Main and Briba Figs Come from Different Locations on the Same Branch

Q. You said the main crop of figs is the second crop of figs. But on my Black Mission fig, the first crop has large fruit, and the second crop, although much more plentiful, has fruit that is about 1/3 the size. Both are delicious.

Fruit size has more to do with the distribution of "food" for fruit growth and the number of fruit it is divided into.

A. The size of the fruit has more to do with the total number of fruit growing on the tree; the fewer fruit on the tree, the larger each individual fruit becomes. The term “main crop” has more to do with where on the tree the fruit originates.

Picture showing both Briba and Main crop figs coming on at the same time but at two different locations on the same stem.

            Fruit from figs comes first from stems that grew last year as well as a second crop on this year’s stems. “Main crop” figs are only produced on stems that grew this year. The early or first figs, called the “Briba crop”, come from stems that grew the previous year.

            Some people claim that “Main crop” figs taste better than the Briba crop figs. I have never tasted any difference between the two. But generally smaller figs have more flavor than the larger figs and there is a difference in taste between different varieties of figs.