You got what is called Smyrna type fig - the type that needs pollination by the fig wasp in order to ripen. Since you seem to not have such a colony of wasps around, the figs won't ripen. If you want to grow and eat really good figs that doesn't require pollination, there're varieties plenty to choose from. You need to look and buy from a reputable nursery, not from generic store or nursery. Check with the community at ourfigs.com
Now that I know this, I will probably remove the tree - eventually. It's near the deck and I don't want wasps around. Additionally, there's a big snake that likes to sun itself around the tree. Not that I mind so much, but a lot of visitors get really nervous!
One of these years, I'll get a better variety and plant it further up the hill, and move the stones that hold the heat that the snake likes so he can go hang out up there :)
Wow what a great community, thanks for sharing. Got any other similar communities? There's also:
* www.bananas.org/
* tropicalfruitforum.com/
* permies.com/forums
I'm keeping a list because I find it difficult to find actual human stories about their experiences with certain plants and I'd like to some day build something to parse online plant-centric communities like these. Especially if they're this niche!
