One of the things I like about growing food plants in my backyard is watching "how" they grow and come to maturity. Our fig tree is a marvel in the way its fruits suddenly swell and ripen, and January is always our "fig glut" time of year here in Sydney, when our fig supply is a time of plenty.
The baby figs appear back in spring, then slowly grow as green little blobs all through spring and the first month of summer. And then just one or two of them decide it's time to ripen. The others stay smallish and green while the ripening ones swell up like a balloon and change colour in just a matter of days. These smaller, green fig-ettes are a bit like people queuing, waiting their turn to have a go.
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| This is what I mean. The ripening one is on the left, while the others pretend it's none of their business. |
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| And seen from another angle, the size difference occurs almost overnight. This one will be picked soon, before the birds get at it, and once brought inside, our resident fig aficionado, Pammy, knows what to do next. Over coming days and weeks they will all ripen, picking up the pace so a small bowl full will be harvested each time, but the fascinating thing is how they ripen in turns, rather than all at the same time. |
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| Our fig tree is still only small, as it's in a pot. It's about three years old and it hasn't been a stellar performer, but this year it has grown a bit more and has its best crop so far. It probably will be put into a bigger pot next winter. |
