Hi All-
 
I'm new to this forum, but I recognize a few names from other sites.
 
I would be very interested in compiling a list of cultivars the are known for a large, good, breba crop. I live in Seattle, and the consensus here by many "experts" is that there are very few main crops that can properly ripen here. It's either a good breba crop, or it's useless. Unlike other growers in the country, extreme hardiness is not an issue with me. Figs are at home in our mediterranean - we just lack the long growing season and have low heat units. 
 
I am still testing some of the early main croppers, but I would like to get a better grasp on the breba kings. UCD did a study a few years ago, and their breba list is as follows:

Can't speak for crop size, and I have never had a breba that was worth eating. However, I have had brebas on my very heavily pruned trees from Red Italian (preliminary DNA tests show same as Brunswick in USDA collection), Vashon Island, Green Italian, and KAC-11-30E. There are some others that have not ripened, yet. 276-49 was the first main crop fig to ripen here in 2007 and shows promise of being a good tasting fig, as well.

For PNW, to enjoy figs fully, it is a must to have a greenhouse. I have seen the headstart my friend had on his plants & probably by early Oct heat units can be added to ensure a sweet harvest otherwise they taste bland.

Good initiative Mark.

Hi paully22- does your friend grow breba crop figs, or are you referring to main crop figs ripening in Oct? I have a greenhouse, but use it for trickier fruits.

I believe there must be a big difference in how brebas ripen here in our cool spring than they do in places like CA or locations with high spring heat and humidity. Description of bland and tasteless don't match the quality we get from local trees. Every year we get DELICIOUS brebas from our neighbors King tree and other neighborhood trees that are likely Lattarula, Brunswick, Magnolia and Negronne. Maybe it's because they aren't rushed into ripening? The equivalent of cooking BBQ ribs - a slow roast?!

I have a friend that has been trying to sort out figs up here as well. He has a site with a few pictures:
http://www.geocities.com/kiwibobg/kiwifruitsalad3

His studies have proven very valuable to me and I would like to continue the trials.

pitangadiego - I've always found your photos of 'King' very interesting. In the NW, 'Kings' look a lot more like Ray Givens photos. They never turn yellow. Is this a climatic result, or possibly a different cultivar? Does your King ever produce Main crop figs? They don't even form on our trees.


Unripe King Fig (notice the fig scales)


Desert King Tree


It's interesting that you mention the 'Vashion Island' fig. I've heard that around the turn of the century, there was a fig orchard there. Kiwibob's 'Vashion Violet' came from that area and he believes it's a 'Brunswick'.

Mark
Seattle, WA

You may also look at the following thread at GW that shows "Baud's list of early ripening figs with Breba crop column highlighted as yellow. It has no quantitative data though):

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg1022365116571.html

Mark - My friend have a headstart in his greenhouse for brebas  compared to mine left in the open. By the time his fig were about golf ball size, mine were like peanut size. This particular friend have many varieties & only the selected ones with great main crop taste gets to go to the green house IF needed in Oct. Also, I think if one can achieve an early start,  the main crop could be enjoyed before cooler weather sets in by Oct. Example is my Negronne, I have main crop NOW.

An experiment I did with my Negronne, I had it winterised in the unheated patio room & the 10 days where we had a stretch of nice fig weather(warm), the figs ripen & they taste excellent. Imagine just a stretched of approx 10 days of heat can bring out the sugar content versus my Lattarula, D.King, Stella etc where the lack of heat units made the fruits taste bland. I just pick all remainder fruits & discard. No point wasting the tree energies.

Right now, both myself & friend  are searching for fig varieties that will preferrably ripen main crop early, like D.King. So your thread is relevant as our conditions here probably don't differ too much & I  think we have some yummy varieties that ripen main crop late into Oct & mid Nov. So the greenhouse would be relevant in ensuring more fresh figs before dormancy sets in. So any means to control & facilitate early crop(breba) & late(main) crop would be amazingly satisfactory to satisfy gastory needs.

Fiorone di Ruvo

No Fig is better for Breba than Desert King.
If you look at UCD Chart,Desert King outshine the second place,as 4 to 1.
And I know it is the true in this instance.

Bump
See:
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Gillette-Fig-First-Crop-5868691?pid=1273817080#post1273817080

Add White Adriatic, Narragansett and Lisa.

Jon, do you really not like Desert King?