Figs are ripening fast and furious, they are piling up on plates all over the place!
I have four trees, two are yielding ripe figs now, the other two will also be in a few days.
Here are some pointers, theories, and vague hypotheses contributing to successful fig harvesting:
Embrace your enemies, no fight, no stress.
Plant enough for everyone.
This doesn't have to be an orchard. Many birds and squirrels are territorial so any given yard will have a limited amount of nonhuman fig eaters. When fruit first starts ripening, it always seems like there won't be enough for me. And at some point I would get impatient and start to chase my competitors out of the tree. Then I noticed them looking at me, very puzzled, as if they were thinking "Ok. I see you. what are you trying to do?" or "Um, where are your manners, oh, don't you know about sharing?"
It was a little embarrassing to be shamed by a bird. But then it does make sense. Though I did stick the tree in the ground and throw some water on it occasionally, I didn't 'make it grow'. Processes and networks beyond my control or complete understanding did that. And certainly the birds are a part of that network and process, keeping things in balance. Why on earth should I think they don't deserve a share!
Emphasis on 'a share"......
The early bird catches the worm and persistence pays:
Pick figs twice a day, once in the morning, before the bird are too active (beat them at their own game). Even if you don't get out till 8 am you can still get a great harvest. Also do a second daily harvest between 5 and 7 pm.
Don't wait for imagined perfection, seize today!:
Figs will sweeten and soften a bit after harvesting. They don't need to be perfectly ripe before picking (like tomatoes). Experiment with your figs, but generally I pick them just as they start to blush and are slightly soft. If you eat them right away they don't taste quite ripe and the latex is unpleasant. I first let them sit at room temperature for a day or so. Delicious!
Though I am getting them out of the reaches of the squirrels and birds, well, if we don't speed up our rate of consumption and giving, the sugar ants will be the ultimate winners!
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