I have put a similar question following this post :
Brebamania Pix
In these pictures not all figs are brevas , breva is not equal to early fig. My brevas donÂt fall.
My question is for the others figs, because this year as result of a warm winter I have many early figs in not breva fig trees.

Bonsaist, I had the same problem with my container tree growing inside. There were 35 Breba on my tree in January and they all shrivled and fell off. The tree then leafed out, put on new growth and 42 more small figs which were the size of large peas. About 3 weeks ago I noticed some sort of mites had attacked leaving tiny cobwebs. All of the second crop dropped off except for 2 that had grown larger but are discolored. I've since sprayed the plant with soap and water. This seems to have gotten rid of the bugs. I wonder if it produce another crop? Anyone have this experience? Very discourging.

Peg

Well Peg :this is usually what happen if you deprive the tree of the dormancy period,keeping it inside all year arround.
You should experience next year by letting your tree go dormant,for a change.Good Luck with your tree!.

xon2000 -- I don't understand your post -- I looked at the other post but didn't see your question there. How do you distinguish between early figs and brevas?

My understanding has always been that brebas are on last years wood and main crop figs are on this years wood (new growth). The point of Brebamania was to show how, many trees, even with heavy pruning, still want to form brebas. They may not all persist - supposedly some varieties form them, and then they consistently fall off. If I rememeber correctly, the San Pedro types have brebas, but main crop figs require caprification to persist.

Jon:You answered the question:Indeed Main crop figs in order to keep any breba to maturation,neds those breba to be caprified.
An Exception is the two crop figs wich sometimes will keep a few breba,and a main crop,without the need of caprification.
The two crop fig cultivars are not allwayes consistent in keeping the breba crop,every year,but only when the conditions are favorable to do so,and this will answer Xon question.
Hope this will help

Herman, Thanks for the reply. This tree stays outside as soon as weather permits. It did go dormant in the fall, actually late summer. When the nights got down to freezing temps I then moved it to the unheated garage where it was dormant for at least 2 months, maybe a little more.
With the warm late fall it broke dormancy. What with rains and storms I had no choice but to move it inside. I can hardly wait until it is warm enough and "DRY" enough to
move it out out on the deck. I'm just hoping it will put out another crop.

A couple of weeks ago my LSU Gold had 100+ breba figs.
We had about 3/4" or rain here yesterday and I was out looking around this morning to find that about 90% of the breba's have dropped off.
We've not had rain in a while, but it's not really been dry enough to cause it I don't believe. Our rain was not a hard rain, but gentle, and shouldn't have knocked them off.
Any idea to a particular cause, or is that just the way it goes?

I donÂt know about the LSU gold.
Usually , in normal weather conditions , a part of brevaÂs figs, they will drop off.
A fertilizer excess or a temperature diminution it could to induce this effect.
IÂm trying to use the giberelic acid at LAIKUAJ ( AG3 3,6% ) used at 0,04% ,to know their effect over brevas and early figs.

Well Glenn,I think that this is just the way it goes.
BUT:Chier,Up,This mean that your main crop will be growing ,and maturing,earlier,and you will have a ,multitude of main crop,wich is higher quality figs.!!!

Hi everyone; I may be showing my ignorance, but aren't the breba figs of poor quality? Shouldn't they just be picked off? I'm was new to growing figs starting last year so please be patient with me.

Thanks.

Nathan

That is a complex question. Some varieties only have brebas, so you better not remove them or you will get no figs. Some do not have brebas, so it is a moot point. Some places have short growing season, so it is brebas or nothing. Having said that, the brebas I have had have not been exciting. That is why I am not too concerned about pruning my trees heavily (and probably not getting any brebas).

One other situation, is that ,LSU Gold need CAPRIFICATION,to keep BREBA crop.
A lot of cultivar act like this,but if they are in Central Ca. Where Caprification is possible,then they will Maturate the breba crop just fine.Hope this will help

For that matter, some varieties (San Pedro types) set brebas, but the main crop need caprification to persist. The ultimate point was that I haven't tasted any brebas that were worth the bother, but there are reasons for having or being interested in brebas, for some people. You can't make a blanket, one-size-fits-all statement about brebas.

Hello from France.
The problem of brebas falling off at an early stage can come from different reasons:
- The type of the fig tree
- The fertiliser you are using
- The type of soil your fig tree is growing in.
- A frost
According to Pierre Baud only a few fig trees will do well in a pot.Only small ones will do (Dalmatie, early lemon, negronne and pastilliere for example).The best one to grow in a pot is definitly Pastilliere (rouge de Bordeau)
Pastilliere is a beautifull but weird tree because, in spring, it grows a lot of brebas but they all fall off at an early stage which makes this tree a one crop tree (unifere). At the beginning of august in the south of France, you'll eat your figs.
- The type of fertiliser is also very important.If you use (like I did when I started) a common fruit tree fertiliser your fig tree will grow branches and leaves and the fruits will fall off. You must use a N-P-K fertiliser of 10-10-20 or close.In France we have "osmocote" ferilisers (slow ones) especialy made for citrus trees or tomatoes (N-P-K 9-11-18). That will do fine.
- The type of soil is a difficult matter because it must be drainy and keep the water at the same time.I use citrus fruits soil that I find , ready to use, in every nurseries.
And of course a frost will kill the brebas.
Ok that should help you a little bit (i hope)
Marc

Marc, I agree the reasons the falling off and I think there are others reasons too.
According my experience , all fig-trees can grow in pot with good succes for same cases better than ground.
You can control better a potting fig-tree and to obtain an important harvest with impressive quality.

Xon

Yes, all fig trees can grow in pots, but only small ones will be able to live up to 20 years in their pots. Pastiliere (hirta, rouge de Bordeaux) being a small tree makes it perfect for the job. It is unifere (no brebas, so no late spring frosts problems and no "biferes" enoying triming), parthenocarpic (ripens without pollination),the fruits are very good and the thick leaves smell extremly good (you have that fig tree odour around you).Dalmatie will also do fine. Big trees like grey of saint Jean (I am not crazy about brebas but these are really amazing) or Coll de Senyora negra (collar of black lady) will not live more than a few years in pots (accordind to pierre Baud - The fig tree step by step : http://www.fig-baud.com/ouvragefigues.html).
But I am sure you still can have fun with many different kind of fig trees grown in pots and if you have good results share with us your success. What kind of soil are you using, what kind of fig trees do you grow, what kind of fertilisers? and don't forget the pictures!
Take care
Marc

Here is a link that might be useful: Pierre Baud - The Fig Tree Step By Step

I have a Coll de Dama Negra, that is called Coll de Senyora negra in Roussillon or Col de Dame in France and It is potted since 15 years. I have too this figs in my father-in-law fieldÂs
I donÂt have special predilection for any kind of soil. The only condition is to have good level of aeration , good drainage and uniform moisture.
IÂm using automatic watering to maintain the appropriate level of humidity into the soil. Never I let the soil dried.
IÂm using chemical fertilizers with different recipes depending of the season and the level of growing.
IÂm building my own web to share my information but depending of the theme I think there are people with more knowledge in this forum, where IÂm learning a lot.
Catalan Web

French Web

English Web

Hello Marc from France and Xon from Barcelona, your observations were very interesting and I'm jealous of your proximity to a more fig friendly climate. You mentioned several varieties that I didn't even know existed. Do you know if they are available in the US? Each of my figs are in 25 gallon (95 liter, 3.3 cu ft) containers in a mixture of equal parts fir bark, coconut husk chips(CHC)and calcined clay (Turface MVP) along with dolomite, Osmocote and micronutrients. They seem to do well in this fast draining, well-aerated yet water retaining mix. I know of one fig lover who grows them in straight CHC which the citrus folks use sometmes but I'm getting off point. Does anyone know if the brebas on Chicago hardy, Celeste and Violete de Bordeaux are worth saving at all or are they just nice decorations?
Thanks, Nathan

xon, the pictures on your website, made me so hungry for figs.
I wanted to ask you and Marc, is Rouge de bordeaux the same as Violette de bordeaux? one is red and the other is purple, or are they the same?

Bass

Actually Xon is the lucky one; I live 50 miles south of Paris and this is not a fig friendly climate! We have long winters and short summers; for example, last year, the last frost happened in late may, we had a short spring in june, a heavy heat wave in July, a cold and rainy august and an average fall.For information, I have a "grise de Saint Jean" planted in my yard (very protected by high walls), well the leaves have not appeared yet, just tiny brebas the size of peas! That's why I recommended Pastiliere to grow in pots in cold ereas, because as it doesn't have brebas you don't have to put it back inside everytime the temperature drops (very ennoying, especially if the pots are heavy)! Weird thing; this year we had almost no winter, only a few nights of very slight frosts (global warming?)
Xon, nice to know that "col de dame" is doing fine in pots,although unfortunatly impossible for me, the col de dame being a late fig in the season, there 's no possibilities for me to grow one in my region.I must be a month and a halph late compare to you, I have to chose early ones. A Shame because col de dame is one of my favorites. But I am working on moving down south (if anyone is interested in buying an old farm from the seventeen century . . . . ?)
For Nathanr and Bonsaist; the soil you are using seems to be just fine. Rouge de Bordeaux is also known as Pastiliere or Herta and violette de Bordeaux is Negronne. Two great varieties in cold areas. Go to the Encanto farm web site (link bellow) you'll find what you are looking for.
Take care

Marc

Here is a link that might be useful: Encanto farm /Figs4 fun

Sorry Bass for interfering.

The main difference between Pastiliere and Negronne is the number of crops. Pastiliere bears no Brebas, only a main crop, whereas Negronne bears two crops.

Xon, I really enjoyed your website. What an mpressive collection! Marc, at your suggestion I'm looking forward to trying a Rouge de Bordeaux. So is there any consensus among you all as to whether I should pick the brebas off of my Celeste, Negronne and Chicago Hardy if I'm most interested in producing high quality fruit?
Nathan

Nathan , I donÂt know. This is my first year with Rouge de Bourdeaux that I bought the past year in France, I would like to taste their figs this year.
Also I rooted with success Hardy Chicago and Negronne , often , I taste the fruits first year I hope that It happen too.
I donÂt have Celeste and I prefer to advice with my personal opinion about the quality taste of these figs, be wrong or not.
I remember time ago that a Germany friend came to my field and I gave a flavored and mature peach to taste to him. He said to me that He preferred the green peaches.
It was not understandable for me , now I accept that. I prefer describe the taste in each state of fruit.
Thanks for your favorable opinion and if you think that there is something to improve, please let me know too.

Celeste should not have have a Breba crop. I've not removed a Breba crop from a tree early before, so I don't speak with any authority on the subject. I would not have assumed removal of the Breba crop would accelerate the growth of the main crop, nor would I have assumed removal of the Breba crop would impact the flavor of the main crop. It does not seem the same to me as thinning an overloaded fruit tree.

~james

Look Nathan,Here is what i will do:
I will let the breba crop Get well Ripe,Then I will Taste a handfull of them.
If they are tasteless,then I will brake down the rest of them ,in the hope to make the maine crop get ripe sooner.
Lastly I will taste the Main crop when well ripe,see the difference and make a choise to remove ibreba or not ,next year.
Some cultivars have very good tasting breba and most of them have tasteless,one.
Most cultivars have better tasting main crop.
If none of the crop is good tasting,most than likely the cultivar is not suited to your climatic condition.Hope this will help

I agree with Herman2, Although, as I said earlier, Grises de St Jean (look for Saint Jean on the Encanto farm web site or check the "new fig book" topic and go to the bottom of the page) taste really good.I don't kow if you can get this one in the States, but it's worth looking for anyway! Enjoy the rouge de bordeaux; you won't have the breba dilemna and,in France it is the first one to start its main crop (early august in the south, early september in the north).Don't be surprised if you see a lot of brebas appearing on the Rouge de B.in the spring, it's normal they will all fall off at an early stage.Have fun

Thank you everyone for your very informed advice. Xon, I know you are correct about the subjectivity of human taste. My girl friend loves kumquats and I hate them. Herman and James, I'll take your advice and just leave the brebas and see what happens. James, which varieties do you know of with good breba flavor? Marc, I look forward to trying the varieties you mentioned. We'll see if French figs can learn to live in Wisconsin.
Nathan