OK. What varieties have brebas. I am going to post the ones that are "sprouting" brebas currently (about 75 when I get the full list done). Hopefully everyone else can add theirs to the thread.

This does NOT mean that they will persist, that they will ripen or that they will be worth eating, only that the plant/variety has demonstrated the ability to form a breba crop for the 2009 season. Some have never done that before, such as Celeste, so that may be an indication of a response to weather, early fertilization, maturity of the tree, or whatever.

Perhaps this will help someone for whom the breba crop is the important and/or only crop.

F = Few brebas formed, M = Many, T = brebas formed only at the tip, B = formed along the branch, and E = Early, meaning they are at least 1/2 to 3/4" in diameter already and there is significant leaf flush and twig formation as well. P1 = Persistent as of 04/11/2009 NP1 = Will not persist 04/11/209

Also undestand that I prune my trees very extensively, so some that might have brebas will not express that, and others that look to have few, might have had more if they had not been so pruned.

Arab Market M B E P1
Atreano OR M B P1
Barnisotte M B
Bifara F B P1
Black Madeira F B
Blue Celeste 3 M T/B P1
Blue Celeste 4 M T/B P1
Blue Celeste JN F T P1
Brn Turkey PM T TB
Brunswick F B
Capelas F T
Celeste JN M T/B P1
Celeste PM F T P1 add 4/09
Celeste SD06 F T P1 add 4/09
Chris' Purple M B
Danny's Delite F T/BExcel F B P1
Dark Sultane F T P1 add 4/09
Duphine F B P1 add 4/09
Desert King RT F B P1 add 4/09
Excel F T P1 add 4/09
Fiorone d Ruvo F T E
Galbun F B P1
Giant Amber M T/B
Gulbun F T
Hunt F B
Igo F T
Johnnes M B
K-7-11 F T E P1
KAC-11-7w F T
KAC-11-30E M T P1
Kadota O7 F B
Kennedy M T P1
King 6 M T P1
Lemon F B P1 add 4/09
Little Red F B
Lyndhurst Wht F T
Madeleine d Deux M B E P1
Monstrueuse 4 M B E P1
Nardine F T
Nazarti M T/B P1
Nativ d Argetile F B P1
Negronne F B P1 add 4/09
Norman's Yellow F B P1 add 4/09
NSA No1 Green F T/B E NP1
Nuhurskii M B P1 add 4/09
Osborn F T P1 add 4/09
Peter's Strawby F T
Portland 3 M B E P1
Rattlesnake Is F T
Ruby 3 F B
Santa Cruz Wht M B E
Sicilaia Bifara 64 F
Stanford M T E P1
Strawberry Verte F B P1
T-30E M B P1
Ta Cenc GM4 M T/B P1
Tex Everbrg3 F T P1
Trojano 5 F T P1
Unknown Pastil F T P1
Vashon Is F T
Very Dark Grk F T P1
Viol d Bord EL F T P1
Vista F T P1
Walker M T P1
White Adriatic M B P1
White Greek F T
White Kadota F T P1 add 4/09
White King 4 F B
White King S6 M B P1
Yellow Neches F T
135-4s F T
184-15 F T
342-1 F T E P1


 

Great thread Jon. And timely as I have been thinking about breba crop now that my collection has expanded some. Look forward your first listing.

It may be a fair guess that figlets appearing during rooting process of cuttings indicate that the variety is a good candidate for brebas (with the same caveat that the breba may or may not hang on to mature).
I was rooting a Kadota cutting with 12 nodes and it was much slower than other cuttings in rooting and then I noticed that almost all (11 or 12) of the 12 nodes had tiny figlets (12-tuplets!).

Ottowan,

>>>It may be a fair guess that figlets appearing during rooting process
>>>of cuttings indicate that the variety is a good candidate for brebas.
Funny, I have been noticing/noting the same exact thing with my newly acquired fig twigs (breba/1-2-crops).

My question: Which fig does NOT produce any breba at all? Up to now,
I thought it was the Celeste, but Jon just proofed it otherwise.

Here is a research presentation from UC Davis:
          http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/391-301.pdf
There is info about breba figs around pages 8-11.

I got about 30-40 breba figs from a second year Desert King fig tree last year.

My Desert King grew too fast last year (about 8-10 feet).

Wish the info is useful for this community

I'm with gorgi, I have never seen breabs on Celeste, but clearly have them this year on multiple plants.

So are enviornmental factors a part of whether brebas are formed? Could various varieties be induced to have a breba crop? Figs just get more interesting with each passing year.

Jon, my celeste does not have brebas. Could it be that the fig was started as a main crop but too small to get started when the tree went into dormancy?

I suppose,  but that could be said of any fig forming on last years growth, including brebas. Does that make all brebas really hold over main crop figs?

My trees definitely come to the end of the season and do not set additional fruit, but are not dormant for 2-3 months after last fruit has been picked.

I have never seen this on Celestes before, but no mistaking it this season.

I have two Celeste's from different sources, both have a couple Brebas
on them.
 
Jon one of them is the one I sent you the cuttings from.
 
I think it has a lot to do with the locatation (just my SWAG)
 
we can't wait for Spring to get here, it is knocking right now.
 
And yes Jon, I know, it is already in S.D. :-)

I think that main crops can be held over from last year. I just got a different vasilika originating from Greece called Vasilika Markopoulu and it came on a dormant tree. Now that the tree has woken up the tiny fig initial that was there is now about a pea size.

Just to clarify, the tiny fig initial was indeed a fig, but now it just picked up from where it left last year.

 My two cents.

If I remember correctly from an old thread, breba and held-over main crop (if there is such thing) can be identified by the location of the fruit. The thread I mentioned indicated that brebas are formed below the leaf mark on last year wood. This should help identify.

On some of my large tree's what i have observed on the bud tips that are not cut off before storing for winter the breba forms right below it as the buds turn back to green from brown from storage. Then as new growth occurs the late season figs form right above the new leafs. I will try to take pictures if that helps as this should occur in near future with some of my elder trees . I mentioned before i just knock them off and did not really pay much attention to which type of my trees they actually grow on but now my curiosity is perked. I dont remember when leafs form if i get any breba at those points mentioned but i can say they do form right below the new buds starting to form, i'll find out and post. Also i never get any late season to carry on to the new season that i have noticed in my zone it seems once tree is spent of figs in fall thats it, but thats my cold zone.

Here is a Pix of my Celeste with a few Breba figs on it.
I will post pix of this tree later in the season.....Spring has sprung around here :-)

Found a non-tip breba on Black Madeira, today. Haven't seen that before. So I am back to wondering how much of breba production is influenced by weather/environment?...

Jon, to your list I can add my Flanders and Panache.  My Jurupa only has one breba fig on it and I was thinking it had more last year, but maybe I remembered wrong.  The Black Mission NL I got from you last June also has some but they appear to be aborting, though that might be due to the fact that I just took it out of the pot and finally planted it two weeks ago.

Edit 4/4/2014: The Panache dropped off eventually although some held on until June or so.

This is stick i cut March 27 at the time this breaba was very small i just left it alone, i just stuck in soil for the heck of it and now i suppose energy from stick is making it grow. Im just leaving it for the heck of it, it roots fine it does not fine. This is from tree that stuck me good in neck when i root pruned it past winter and at dinner table embarassed me when family asked "what the heck happened to you"
Mother tree italian unknown from Bologna Italy 3 seasons old, it has been a bit of a problem tree as it dropped all figs last year but 1 that made it and was eaten. Tree was root pruned and have better hopes for it this year or else.

I like your choice of background.

Breba observations updated 04/11/2009. Did not check all the plants, yet.

Jon,

Have you observed any Breba on Marseilles White? I have a Celeste and Marseilles that I bought from EL last year. Both are in pots and still in winter storage. On both, the tips are greening and about ready to open and I see what I believe to be breba on both. I'll know more in a week or so as they get a little bigger.

Negative.

Based upon the shape (rounded apex) and position of the buds, am I correct that these are breba?

Steve,
yes .

Thanks for confirming Martin. So add Celeste (already there) and Marseilles White to the breba list.

Ill post my varieties and which have brebas this weekend.  I dont have time at the moment.

My Patrick's Super Giant  (3 yr old in ground) has  a few brebas along one stem about the size of a playing marble on 4/16/09