How do I find a “female” fig?

Question

I read your article by Amy Grant called “Tough, Dry Figs: Why Your Ripe Figs Are Dry Inside”. I believe, based on that information, that I have a CAPRIFIG. I have written you about 10 days ago on this subject, but never received a response.

The article says that an “easy fix” for my situation – if I have a CAPRIFIG, which I believe I do – is to “simply plant a female fig near the male fig”. I want to know what this means: will the male fig produce edible fruit the next year? Also, all of my local nurseries say we have self-pollinating figs and they do not know of a female fig. I live in California and there are fig trees all around. I have other fig trees on my property, black mission figs, and I would like to know if I can simply plant several cuttings from my other trees near the CAPRIFIG and that will work? The CAPRIFIG has green fruit, for what it’s worth.

Thank you for your kind assistance.

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Answer 1

The Mission Fig is a self pollinating variety as most fig cultivators that are in home gardens.
Here are a few links for you with more information.

http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C945

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/figs/different-types-of-fig-trees.htm

http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/botanytextbooks/economicbotany/Ficus/

https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/fig.html