Some growers claim that this DK second crop,  exceptionally ripens, providing it's subject to certain sea breezes on the PNW at the correct timing.. Being a San Pedro,  this cultivar should only ripen its 2nd crop when visited by wasps from ripe Profichis in June. For comparison purposes, looked around for pictures of such ripen  DK  figs (second crop) and found DK figs on the following pages :

http://www.planetfig.com/cultivars/fcveng8588.html

https://figuesdumonde.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/desert-king/

http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Desert_King.html
(many breba pictures.. are there any main crop ??)

From the above, only 'planet fig' seems to undoubtedly show a picture identifying it as DK main crop as well as a number of details and characteristics pertaining to this fruit -- size/weight/texture/ colors.. etc.

May I ask those members having experienced successful ripening of this DK main crop to show how their fruit look like..??
...independently of being pollinated by wasps, the thin air or other

My friend Humberto also said his fig (DK main crop from a local tree) got full ripeness without wasps and that it was 'good' and  sweet.. and showed a picture of its insides..

 
  As far as I see it,  this fruit 'seems' to be ripe.. For some genetic behavior of a few San Pedro and Smyrna cultivars some of their second crop even without any wasp influence does get more volume/weight , become soften and changes  color giving the impression that they are ripe.

Francisco
Portugal

Hello Francisco,

I had some maincrops last year from my DK, most of them dropped but few ripened. I can only remember one or two ripened near perfection but still can't I guess.

Cheers
Vinny

Here is my DK First 2 photos DK Breba crop, and last 2 photos is from main crop defiantly can tell the difference, Im Adelaide Australia.
       

This is very strange that DK fig, It changes very much from area to area

Last year, It was warm, It was able ripen some main crop without dropping, No wasp here

 

Thank you all for your kind contribution with  pictures and experience with this cultivar
It is a fact that for proper ripening of the DK main crop one has to subject the fruit to pollination
Otherwise, some (a few?) figs may ripen but the majority will abort.

I believe that FigAlot, from Adelaide shall be able to see his DK main crop figs to ripen in full .. his area is known to have an ideal climate for figs,  and wasp colonies established for a long time.

Other SanPedro varieties like Lampeira Preta won't ripe a single main crop fig unless wasps are present

Francisco

So dk is not a real san pedro but a good bifera fig?!?!?!

В России, NBS, Ялта, при описании некоторых разновидностей инжира используется термин «частичное опыление». Через несколько лет такие сорта приносят плоды, в другие годы плоды осыпаются. При опылении эти сорта регулярно приносят плоды.

Thank you Elin, Vladis,

The book says it is a San Pedro  so we have to accept that.. may be still through some mutation to establish itself as a 100% SPedro... Not much is known about its real origins.. it's known where first it was located and the approx date ( mid XX century)

My personal understanding is that under certain climatic conditions the second crop wakes up a sort of  'parthenocarpic dormant gene' making a few fruit to show  characteristics of a ripe fig.

Partial pollination also happens but that implies that the plant is in a wasp area.. this is rather common with many Smyrna varieties...

Also seen in April/May a few  'brebas' from  Smyrna cultivars showing signs of being ripe.. voluminous/colored etc..but non edible, with dry insides.

3-4 years ago I imported some profichi with wasps and 2 of my DKs had a ripe main crop.  The next 2 summers in a row those two plants also ripened their main crop.  Theoretically there were no wasps and there definitely weren't any profichi (I'm working on that).  I'll try to dig up some pictures.  Right now I'm still in DK breba season.  One of the plants died over the winter. We'll see if the remaining plant ripens its main crop this year.  I hope so because they taste like caramel.

Look at description of Desert king
http://planetfig.com/cultivars/fcveng8588.html
It has a main crop as well.

My question is that, How is main crop taste like?

My DK produces a very generous main crop for its size. Breba and main crop look just like FigALot's photos. I'm blissfully ignorant of DK's supposed need for pollenating wasp.

My tree was taken from a cutting of a neighbor's unpruned huge tree, which produced hundreds if not low thousands of main crop fruit.

We're is you location DeaneG?

>> They also say for main crop.,...''Unfortunately, a mature tree will only produce 10-20 fruits'' ! and I wonder if this is the experience of our forum growers.

Not really sure that how many DK vareities.

My 7 year old DK produces generous main crop as well, Only 20% ripe fig before cold winter in our area.
This year, It has smaller number of Breba and Main crop grows up faster, It looks like that I can get 50% ripen figs this year.
88 year Old lady one block away took all main crop last year, She told me that main crop taste better than Breba which surprise me.

I have 2 other DK from difference source, Both has a many main crop right now.

I am in northern California USA, about 35mi/50km south of San Francisco. Generally Mediterranean-like climate.

My DK main crop has a jam flavor, very sweet and dense.

Thank you  very much for your kind commenting on the DK fig

The reports are great and nice to see this SanPedro ripening in many situations delicious main crop,  top class figs, even without wasp assistance... also it seems to prefer the more humid and fresher environment.

It is apparent that this cultivar either shows a number of slightly different strains or
It's still developing genetically and not yet adjusted entirely to its official definition of a San Pedro type.
(sort of what happens with the Common 'Pastilière' )

My previous experiences with DK did not produce positive results.. two older attempts were complete failures
A very recent test through grafting, gave  robust and healthy whips sporting a nice load of brebas and main crop fruit.
Most brebas fell from branches.. only half a dozen remained.. nice and big but birds got to them first!
The main crop with many figs is growing and was free to accept pollination available in the area..
Will report and show pictures when these figs ripen
Site is very dry,  hot and half a mile from the sea..  ( believe close to '11' on your scales)
Francisco
Portugal

A Nazrathi bsan pedro grown in jerusalem on non irrigated land doesnt give brebas at all and all the main crop riipen with caprification.
Local factors come to play.

Lampeira preta is acting as a real san pedro for me.

Hi figAlot
Don't take it too bad; but those are nice pics of "Dalmatie" figs ...

The partial parthenocarpy of the DK main crop is a very interesting subject. It must have something to do with the plant hormones, I guess. It’s still a mystery what causes some of the figs to ripen without pollination, while all the others drop. Environmental factors like the temperature or humidity should normally have an effect on the entire main crop. So why is it that fruit A drops and fruit B ripens?

I also wonder how many of the main crop could ripen parthenocarpically under “ideal” circumstances? 50% or even 20%, like Ricky mentions, is a lot. If that many main crop figs ripen without pollination, it is questionable if DK should be considered as a true San Pedro.
Ricky, I would be very interested to know more about your growing conditions. Do other DK growers in your area also have that many ripe DK main crop figs?

I’m also very surprised about main crops forming the next 2 years after pollination by the fig wasp. Rcantor, did you also notice any differences on your other main crop figs during these 2 years?

Francisco, I hope you will have more luck next year to taste these DK brebas. On the other hand, you can enjoy the benefits of the fig wasp and taste the main crop figs. According to planetfig.com, they are exceptionally good. Please keep us updated on how the main crop performs for you.

Eli, good to know that the Nazrathi needs enough water to produce brebas. I’m also growing this variety, but I think the same goes for many other figs (and not only San Pedro types). I noticed that my figs need regular watering in order to develop their breba crop. Even in my rainy climate I have to water my potted and inground trees frequently.

Hi Timo

Thanks for commenting and tell of your experience
The reasons for those DK brebas to fall down, may be related to the lack of a minimum amount of irrigation as the region is very dry and the old stubs where the DK chips were grafted just get what comes from the sky. (which is very little)

The stalk/neck arrangement of those fruit do not create sufficiently strong fibers to hold the fruit in place as it progressively gets more weight. This same behavior can be observed on certain Brown Turkey strains growing under similar conditions..

Contrarily, LP brebas growing exactly under similar conditions a few meters away, hold firmly to the branches and if not picked, and the birds do not eat them,.. will dry in place regardless of their heavy weights

Will wait then to see  what the main crop shows in a few weeks.

Francisco

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Gary in CA post in his post
> Desert King is from Madera, Ca. in the 1920's. I live in Northern Ca. and it is a very good fig. A friend has a 50 year old DK, and the breba crop is huge. It produces 3 crops some years, but the breba seems to be the best. I would think in the East, or anywhere with a short season, it might be worth growing for the early crop. Not sure about hardiness, but other members with experience will chime in.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I have seen that before, Desert king produces 3RD crops at October on few branches, Those figs stayed there dried up till spring, very strange.

Do not fool by " Desert" King, It dislikes " Desert" dry weather, Our climate is very wet at spring till May,  " Desert king" take advantage of this, It grows breba quickly to bigger size in one month and stay there, at July/Aug, no rain, Sunny everyday, Desert king take advantage of SUN and warmer cool weather, It ripen/sweet its fig during this condition. Its breba figs are much smaller in dryer climate.
Here are web picture of "Desert king" breba in PNW area. ( From Gary)
 

 

Main crop on branches