[ended] auction: the future of fig breeding

[epiphyte]

when it comes to fig breeding there’s a massive disparity between what is, and what should be. what fig breeding is largely consists solely of ficus carica. what fig breeding should be involves a whole host of other species and their hybrids with carica and each other. 75 years ago ira condit opened the door to this “should” when he put ficus carica pollen into figs of ficus pumila and created the first ever artificial fig hybrid. even though condit is one of the most prominent figures in the world of ficus carica, hardly anyone noticed that he opened the door. maybe it was only a little open? in any case, now its wide open.

what i’m auctioning is the opportunity to not just take a small tentative step through the door of what should be, but to sprint through it in order to quickly catch up and collaborate with myself, mike fons and precious few others.

auction: robust toolkit for shaping the future of figs

caution: my yard has bff and rkn
reserve: no
length: 5 days
bidding ends: 15 june at 6 pm (pacific time)
shipping: u.s. only
payment: paypal

to participate...

1. post in “welcome everyone” (if you haven’t already done so)
2. reply to this thread with your bid

only bids before 6pm will be counted. any bids at 6:00 pm or after will not be counted.

included in this auction…

my hybrids (small seedlings)

ficus fraseri x carica
ficus opposita x carica
ficus racemosa x carica
ficus ulmifolia x carica

male figs

ficus carica variegated 10 fwy (7” cutting)
ficus coronata (rooted cutting)
ficus ischnopoda (rooted cutting)
ficus johannis hybrid (7” cutting)
ficus palmata hybrid 10 fwy (rooted cutting)

species (small seedlings)

ficus austrocaledonica
ficus exasperata
ficus gasparriniana
ficus opposita
ficus racemosa
ficus septica
ficus ulmifolia

species (small rooted cuttings)

ficus auriculata
ficus cocculifolia
ficus fraseri

misc

ficus carica fignomenal seedling (7” cutting)
ficus pumila x carica (small rooted cutting)

pics and descriptions.

this isn’t all of my relevant fig material, but its a really good chunk of it. this toolkit provides you with everything you need to breed a fig houseplant that is dwarf (fignomenal seedling), precocious (ulmifolia), everbearing indoors (ulmifolia), variegated (10 fwy caprifig) and parthenogenic (gasparriniana). naturally there are countless other trait combinations possible.

its important to note that pollinating figs isn’t that difficult. i simply mix some carica pollen with water and inject it into the figs of other species. however, there are several tips and tricks that i’m endeavoring to share… ficus trade secrets... such as grafting being incredibly useful.

in my previous auction (still open!) i think that i might have way overestimated the demand for 5 small seedlings of ficus palmata hybrids. should i even try to guess the demand for this auction? might as well… $150.

let me know if you have any questions.

[Rob]

I may be, and also you may be in the minority here, but I honestly think what you are doing is fantastic, and if there is anyone who thinks there should be limitations of what is bred with what, that is on them. If it is possible, then that says it all for me, and keep up the good work, we need more people like you thinking out of the box ...just because you can. The only limitations are what nature puts on, and even then we can find a workaround at times.

Ira Condit was, and will always be an inspiration to many, and in many areas. His work was not always perfect, slight errors have been found over the years, but he was a massive, true pioneer, and his work is still cited in so many studies, and probably always will be. If he didn't leave the hybrid door ajar, you and Michael, and a few others, have certainly kicked it down now, and you should be proud of it.

I sincerely hope that the auction is successful for you, it may just get a few more people interested and talking more about it, then things have a way of snow balling if we are lucky?

[Galatians522]

I'll open at $1,000 USD. That is a lifetime with of work.

[figinyaJ]

$ 25

[akimb0]

I don't know how this works. Can I bid on one specific item or does it have to be a bid for the entire lot? I would really love to get a rooted ficus auriculata, as I have had several cuttings purchased which have all failed Please let me know if this isn't the type of bid and perhaps if that may come available in the future? Thanks!

[epiphyte]

akimb0, welcome to the forum. this particular auction is for the entire lot. not sure if you're aware, but most varieties of auriculata require pollination for their fruit to ripen and be edible. fairchild has a parthenocarpic variety called 'schokman' that xain's world in florida has been propagating to sell. i've tasted this variety and enjoyed it. my variety hasn't fruited yet but i'd bet it isn't parthenocarpic. naturally i plan to try pollinating it with carica pollen.

my future auctions will most likely also be lots aimed at people interested in breeding figs. but if i notice considerable interest in anything specific, like auriculata, then i might auction it individually.

[epiphyte]

the winner is galatians522! congrats and thanks! i'll message you.

[epiphyte]

galatians522, the plants i shipped on tuesday are marked 'out for delivery'. here's my recommended triage...

- the cuttings are on top (shipping label). a couple inches of tape from the bottom should be removed, and the cuttings should be placed in an inch of water in containers (i use the bottom half of single use plastic water bottles) that go into a zip lock bag, thats placed in the fridge.

- the bare root ficus should be potted 1. ficus auriculata 2. ficus coronata 3. male ficus palmata hybrid (in that order). i removed all but 2 of the auriculata leaves, and all of the ficus palmata hybrid leaves.

- all the ficus should be placed outside in a spot with perfectly filtered light, like under a big tree, or under shade cloth. over a period of a week or two most of the ficus should be gradually acclimated to more sun. not sure how much full sun they prefer in florida. a few of the ficus...austrocaledonica, gasparriniana and ischnopoda... prefer more shade than the rest. maybe auriculata as well?

- once the potted ficus are situated, the cuttings can be potted or grafted. i'd recommend grafting the male ficus johannis hybrid because most johannis types do not grow easy from leafless cuttings. but any cutting grafted onto a large rootstock will grow faster than if it was potted. well, it depends on how much of the large rootstock is dedicated to the cutting/scion.

- after a week or so of gradually acclimating the ficus, the hybrids should be potted up to 1 gallon pots. i don't recommend separating them at this point, and would suggest doing so during the subsequent repotting. next the rest of the ficus should be potted up.

here's the list of included non-ficus that is, or was, growing with the ficus...

alpinia oxyphylla pink sensation
catesbaea spinosa x 2
cereus repandus (extra tasty fruit)
eugenia reinwardtiana
jaboticaba
kalanchoe epiphyte hybrid x 7
mangave hybrid x 3
tinantia pringlei
zephyranthes citrina

catesbaea spinosa - spiny edible ornamental that seems to prefer some shade in my conditions.

tinantia pringlei - readily volunteers but i don't mind it

zephyranthes citrina - tiny bulb with a disproportionately large flower. the leaves look nearly identical to grass. i accidentally pulled one up and quickly realized my mistake when i saw the small bulb. volunteers sometimes, but i wish it came up in every pot.

am i forgetting anything? probably. if you have any questions please let me know.