Glad you think so. My father takes good care of them during the winter . i ve been trying to post more...

Herman2: Let me first of all say that i m ignorant of the different varieties and only recently ive found out that there are close to a thousand. It seems normal to me that so many varieties exist exactly because of the different climates around the globe and i totally understand that this fig that grows in athens cannot be grown in a totally different climate , in fact i think its very hard for it to grow in peloponese which is 100 km from athens. I ve stated above that the vasilika i know grows strictly in attika. One big question i ve always had is what will happen if this variety is planted in another area in greece. I guess it is hard to be as pure and healthy  and i believe the soil conditions play a major role here. Now are we trying to find out which figs are called vasilika and which are called "Vasilika syka"? i dont get it-  syka means figs by the way. I just wanted to show what we call vasilika here in Greece where the name was given. Also at some point i came across this table with the varieties and their official names. 2 of the greek varieties were the Vasilika and the Markopoulo black. I dont know what makes a variety have a name thats the same with another, different variety. Is it the cutting one uses to plant the tree ? Things like that , you and other people who try planting varieties know better , as i understand its your hobby and it is very interesting!

More pictures here..

http://s1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd428/Musikologer/

The problem is the one this people have also come from Greece.
Yours is different than the one that goes here as Vasilika Sika.
The one here also is very sweet and do not require pollination,by fig wasp.
Does yours require Pollination,it could,because in Greece the fig wasp is present.
Also yours has red pigmentation when ripe and the real one does not!

Belleclare Nursery Description:

"78. VASILIKA SIKA (Greek, Athens) (King & Queen) (a) large, white, pear-shape blood-red center (2 crops)"

Many problems come from greece nowadays... Polination is required yes. The vasilika at least, for sure. It happens via a very small fly. Of course we help nature to keep the flower on the tree.

You See,The fig you have will not work,in 95 percent of USA Territory,because we have the fig wasp only in Central California and and small pockets in southern California.
While This Vasilika Sika we have do not require pollination.
The fig we have here is extremely sweet and flavorful,+,will not split and sour in the rain.

Looks like my white greek.

I'd boldly suggest that no other "Vasilika" is as good as the the Attica Vasilika that Sotiris speaks of. I had this variety of fig when I went to Greece and I am a believer. Incredible! The BEST fig, by far, I have ever tasted.. Also, another overlooked factor regarding splitting is the pollination by the fig wasp, not just climate. Sometimes "overpollination" (which is not necessarily always a negative thing) can occur because of too much fig wasp traffic... In other words, too many ovules/florets getting pollinated. The inside development/expansion causes the fruit to split. Also causes it to be extremely rich in flavor. : )

i showed my Black Madeira busted open due to too much moisture to one of gents from turkey. on the first look he says "that's what i'm talking about!". i had to explain to him that we don't have fig wasps here and that was not due to overly active fig wasps.

jon's WG is improving nicely here. i don't really remember the leaf shape. need to pay more attention coming yr. 

Hello Andreas!

Welcome to the forum.
I am lampo from Portugal

Read your post and I would like to ask if I may, a question related with several figs appearing on this page... under a title 'FIGS OF PÁRNONAS´  the open figs are spread on a small note book..

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/figs-kiwis-persimmons-and-avocados-take-your-pick-of-national-fruit-tastings-1-180948494/?no-ist

do you recognize these figs ? are they parthenicarpic or Smyrna
Any of these is Vassilika Mellissi ??

Than you

Francisco

hi lampo .
i know the first top fig is fracasana parthenocarpic.
i dont know the names of the others, i am 99% sure they are all parthenocarpic.
i do know that i dont like the taste of the 3rd and that the fracasana is just ok. i can tell you that the 4th is the best in my opinion.
i am sorry i cant help you more, i wish i could.




does this look like any of the ones in your pictures?

------------

Andreas,

Thank you very much for your pictures and descriptions.
Last year I bought the following varieties and may be this season they will give me some fruit  samples

SMYRNAIKA - VASSILIKA MELISSI - KALAMATIANA

I have been trying to get pictures (inside and out) of these 3 cultivars.

Slowly I am getting an idea of what those figs look like

Thank you
Francisco

where in Portugal are you?

KALAMATIANA are great figs. they are the kind people buy dry in the stores.

SMYRNAIKA are good as well.

vasilika melissi is a great choice... now all you need is vasilika mavra and vasilika aspra and you are set for life:-)
if you like i can go to a local nersery and help you get them.

 
best of luck
andreas

Hello Andreas,

I wondered if you were familiar with these greek figs and what your thoughts are on their quality??

Markopoulou
Markopoulou Mavra
Lamvardou Green

I've recently added them to my collection but likely won't see any figs until next year at the earliest.
Tyler

Hi Andreas,

It's very kind of you. Thank you very much.
I live in the south of Portugal near Faro ( old city Ossonoba apparently founded 1500 BC by Phoenicians traders). These guys may have brought in the first figs.
We grow a good deal of varieties of all types, all tempered by Caprifig wasps freely distributing fig pollen all over.
Do you grow figs ? Are you based in Greece ? I am in fact interested in completing the Vassilika family and in this regard I shall send you a PM or email.

Once we live in a free fig community and if you are interested I can send local Portuguese fig scions.
we also have good Common, Smyrna and San Pedro varieties.

cheers
Francisco

hello Tyler
Markopoulou &
Markopoulou Mavra are figs that sellers grow because they ship better than tha vasilika kind.
i am sorry to say that they are good but not as good as vasilika sika
as far as lomvardou goes i know the fig but i can not offer an opinion.
i only had a few and i cant remember.
sorry if i was not helpfull

Tyler i am very happy to hear that you have v. mavra and melissi they are awesome!!!
you should try to find the vasilika aspra at some point... you will not regret it.
i do hope that what you have does not look like the plant that is shown on post number 8
i am sorry to say that that plant is not vasilika sika.

Mine are from cuttings and still young... less than a foot tall but no they do not have that leaf shape. Mine are originally sourced from Giorgos Arvanitis of Greece.

I'll have to keep a look out for V. Aspra :)

Andreas,

Like you, the majority of us in this forum do figs also for fun... and I love to do it.
Now, the wasp---
When you see this name (wasp) in this and other fig related forums, it means the pollinating insect (Blastophaga psenes), the minute creature also referred in many descriptions as the symbiotic fig wasp..
The convenient and easy to pronounce name - wasp - seems to have been universally adopted by botanists, hobbyists and farmers alike.
It is not the 'ugly' and dangerous predator the yellow striped  'hornet', responsible also, apart from stealing the juices oozing from ripe figs, to attack and eat thousands of the inoffensive insects as they exit the Caprifigs.

Francisco

Hello Andreas, I have a Vasilika Sika plant that was killed back to the ground this past winter. It is just starting to come back from the roots.
Would you be able to tell which variety it is from the leaves once it produces some nice leaves?