Lou, thank you so much for making these videos, they are truly inspiring and I'm grateful for your education. Grateful for you sharing a lifetime's worth of fig-love and generations of experience.
I just bought a Desert King earlier this year and it's just beginning to leaf up pretty good. I don't think it's going to make fruit until next year, but I'm excited now to know I got a good one. Great video !
Because of your videos, i have both desert king and peter's honey. Thanks for your videos and enthusiasm. I am testing for hardiness... out of 120 figs in the ground last winter, i lost only 7 which were fig pops planted last year. The rest are growing good. I am in zone 7b.
I bought a dessert/desert King last Spring and was really looking forward to the figs. It was tiny so naturally there were no brebas the first year. It grew well and imagine my surprise when it started pushing out main crop figs! (Zone 7b, we don't have the wasp in Denmark.) I don't know what it is, but it sure aint a desert king. The figs were green on the outside but more yellow on the inside compared to the images I've seen of desert king. The taste was decent but not spectacular - it's in a pot for now, that may influence the taste I guess. It'll be interesting to see if there's a breba croop this year - and what it's like.
I'm in love with your figs! Nicest and healthiest figs I'm jealous in a way. I'm wondering if I can buy this variety online to be planted. I'm from the Philippines by the way. Thanks.
Im running the waapless black mission and brown turkey (maybe olympia) and struggling to ripen kadota with my few year old itty bitty trees, so rewarding to eat off the branch...
Happy Forth of July. Sono Gennaro First question: I have to ask are you related to the Other Lou Monte?? Second: I live on the west coast of Florida and in seeing your back drop my property is very similar to yours (i'm on a brackish section near the Gulf of Mexico.) but here we seldom get a frost so the growing season is close to tropical (My 5-6 yr old in ground Black mission) has finished with its first crop and its only July.any ideas as to what I can expect??
Hi, Dave! The Breba are there in the fall if you look closely. They are surprisingly resilient to the cold, too, however, they begin to experience significant damage once the temperatures drop below 15 Farenheit. Lou Monti
Do you prune back the 1 year old growth at all? Seems like only the tips of the previous season's growth produces the figs. Do you break off the main crop figs to allow the tree to focus its energy on ripening the brebas?
Hi, Sunny! I only lightly prune out crowded branches and weak non fruit bearing branches each year. I rarely pinch or discourage my fruiting branches. Keep in mind that San Pedro types only successfully produce figs on last years wood! Plucking the main crop figs to channel more energy into branch growth for next years Breba crop is certainly an acceptable practice. Good luck! Lou Monti
I have a Desert King fig I planted a year ago. I had 4 so far to eat this year and there are quite a few on there still. I do not understand what a breba crop is. I am hoping the remaining ones will ripen. Confused if remaining figs are breba, and can eat or nit🤷🏻♀️
Breba are figs produced on previous years growth, they will usually start forming alongside the new sprouting leaf buds. The main crop grows on this season's growth, which is usually green growth.
Hi there! Watch a few more of my videos, Sunny! Haha! Yes, Im sure that you do read some of comments from other viewers after your inquiry. I have several videos on this topic and my next video is going to be on that subject, too. It will be posted soon around the 20th of October, 2022. Take care! Lou Monti
Hi, Judy! I'm sorry, I've tried several organic methods which haven't produced good results. I really prefer using organic applications whenever possible. I would feel uncomfortable reccomending anything else, but I can tell you that there are a few some what environmentally friendly products on the market, as well as some that use harsher chemicals, too. If you have a serious Nematode problem, I would reccomend reading through the product descriptions and choosing one that you feel would be adequate for the job. Regards and good luck from, Lou Monti
Love your videos and the content/information you present. Currently rooting "Dessert King", can't wait. I have a question, how do you control squirrels? They robbed me blind of figs last season! Thank you for what you do.
Organza net bags have a draw string closure at the top. U can get them in green color to trick birds. I smear a little hot pepper juice on the bottom of bag to fend off the squirrels, they might pull one or two off and leave it on the ground while running away screaming.
Unfortunately, there is only one way that I know of to effectively deal with Squirrels. They have to be humanly trapped in a Have a Heart Trap, and relocated many (over five) miles away. You must check with your local officials to make sure that this process is permitted first! Make sure that it is legal and proper to do so. Regards, Lou Monti
@@loumonti10 I know that in my area of 7A it is illegal to relocate squirrels. It is however legal to kill them. My neighbors use a garbage can half filled with water, then he sprinkles a bag of sunflower seeds on top of water. The squirrels jump in and drown. I have never done this and instead chose to be an outlaw and used the havaheart to relocate 4 squirrels to the local county park. When releasing from the back of my truck they shoot out of the trap like a bottle rocket! Lol!
My desert king is in the pot now and it’s 2 years old. I only have a single trunk and it branches about 10” from the base. I would like to put it in the ground and train it to have multiple branches for more fig production. Any tips on what to do? Thanks
Hi there! Well, in my opinion, planting in ground is always preferable to containers, providing that you have the space and that you live in a warm enough zone. If so, I'm certain that you will be quite pleased with your Desert King in the years to come! I generally prefer a single trunk to bush stile, but that is simply a matter of personal preference. Good luck! Lou Monti
You and me, both, Sami! Lol! We will have to take that one up with the ultimate fig commissioner in the ski!!! Haha! Seriously though, the San Pedro types are very rare, making up a very small percentage of the total known fig varieties. They are very odd, indeed, but they offer an extraordinary opportunity to growers in colder zones, and make it quite possible to enjoy a very large crop of, exquisite, early ripening, premium, figs! Regards from, Lou Monti
Hi there! I have such videos posted in my collection. You can find and review them when you have time. It can certainly be done, and I'm fully confident that you can be successful. Thanks for watching! Lou Monti
I do not protect my Desert King, or any other varieties that I grow in 7-B. However, as a rule, I do wrap or protect my fig trees in 7-A. Last year in 7-A was an exception, as I wasn't able to wrapp quite a few trees. They all survived quite nicely, but it wasn't a harsh Winter. Regards, Lou Monti
Hi there! Figs are very highly susceptible to Root Knot Nematodes. Once they begin to attack the roots it's simply a matter of time before the tree becomes affected in a major way. There are some commercial products on the market that can extend the time that your tree can still produce a fair crop. I try never to use chemicals a fairly strict rule. Some of the over the counter Nematode treatments are safer than others. It's really a matter of personal preference and need that should determine what product on the market would be best suited to you. Thanks for watching and good luck! Lou Monti
@@loumonti10 Oh, ok. At 11:02 you mentioned soaking it with a solution several times and I was just curious what solution you used. I have no idea if and of the in ground fig trees have nematodes. But, this year there was no fig harvest. Pretty bad drought going on in SE Texas. :(
Lou, thank you so much for making these videos, they are truly inspiring and I'm grateful for your education. Grateful for you sharing a lifetime's worth of fig-love and generations of experience.
Thank you!
Dahaaaaaaam dude u just sit right thr on dat porch n grab figs n eat them cool as heck!
Lou you're the best. If you have daughter-in-laws and son-in-laws they must love you
Thank you very much for your kind compliment! Regards from, Lou Monti
I just bought a Desert King earlier this year and it's just beginning to leaf up pretty good.
I don't think it's going to make fruit until next year, but I'm excited now to know I got a good one.
Great video !
Because of your videos, i have both desert king and peter's honey. Thanks for your videos and enthusiasm. I am testing for hardiness... out of 120 figs in the ground last winter, i lost only 7 which were fig pops planted last year. The rest are growing good. I am in zone 7b.
WOW MY FRIEND I JUST ATE THIS AFTERNOON IT SO DELICIOUS THANK S FOR SHAREING.💖💖💖👍👍👍
sold..you sold me on the desert king...now i need one to add to my little collection..
The tree is very lush, greetings from Indonesia, good luck always...
I live your fig tree too 🤣🤣🤣
Love it’ when you said it’s be raining it fig😅 ers. You crack a joke 🎀
I bought a dessert/desert King last Spring and was really looking forward to the figs. It was tiny so naturally there were no brebas the first year. It grew well and imagine my surprise when it started pushing out main crop figs! (Zone 7b, we don't have the wasp in Denmark.) I don't know what it is, but it sure aint a desert king. The figs were green on the outside but more yellow on the inside compared to the images I've seen of desert king. The taste was decent but not spectacular - it's in a pot for now, that may influence the taste I guess. It'll be interesting to see if there's a breba croop this year - and what it's like.
Man love the story about your uncle. Would love to have this one along with my desert king.
I'm in love with your figs!
Nicest and healthiest figs I'm jealous in a way. I'm wondering if I can buy this variety online to be planted. I'm from the Philippines by the way.
Thanks.
I certainly do try my best! Thank you very much for your complement and thanks for watching! Regards from, Lou Monti
Hi Lou! I really enjoyed this video and was interested in locating cuttings of Filacciano Bianco. Couldn't find it anywhere, seems very rare.
Lou, your figs are keeping you young. 😁
Thank you! Everyone seems to think so and I believe it, too! Thanks for watching! Lou Monti
The best San Pedro type is the one know as St John fig. Giant breba 150g+ and huge productivy
Looks like a dessert king right off the deck too.
what an amazing video, what a great variety... ,my name is also Mario , i would love a cutting of your tree
You're the BEST Lou
Im running the waapless black mission and brown turkey (maybe olympia) and struggling to ripen kadota with my few year old itty bitty trees, so rewarding to eat off the branch...
En Argentina tenemos 90 variedades de ficus carica!, estoy armando una colección de ellas!.😊
Happy Forth of July.
Sono Gennaro
First question:
I have to ask are you related to the Other Lou Monte??
Second: I live on the west coast of Florida and in seeing your back drop my property is very similar to yours (i'm on a brackish section near the Gulf of Mexico.) but here we seldom get a frost so the growing season is close to tropical (My 5-6 yr old in ground Black mission) has finished with its first crop and its only July.any ideas as to what I can expect??
Not related! Lol! Thanks for watching. Lou Monti
Awesome uncle. Youre honoring him well. My question is how many of those can you eat at one time without injury
Hi the B letter stands for Best and my finger slipped and could not continue
Your voice sounds A LOT like Rand Paul. Took me a minute to figure it out, but that's it.
Hahahaha! No one has ever told me that before! Lol
@@loumonti10 It's actually quite amazing. I have a pretty good ear, too. Ask your wife to watch one of his vids and see what happens. Lol
What kind of fig is this, I would like to have one of that variety and where did you buy it, go on, I love your videos.
incredible
Thank you!!! Lou Monti
Do you see he brebas start form in the fall, or do they not start from scratch until next year?
Hi, Dave! The Breba are there in the fall if you look closely. They are surprisingly resilient to the cold, too, however, they begin to experience significant damage once the temperatures drop below 15 Farenheit. Lou Monti
Do you prune back the 1 year old growth at all? Seems like only the tips of the previous season's growth produces the figs. Do you break off the main crop figs to allow the tree to focus its energy on ripening the brebas?
Hi, Sunny! I only lightly prune out crowded branches and weak non fruit bearing branches each year. I rarely pinch or discourage my fruiting branches. Keep in mind that San Pedro types only successfully produce figs on last years wood! Plucking the main crop figs to channel more energy into branch growth for next years Breba crop is certainly an acceptable practice. Good luck! Lou Monti
I have a Desert King fig I planted a year ago. I had 4 so far to eat this year and there are quite a few on there still. I do not understand what a breba crop is. I am hoping the remaining ones will ripen. Confused if remaining figs are breba, and can eat or nit🤷🏻♀️
Breba are figs produced on previous years growth, they will usually start forming alongside the new sprouting leaf buds. The main crop grows on this season's growth, which is usually green growth.
The ones u ate were most likely Brebas.
@Sunny Sharma so the crop after breba...will those ripen and fall off and not ripen?
Or not ripen I meant.
Hi there! Watch a few more of my videos, Sunny! Haha! Yes, Im sure that you do read some of comments from other viewers after your inquiry. I have several videos on this topic and my next video is going to be on that subject, too. It will be posted soon around the 20th of October, 2022. Take care! Lou Monti
Hi Lou. What did you use to treat the nematodes you mentioned in the video? Thanks in advance.
Hi, Judy! I'm sorry, I've tried several organic methods which haven't produced good results. I really prefer using organic applications whenever possible. I would feel uncomfortable reccomending anything else, but I can tell you that there are a few some what environmentally friendly products on the market, as well as some that use harsher chemicals, too. If you have a serious Nematode problem, I would reccomend reading through the product descriptions and choosing one that you feel would be adequate for the job. Regards and good luck from, Lou Monti
Love your vidz 😁
Love your videos and the content/information you present. Currently rooting "Dessert King", can't wait. I have a question, how do you control squirrels? They robbed me blind of figs last season! Thank you for what you do.
Organza net bags have a draw string closure at the top. U can get them in green color to trick birds. I smear a little hot pepper juice on the bottom of bag to fend off the squirrels, they might pull one or two off and leave it on the ground while running away screaming.
@@mikeporro3311 Thanks Mike, I will give it a try. I did use white Organza bags last season, the buggers chewed right through them.
Unfortunately, there is only one way that I know of to effectively deal with Squirrels. They have to be humanly trapped in a Have a Heart Trap, and relocated many (over five) miles away. You must check with your local officials to make sure that this process is permitted first! Make sure that it is legal and proper to do so. Regards, Lou Monti
@@loumonti10 I know that in my area of 7A it is illegal to relocate squirrels. It is however legal to kill them. My neighbors use a garbage can half filled with water, then he sprinkles a bag of sunflower seeds on top of water. The squirrels jump in and drown. I have never done this and instead chose to be an outlaw and used the havaheart to relocate 4 squirrels to the local county park. When releasing from the back of my truck they shoot out of the trap like a bottle rocket! Lol!
Thank you Lou, I believe it is illegal in my area but will certainly double check on that. Keep up the good work. : )
My desert king is in the pot now and it’s 2 years old. I only have a single trunk and it branches about 10” from the base. I would like to put it in the ground and train it to have multiple branches for more fig production. Any tips on what to do?
Thanks
Hi there! Well, in my opinion, planting in ground is always preferable to containers, providing that you have the space and that you live in a warm enough zone. If so, I'm certain that you will be quite pleased with your Desert King in the years to come! I generally prefer a single trunk to bush stile, but that is simply a matter of personal preference. Good luck! Lou Monti
The thing I don’t understand, why Desert King breba (first crop) does not require wasp pollination and the main crop does need it?
You and me, both, Sami! Lol! We will have to take that one up with the ultimate fig commissioner in the ski!!! Haha! Seriously though, the San Pedro types are very rare, making up a very small percentage of the total known fig varieties. They are very odd, indeed, but they offer an extraordinary opportunity to growers in colder zones, and make it quite possible to enjoy a very large crop of, exquisite, early ripening, premium, figs! Regards from, Lou Monti
I have many fig varieties and added to them Desert King this season and will see how it will do in southern hot climates of TX. Thx!
hi Lou, how do I get cuttings from your trees? my collection is not that big but I would love to grow some of those trees here in North Carolina
Can you share a video on how to wrap this big tree? I live in Zone 7 and I wonder if I can plant it in the ground
Hi there! I have such videos posted in my collection. You can find and review them when you have time. It can certainly be done, and I'm fully confident that you can be successful. Thanks for watching! Lou Monti
Do you wrap your desert king over the winter ?
I do not protect my Desert King, or any other varieties that I grow in 7-B. However, as a rule, I do wrap or protect my fig trees in 7-A. Last year in 7-A was an exception, as I wasn't able to wrapp quite a few trees. They all survived quite nicely, but it wasn't a harsh Winter. Regards, Lou Monti
What was the solution you used for nematodes?
We also have a fig tree that's been in the family for generations. Thanks!
Hi there! Figs are very highly susceptible to Root Knot Nematodes. Once they begin to attack the roots it's simply a matter of time before the tree becomes affected in a major way. There are some commercial products on the market that can extend the time that your tree can still produce a fair crop. I try never to use chemicals a fairly strict rule. Some of the over the counter Nematode treatments are safer than others. It's really a matter of personal preference and need that should determine what product on the market would be best suited to you. Thanks for watching and good luck! Lou Monti
@@loumonti10 Oh, ok. At 11:02 you mentioned soaking it with a solution several times and I was just curious what solution you used. I have no idea if and of the in ground fig trees have nematodes. But, this year there was no fig harvest. Pretty bad drought going on in SE Texas. :(
Your fig trees load of fruits. What kind of fertilizer do you use?
Hi There! I do have several videos on this subject. I do try to stay completely organic when ever I can. Good luck! Lou Monti
Great video! What hardy zone is yours?
7-A and 7-B. Thanks for watching! Lou Monti
How often will last years fruit branches die back due to frost? I also live in 7b and here this is the main risk for heavy breba croppers.
Where to find a desert king fig tree?
Hi, there! There are definitely some reputable sellers that should be able to provide you with a healthy Desert King. Good luck! Lou Monti
How does the first crop ripen without the wasp?
Hi Lou I wish I can have a cutting from your tree thank you
Giống sung tên gì vậy bạn? Bạn bón phân gì chia sẻ cho mình biết với ! Xin cảm ơn.
Hi there! It's all in my videos. You're welcome to watch as many as you like! Regards from Lou Monti