Marseilles black vs,makes smaller Breba fig,compared to Main crop here.
This is the only cultivar I know to do that,all other have larger Breba.
Breba is Just as tasty as main crop,if not better.
I would like to know how it does in your climate in respect to Breba fruits?

My trees are 4'-5' tall this year, but have no fruit except 1 main crop bud starting on the larger one.  I expect more fruit next year.

Just started cuttings this year in San Diego I'll keep you posted on how they do here.

Well thanks to a very nice Member....I now have a Blk. Marseilles VS

Hi Herman.  We can't report on the brebas until next Spring, but here is a status report on our MBVS trees so far here in Zone 7b:

We started our MBVS trees from cuttings last Spring.

They over wintered in ground and there was zero die-back on all of the MBVS trees even though we had a hard winter (by zone 7 standards) with lots of snow.

This year the trees (we have several) are 4 to 5 feet tall and loaded with figs (still green but about the size of quarters in diameter).

They are very healthy, growing strong, and there is absolutely no sign of FMV.

They should begin ripening soon.

This fig will be a real winnner I am sure.

Best wishes to all.

John

North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Herman, do you have any idea of the year that Warren took cuttings from the Marseilles Black VS, American mother tree, in Maryland?

Robert:Warren took cuttings from The old mother tree,in 2002,the same year he sent me cuttings.
He traded cuttings from the old lady against my Hardy chicago.
He did not have a tree in 2002,but he went by the description the old lady gave him.
He had a bunch of cuttings from the old tree so he traded some.
That is how I got my tree.

I have a question about this tree--not related to the fruit, sorry. Is this fig also known as Maryland Berry, or is that something else?

Jon Verdick knows better the answer to this one ,because he named this one.

I'm starting to wonder if perhaps Warren initially thought Marseilles Black VS, was a Brown Turkey because at the time, the only figs thought to be able to take temperatures down to minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit, were the English Brown Turkeys???

Bob Warren Turner told me the lady was local,there in Columbia Maryland.
He went and cut the cuttings himself.

just wondering if Marseilles black Marseilles black VS is the same as Marseilles black?\

Thanks
Grant
z5b

Do You Have a Marseilles Black to compare with?
You will be the first to have one ,because nobody else came forward not even from France.
The Louisiana Departament of Agriculture was growing it in the begining of 20th Century,and it was trialed at Maryland Departament of Agriculture .
In both places it was the most precocious cultivar in their trial,but the size of fruits was not enough big to be selected for Comercial production.

I am sure it was given to be trialed in Different Orchard trough the south.
I am sure it is in cultivation right now in many orchard most of the time under the Southeastern Brown Turkey,or as no name fig.
Of course is not Brown Turkey but because is different than Celeste and larger fruits ,people think it must be a "Turkey fig"(in popular Term)

No I do not have both for comparison.
Actually I have neither,
But I have read so many good things about the Marseilles black vs  and have seen Marseilles black (without the VS) for sale at  brugmansia-quebec.com.
and so am wondering if they are the same fig.

Grant
z5b

Well here is another fact:This year my 9 year old tree has about 500 or more figs ,each one will be 30-40 grams when ripe.
No cold protection last winter(0*F),no Damage,also.
It could have more fruits but I pruned it to 4 foot tall so it will grow to 7 foot by November.
Get ripe fruits from beginning of August (not counting a few breba in July)and continue with main crop till after frost in November.
Get sweet ripe fruits even after leaf fall.

Herman, how would you compare marseilles black vs with Gino's as far as size/flavor/breba/cold hardiness etc?  

Wow.. Herman.
Sounds like Marseilles black vs  is a must have fig for northern growers.

Grant
Z5b

I only got one Breba this season and was quite small compared to main crop but the squirls had already sunk their teeth on one spot and I believe made that fool the Breba into thinking it was ripe. I was a bit hesitant to taste it because it looked spoiled. So I only ate the top half not very sweet but had a nice flavour and I will leave a few breba next season to try again I have no doubt this is a great fig.





 

EJP:I put it this way:Gino,is one notch up in Taste,but one notch down in productivity.

I ate a breba fig in july from a marseilles vs tree I had purchased from Herman last year on ebay and it was very sweet I'm waiting for the main crop to ripen.  Wow I never really realized how cold hardy this cultivar is that is good to know since I live in the northeast in freezing connecticut!!

Will,

Is your Marseilles VS in ground or in a pot?  How cold would you say it got at your location last winter?

I have two M VS that I bought last year, in pots.  I live in Vermont, and I'm not willing to plant them in ground here.  Although if I get enough plants started from cuttings, I may try one or two in ground with protection. 

They're nice plants, and one of them has a few figs this year.  Both are showing some new green growth, and I may take some cuttings in fall.  No breba fruit this year.  The only breba I had was on a VdB.

Mine is in a pot I would have planted it in ground if I had known gow cold hardy it was.

 Andrew I had the plant in my garage that dosent have any heat and all my fig trees seemed to do ok. I would say it gets down into the 20's here where I am along the shore in Ct. not quite as cold as vermont that's for sure.

Thanks Will.  I keep my trees in my cold cellar once they go dormant in October.  That cellar stays between 35-40 deg F.  One day I'll try planting in ground as an experiment.