Hi Leon,

That is one Beautiful tree, The one I have has not grown 2"
all this year? Maybe next year it will get started growing.

And the pictures are Beautiful (as usual)
Thanks for posting the pictures.

Best regards

Cecil

Leon, would you consider your Marseillies VS as BT like some are suggesting. My Marseillies VS is 2nd year & I agree it is a productive tree. Brebas fell off but have more than 20 well formed main crop figs. Sourced from Jon.

Hi Paully. This fig is not BT. It sure closely resembles Hardy Chicago but it is not HC either. The size, the neck, the leaves, and the taste are totally different. It is a variety of it's own. It has a berry-like flavor that lingers on the palate. This morning I picked three more. There are so many figs on the tree, in different stages, that it will be interesting to see how long the season will extend with fig production from this tree. The new growth on the distal branches has new figlets continuously forming.

Hi Leon:Fig Jam Time is in the works for you,I have no doubt.
And what is good is that you make the fig Jam out of this using only a third of the sugar that is prescribed in most fig Jam receipe.
Also do not use any starc,or other strange ingredients.
Find a recepe that uses only Figs lemon juice and sugar(a little).
I made 30 8 ounces jars last year the worse for figs here.
This year mine are loaded too, despite being left unprotected,trough the worse winter we had.
Cecil:I do not see but only one reason,your fig do not grow.
I suspect excesive heat.
If I was you I will try to replant it in a more sheltered ,and shaded area,next Spring.
I had one of these figs planted next to the Gutter spouts,and it did not like it.
In fact it will not ripe the fruits,only very late.
So I gave it away to GM Nefew because it was not performing,and I had no other spots to plant it.
I have enough of them (4).
Yet when in the right spot,they do perform.
As Being Brown Turkey,That is not the case.
There are also very good and flavorfull Brown Turkey,but one has to find them,in the multitude of different specimen,that are sold as Brown Turkey.
Best Regards to all.

Thanks Herman,

I might try that like you said next spring!

I have a semi shaded back yard (facing north) but from what I have read the tree is pretty cold tolerant!

Best regards
Cecil

Leon,
first thanks for shareing the pictures. My first thought was wow thats similar leaves to my hardy chicago but like you said it is what it is. I once had chance to get one but passed on it at the time and i keep it in my thoughts as this tree sounds like a very good tree for my area. But no room for now but one day i have some room i think if one of mine turn out not to my likeing.
Herman maybe next year i try making jam i have tried it from another forum member and i really like it, i just have to stop eating so many figs its hard to do but as my small plants bear the fruit next season or to i will not have a choice!

Herman:
Thank you for the jam advice.
Also, thank you for introducing Marseilles VS to alot of us. It is a unique fig and one that holds promise for cold climate zones.
I share Cecil's frustration with his hot climate. My small potted figs will break bud, but in this dry heat, the young leaves that form will curl up and fall off. So, I pretty much keep my real young plants in the shade with some early morning sun and they do real well.

I have an MB I started from a cutting in Jan. this year, compliments of Georgi. It is 12 inches high and has 8 figs. It is supposed to warm up a bit here on Sunday so I'm hoping that at least a few of them will ripen. Yours are beautiful, Leon. I'm anxious to taste one.

Peg

Peg You will taste a ripe one this year.
That is what is good about it:
If I had to have ibn front of me 2 ripe figs:
a Black Ischia
a Marseilles vs black
Of course I will eat Black Ischia first,because it is a notch better tasting,not much,just a little better.
But!!!!!!!,I have a black Ischia six years old,and I only had 5 ripe figs out of it ,wich is less,Than:
Marseilles vs black had the very first year when planted from cuttings.
And so in this last six years I had about 600 total,ripe figs out of Black Marseilles vs.
Wich makes it 100 times more productive and easy to grow.
This Cultivar is a,friendly plant that wants to please,and deliver year after year.
Mean while I am still experimenting,with exotic cultivars,but because they are not my base,but only something I am experimenting with.
That is peace of mind now.
I did have a lot of frustrations when I first started growing figs in this location.
Not even my father tree wich I knew was good did performed.
It was watery here because the much more water in the soil.
And the new aquisitions from some , major nurseries,and large stores,were also ,eather insipid,minuscule,or souring,or both.
Now I do Have a few good figs,and am pleased.
Happy Gardening
H2

Herman2, thanks for the encourgement. So far this has been the year without a Summer. July set all kinds of records for BAD weather. All the breba, except for 6 figs dropped. My trees are loaded with the main crop but the question is, will they ripen before frost and if they do what will they taste like. Yesterday was a beautiful day for Humans. No rain! Temps in the high 50's in the morning and evening and low 70's during the day and a light breeze. But for figs it has been just too wet and cold for too long. I have two young trees that actually look like they are starting to go dormant!
The MB is hanging in there. All I can do is hope that the weather will cooperate and let these figs ripen and taste good.

I'm glad to hear you have such a bountiful crop of figs to enjoy.

Peg

Peg :Leave only 5 figs.
Remove the 3 most recently formed.Remove any other small embryos,that might form from now on,to frost.
The tree will direct all energy to mature this 5 figs,faster,if you do.
At this size 5 figs will be about how much it can handle.
Do not worry,it will not drop any,in fact trying to brake one off is not easy,because it hold strong,to the plant,and do not want to let it go.
At least that is how mine performs.
Best Regards
H2

Herman,
Thanks for the advise. I planned to post pictures tomorrow after I get some computer help.(I have pictures every where on my computer, LOL) This may not happen as severe thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow afternoon when help is supposed to arrive.

Peg

I receives a BM from Herman back in October 2006. It has been in the ground through two winters now and has preformed very well for me the last two years. It is one of the tallest fig trees that I have planted in the grown which number fifty two as of last count. Last winter I cut it back to about five feet tall and this summer it has grown to about eight feet tall. My biggest problem with this fig tree is I pick the fruit too soon and do not get the flavor I ought to be getting.

We have had over 100 degree weather this summer and this fig tree shows no sign of stress. I do water it from time to time and as with all my in ground figs I keep it well mulched.

Vern

I keep reading about this type of fig. I might have to see after this winter if i actually have room to store another plant as from the posting over the last season or so this plant is exceptional for the northeast and if its good there it should easily do good here in a container with the rest. Leon Edmond did me in when he said a Berry like flavor that lingers on the palate, as it sounds like this plant is not just another sweet like fig perhaps a little more character, which really caught my interest. Im glad for you gentleman and perhaps ladies on the forum that this type of plant does so well.
Herman i hear you started out introducing this plant if im correct thats just fantastic thing you did for everyone.You should be very proud for all the hard work trialing it.
Best Health
Martin

Yes Martin:Warren Turner from Columbia Maryland had it first,as a find ,cutting from an old tree growing There from 1943.
As for the name,The old Italian lady had 2 one next to the other,and she called them,One,is a Turkey and the other is Marseilles.
It turned out both are the same cultivar,and Is not a Brown Turkey.
The old ,over 70 yrs,lady was not the original ,who planted them,because it was her Father,so she did not have any other details,to the exact origine and name.
Only that he planted them after he returned from Europe,in the war time.
I do not detect the taste as well as Dr Leon,but one should also note that the Climate is much better for figs in New Mexico,compared to here in New Jersey,so I suspect,better Flavor there than here.
Yet is enough good tasting for me,wich I tell you,I am not easy to please.
Best Regards

Vern:I sugest you do not water this fig anymore unless there is a very serious drought.
The flavor is not there especially when fig watered too much from rain,or otherwise by people.
In fact you might be able to control the excesive growth too,if you stop watering all toghether.
Only add limestone if the soil is acidic,that is all you need to do to get flavorfull figs,on this one.
Fig trees (Healthy),like this one needs to be watered only in the first year of life,outside Fresno Ca,and other very dry climates.
Figs with havy mosaic symptom,need all kind of care but I wouldn't sugest anything,because if I do ,it might hurt instead to help,and it will be blamed on me.
I also killed ill figs,no matter how much I cared for them(Water,compost, etc.
Hope this will help.
H2

I want to mention that ,advice about not watering anymore is intended only for in ground figs.
Potted figs should be watered as needed.
H2

Thanks Herman for the watering advise for my BM fig.

I have read a lot of information on your BM fig, but have not read much about your MD Brown Turkey. To me this purple fig has a much better flavor than the BM. Maybe because it has the name Brown turkey that people shy away from it.

Vern

Vern:I arrived at the conclusion,that they are the same fig,same cultivar.
May be your planting position,is in different spots in the yard,resulting in Different Quality of the fruits.?

Herman, my MD Brown Turkey and BM are in different areas of the yard. My MD Brown Turkey has not grown as big as the BM. I had never thought of them being the same. I will take a closer look at them later today.

Vern