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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Breba or main crop?
 
 


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GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
I bought an "Italian Black" on April 27. I planted it and pinched the tips of all growth the next day. On May 8 I noticed tiny figs, there are about 25 of them. Several of them are a little bigger than my thumb and over the weekend they started to show a slightly dark shade on the top side.

Everything I can find on this fig says it is a late crop fig. I saw pics of someone in Louisiana harvesting from an Italian Black in Aug and Sept, but the way it is looking I will harvest these couple of dozen at the end of the month, or early July. Could these be breba? 

(I will post pics as soon as I get back home this weekend)
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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
OttawanZ5

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
If the figs have formed in the arm pit of the leaves (what is it called) then the fruit is the main crop fruit. If these were formed on the bare wood at places where there were leaves last year then these are breba.
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Chivas

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
80-90 days generally from the time they form to harvest, for me black madeira is a later season fig and can take up to 110-120 days to mature.

Also if you have the figs on this years growth (green wood) then they are main crop, if it is on last years growth, it is a breba.
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GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
The branches with figs are hardened. But the problem is, I can't tell if it these branches are "this year's growth" while the tree was in a greenhouse before I bought it, or they are last year's growth. But they are forming in the "arm pits" do I guess that means they are main crop.



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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
[FP989-92] 

Breba form below the leaves (which form on the new growth along with main crop figs).
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GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Thanks everyone, now it is clear that what I am seeing is main crop. But I am still wondering why the main crop on this Italian Black is looking so early? Maybe it will go through a long "pause" phase before ripening?
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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Hi GeneDaniels,
There is a crop referred as intermediate crop.
That happens when a tree had no brebas, and thus does show the maincrop faster - this is the reason why some people pinch all brebas .
I had that one year on my Dalmatie tree1 , and I have this case this year at my "Longue d'aout" and an "unknown BT not".
Curiously, my "Ice crystal" is showing figlets as well ... I'll have to wait to know if IC is unifera or bifera - should be bifera.
For my trees: Here the maincrop does appear in July, so those figlets are not a normal maincrop .
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RichinNJ

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Quote:
Originally Posted by pitangadiego
[FP989-92] 

Breba form below the leaves (which form on the new growth along with main crop figs).


Good info Jon
GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jdsfrance
Here the maincrop does appear in July, so those figlets are not a normal maincrop .


I am still pretty new to fig growing so the cropping is not yet clear to me. I have 5 trees that are about 3 years old, all of them started showing tiny figs in May, soon after I pinched the tips of the young branches. The one that really has me puzzled is this Italian Black. I just bought this tree, it is probably in its third year. I called the originating nursery in Louisiana and they said it made large fall figs. But the first figlets appeared on this tree May 8, so about 30 days ago.The first few are now larger than my thumb, but here is the part I don't understand, they are already getting a slight dark hue to them. I know figs often go through a "pause phase" while ripening, but I cannot imagine that lasting 60 days after the color has started turning?

But as I said, I am still very new to fig culture, I have a lot to learn. Maybe instead of asking questions I just need to wait and see what happens over the next few months. But I am soooo hungry for a fresh fig!
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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
needaclone

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
If this fig was grown in a container in a greenhouse, it could be a couple of months ahead of schedule compared to where it would normally be.
I have had fig trees break dormancy very early this year (and last year, too), and some got significant growth and fig formation (breba and main crop) very early on -- well before it was even warm enough to bring them out of the house here in NJ.  Some woke up in Jan/Feb and were in sunny windows for 4-5 months before I even brought them outside a the very end of May.  (It has been a cold/rainy spring, plus I've had issues with Ambrosia borer beetles, so I've delayed bringing them out.)  I expect (hope) these figs will ripen well before they would have normally if the trees were breaking bud in April/May.
Jim
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GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Here are some pics from my Italian Black that seems to be too early:
DSC05735_sm.JPG 
DSC05736_sm.JPG 
As you can see, they are dark, dark green now and starting to turn purple. Also, you can't see it in these photos but it is starting to open some new  buds so I think I am about to get some more branching. I could end up with a really good crop.

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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
pitangadiego

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Some figs show some color pretty early, such as Violette de Bordeaux. Doesn't mean they are getting ripe.
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GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Thanks, I did not know that.
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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
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