Choosing the Best Figs for Hawaii


Brown Turkey figs proved to be the most profitable fruit from our 12 Trees Project and because of that, we applied for a grant to test different varieties in a number of the Big Islands microclimates. The three-year grant, which begins July 2007 will run for 3 years, at the end of which we hope to be able to make cuttings of various types of figs available to local growers. Funded by Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE), this project hopes to develop a fig industry in what just might be one of the best places in the world for fig cultivation.

  • Original grant application narrative from Ken Love and Dr. Kent Fleming
  • Some of the figs we will test



  • Project Photos


  • Kona Pacific Farmers Cooperative

  • Bird Deterrents 4-21-08
  • First Santa Cruz Darks 1-23-08
  • First Conadria Fig 1-1-08
  • First Rattlesnake Fig 12-10-07
  • First Black Misssion Fig 12-10-07
  • First White Genoa Fig 12-4-07
  • First Ischia Black Fig 12-4-07
  • First UCR 187-25 Fig 12-4-07
  • First Tena
  • Bagged figs and others on 1-1-08
  • First excel figs 11-07
  • Fig planting area at Kona Pacific Farmers Coop 6-7-07
  • Map of trees planted as of 9-21-07
  • selected trees and fruit on 10-17-07
  • Giant Amber San Pedro types 4-08

    Love Family Farms
  • Cuttings from 20 varieties potted on 4-17-07

    GS Farms

  • First planting of 4 trees 6-21-07

    Bree's Pono Farms
    Figs planted 1-08 Randyl, Gold Celeste, Rattlesnake, LSU Purple, Carter and Waimanalo

    Harrington & Sons Farm

    Chez Marquis Farm
  • Steve Marquis's second report on his figs, 2-08.
  • Steve's planting areas 1-28-08
  • Steve marquis's first report on his figs, 9-07.

    University of Hawaii Kainaliu Experiment Station
  • Photos of each fig tree after planting 4-18-08
  • Irrigation system photos
  • Fig Field after planting 4-18-08
  • map of planted figs 4-18-08

    Special Thanks to Paul, Gary & Mary, Charlie, Bonnie, Joan, Mark and Hal for getting all the cuttings potted up and having to wait 2 days for Fed Ex to find them!
  • Potting the first shipment of cuttings from Davis 1-25-08

  • Potted figs waiting for planting 1-1-08
  • More potted figs waiting for planting 1-1-08
  • UH plot area with irrigation pipes ready for planting.1-1-08
  • Clearing rocks at UH planting site.
  • Rocks are cleared by hand with rakes and shovels

    Fig taste and brix tests

  • LSU Gold fig brix test 4-26-08
  • White Texas Everbearing fig brix test 4-24-08
  • Early Violet fig brix test 3-4-08
  • Vernino fig brix test 3-4-08
  • Flanders fig brix test 3-4-08
  • Gold Celeste fig brix test 3-4-08
  • Tena fig brix test 2-26-08
  • Osbourne fig brix test 2-26-08
  • Flanders fig brix test 2-26-08
  • Ischia Black 2 fig brix test 2-26-08
  • Denna fig brix test 2-8-08
  • Ischia Black fig brix test 2-8-08
  • Sample brix results for commercial vrs tree ripe (1-25-08)
  • Tasted figs with various ratings using discriptors from Ed Stover, Chef Paul Heerlein and Ken Love
  • Tasted figs as above in a excel file

    Figs tested in Calif. 9-07 -

    Individual fig variety photos with leaves, whole and cut fruit

  • 149 fig photos on black cloth - 9-23-07
  • 113 fig varieties on a 1/2 inch grid - 9-23-07

    Taste profiles and photos of more than 100 vaieties will be uploaded over the next month.

  • Fig varities tested 9-07.
  • Numeric key to figs tested.
  • Names of tested figs.
  • Photo of cut figs (key is not yet available)
  • CRFG fig and grape tasting 9-8-07
    Fresh Figs

  • Brown turkey fig tree, pruned low for harvesting ease, at the 12 Trees Project.
  • Brown turkey figs growing at the 12 Trees Project.
  • Brown turkey figs harvested at the 12 Trees Project.
  • Brown turkey and white kadota figs from the 12 Trees Project being sold through Adaptations.

    Value Added Fig Products

  • Italian dried figs in balsamic vinegar 1-24-08
  • Value added fig products from Europe
  • Figs and fig juice from Taiwan

    Misc. photos and notes

  • Ugly brown turkey figs from Calif. in a great package
  • Brix results of Calif. versus Hawaii Brown Turkey Figs
    Links to pages on fig diseases


  • Fig plant disease guide from University of Florida
  • Fig plant disease guide from Texas (TAMU)
  • Fig Endosepsis from UC Davis
  • Fig Diseases by D.F. Ritchie, North Carolina State University

    B>
    Other Links

  • Figs in Fresno from Joe Sabol
  • Jon Verdick's fig site figs 4 fun.
  • Jon Verdick's fig figs 4 fun forum
  • Jon Verdick's Encanto Farms Nursery.
  • Jon Verdick's fig paper present to the CRFG Festival of Fruit 8-07

    Figs in Israel

  • Fig day in Israel(8-07)

    Figs (Ichijiku) in Japan

  • Container and field Fig tests in Aichi-ken(3-23-08)
  • Fresh Figs sold in Tokyo (5-27-04)
  • Fig growing and marketing in Japan-report (3-21-04)
  • Figs at the Nagoya Japan Fruit Park (3-20-04)
  • Figs at the Hamamatsu Japan Fruit Park (3-20-04)
  • Aichi-ken Japan Agriculture Station(3-19-04)
  • Fig farm & pruning in Aichi Japan(3-19-04)
  • Fig orchard & pruning in Chiba Japan(3-8-04)
  • Fig orchard in Chiba Japan-3 months later(6-8-04)

    This project is funded by:

  • Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE)
    SARE is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that functions through competitive grants conducted cooperatively by farmers, ranchers, researchers and ag professionals to advance farm and ranch systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities.

    LINKS
  • List of fig varieties in the USDA germplasm repository in Davis Calif.
  • Ken's fig publication for the University of Hawaii

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Send mail to Ken at:

    ken@mycoffee.net (Japanese or English) or 72662.273@com puserve.com