I can't help you with the Crabapple, but I can send ya some Crab Grass,:) I got gobs of that, and grass burrs!

So far the oiling is only working on my little Alma tree!

Cecil.

I heard an explanation today, of why oiling works - the oil blocks the eye and cuts off oxygen to the fig, which causes the latex (sap) to break down into sugar and water (?). The latex would normally break down as the fig ripens but lack of oxygen accelerates the process, and supposedly also results in a better tasting fig. So oiling could be used (and is in Italy) during the season (not just at the end) to produce a better tasting fruit.

Oiled my potted figs -- Latturulla,B.Mission,Peter's Honey & Negronne a week ago and almost all of them are swelling up. Used olive oil on the eye. Guessed it worked.

It appears that only the Battaglia Verte and the Conadria are responding to oiling so far, only one of the oiled figs on the Conadria is swelling though. We have been having some really cool weather, nights into the upper 40's so that is probably retarding progress. Will keep watching and hoping for a few more to ripen before the enevitable end of the season.
Woody.

Well I wasn't the only one watching for results from oiling. One of the two lone figs on my Jack's QP was apparently responding rapidly, was almost 3 inches across an just starting to turn color when a critter decided it was ripe enough (even though it wasn't ripe yet the insides that were left had turned a medium light red), also got to my Conadria. Luckily I was able to get a couple from the Batatglia SV untouched, not quite as sweet as earlier but still tasty. One of the oiled figs on my Magnolia is swelling and turning color, hope it stays untouched until I can try it. Still have had no response From the Alma or any others. With the weather they are forecasting ( low 40's at night and 50 to 60 days)I have probably seen the last of the figs for this year, time to hit the Jordanian market and stock up on Turkish figs to stave off withdrawal symptoms.
Seems like a long time until my "children" will once again provide me with the joys of summer.
Woody.