Early Figs? Harvest a Breba Crop of Figs Mid-Summer
By Steven Biggs
Some Fig Varieties Produce a Breba Crop—an Early Crop
Wondering why some fig trees have ripe fruit mid summer, while other only have ripe figs in the fall?
That’s because some fig tree varieties produce two crops each year:
The “breba” crop grows on wood from the previous year, and it’s the first to ripen
The “main crop” grows on wood from the current year, and it ripens later
Here in Toronto, my breba figs starts to ripen some time in July.
And the main crop figs are usually ready starting in late September.
If you want to know more about breba figs, and how to benefit from this early crop, keep reading.
Breba, Main Crop, or Both…it Depends on the Variety
Some fig varieties produce both breba and main-crop figs (called “biferous” fig varieties)
Some varieties have no breba figs—only main-crop figs (called uniferous” varieties)
Some varieties only give a breba crop in cold climates (there’s a story here…see below about San Pedro figs)
San Pedro Figs
The fig varieties that ripen only a breba crop in cold climates do grow a second, main crop.
But that main crop doesn’t mature.
That’s because the second crop of San Pedro fig varieties requires a pollinator (a little wasp that’s found in warmer, commercial fig-producing regions.)
An example of a San Pedro fig is the variety Desert King (see below.)
Grow a Breba Crop to get Early Figs in Cold Climates
If you're growing figs in a cold climate, you don’t have to wait for main-crop varieties to ripen in late summer.
To get an earlier, mid-summer fig harvest, grow a fig variety that gives a reliable breba crop.
The photo below shows a fig breba crop forming in the spring, before any leaves are out!
Fig breba crop starting to grow even before any leaves have emerged.
Do You Get Cool Summers?
Protect branches from winter dieback to get a good production of breba figs.
Here in Toronto the winters can get cold—but summers are usually hot. So my main-crop figs ripen.
But I still like to have fig varieties that produce a heavy breba crop. Here’s why:
I grow fig varieties with a good breba crop for an early harvest
I grow other varieties for main-crop figs later in the season.
But in areas with cool summers, there might not be enough heat to ripen main-crop figs.
For example, gardeners in the Pacific Northwest rely on varieties with a heavy breba crop because there is not always have enough summer heat to ripen main-crop figs.
Find out how gardeners in areas with cool summers can ripen figs.
Get Your Fig Trees Through Winter—and Harvest Figs
Growing figs where winters are cold takes a bit of creative thinking.
In Fig Camp and the self-paced Fig Masterclass, I explain how to grow figs in pots or in the ground, extend the growing season, ripen more fruit, and protect your trees through winter.
Maximize Breba Fig Yield
Remember Breba Figs as You Prune
Things to think about as you prune for a good breba crop:
Prune back some of the 2-year-old branches when the fig tree is dormant
These 2-year-old branches made breba figs the previous season…and if you leave them they’ll still make breba figs, but now those breba figs will be on the new growth, up high and out of your reach (where the birds can get them!)
Cut these 2-year-old branches back, leaving about an inch of the branch remaining where they meet a larger branch (then there’s a nub of wood from which a replacement will grow for the following year.)
Leave lots of one-year-old branches as these are the ones that will give you breba fruit
Find out more about how to prune a fig tree.
Minimize Dieback of Branches
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In cold areas unprotected branches can die back when exposed to cold temperatures. Plants regrow from the base…but it’s the branches from the previous year that grow the breba figs.
If you want breba figs, minimize winter dieback by moving potted plants indoors, or protecting in-ground plants.
Here are ideas to protect fig trees in winter.
FAQ Fig Breba Crop
What’s a good fig variety for a breba crop?
I’m a big fan of ‘Desert King.’ I grow a large Desert King in the ground here in Toronto. I tip it over and lay it flat to the ground every winter. It’s absolutely prolific.
There are other excellent fig varieties for the breba crop. Find out about more breba figs.
Do breba figs look the same as main-crop figs?
Not always. The breba figs might look very different from the main-crop figs of the same variety. They can differ in:
Colour
Shape
Size
Taste
Keep Growing Figs
Looking for more cold-climate fig-growing ideas? Visit the fig home page to browse articles about varieties, pruning, propagation, ripening, winter protection, and more.
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t
My revised and expanded fig book is a practical guide to growing figs in pots and cold climates—from choosing varieties and pruning to ripening fruit and conquering winter.
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