I have a celeste fig tree that produced loads of figs last year. This year the tree is again producing lots of figs, but none of them are ripening. They turn from green to a whitish green and fall to the ground. I applied chelated iron just before they started fruiting and I fertilize once every two months with 8-3-9. Anyone have any suggestions/comments as to what is wrong? 

Supermario welcome to the site.
what zone are you in??
are you sure it is a celeste fig??
How old is the tree and is in ground or a container??
There are others here that know more than I do and I am sure we can figure out the problem...

Thanks for the quick reply.

I am in zone 10-11 in south Florida.

Yes, I am sure it is celeste.

The tree is in ground and I planted it about a year and a half ago. It was about 2 ft tall at the time and is now just under 5ft tall.

Hope that helps

Of all the figs I have grown, the most to do what you are saying have been various strains of celeste.  I know there are great celeste strains out there but out of quite a few I had only one keep its fruit.  But the fruits were so small I got rid of it anyway.  I hope someone can help you out but there are just a lot of inferior celeste strains out there   

I think I have a celeste tree but not sure.  The figs on my tree are holding well but are still green and not yet ripe.

Last year, my tree ripened plenty of figs. The figs were the size I expected, a wee bit smaller than a golf ball. They ripened to a purple color and they tasted EXCELLENT. Very sweet and delicious.

I am wondering if it could have some disease or a nematode infestation.

I'm amazed that this fruit has been around for 1000's of years and can be grown almost anywhere on the planet... yet there is painfully little as far growing tips on the internet. Not even a consensus on fertilizer requirements!

I have 5 Celeste trees that I started probably 4 years ago off my in-law's mother tree. Mine are about 5' tall and still have problems with fruit drop. The only reason I keep them is that I know how dependable they will be when larger. The mother tree is never watered or fertilized and produces a bumper crop every year and does not drop fruit.. I know some are not big Celeste fans, but this is what I grew up eating and still love them. When some of my other varieties start producing well, I may have to eat my words,lol.(Good Problem!) By the way Celeste ripens here(Zn9) anywhere from the last week of June thru the first 2-3 weeks of July, so It may still be a little early. Tim

Mario, where in S Florida, I be we are less than 2 hours from each other.  Im in Lehigh.
I have an inground celeste, its loaded with figs right now.  I think the recent dry spell has helped it out.
I tend to only fertilize when rain is coming and then just put a small handfull of granular at the base.  That way it doesnt hit the tree hard.

Im in the kendall area... about a 20 minute drive from the Redlands.

So, I guess no one has any suggestions as to why this year is different from last? It's one thing if my tree never produced, but it produced wonderfully last year. This year it is loaded with figs, but none ripen. They don't even change to the proper color.  =(

Last year, some would drop before plumping up, but even those would turn in color... This year they go from green.. to very light green.. then drop.

I've followed the same fertlizer practices I did last year. Granular every 2 months during growing season and 2-3 iron drenches during the warm summer months. 

Hi Bill.  What do you think of your Alma?

I got three cuttings (from Jon), they took off right away, and all three are growing like weeds.

I've never had an Alma though (tree or fruit) and I was just curious what you thought about the tree and fruit.

Hope you have a great growing season.

Best wishes.

John
North Georgia Piedmont
Zone 7b

Hi Supermario,

What you describe is exactly what my Celeste trees did last year when it was hot and very dry.  The fruit went from darker green, to a light green and then, they dropped.  Not all of them, but many (Too many) of them did that.  They would also feel lighter than the darker green figs, not as solid.  I was told by an orchard lady to start watering them before they fruit, on a regular basis, unless it was rainy, of course, and keep that up through the fruiting season.  She had an over head watering system.  I think that may have helped to cool the leaves and maybe "fake" the trees into thinking it was raining, since the water was falling on them like rain.  Don't know for sure, but she said the Celestes didn't drop as many figs if they had steady watering.  She told me 2-3 hours every other day.  This year, I've tried to keep the water to them, but not from overhead, and so far, they look good still.  Time will tell.  I was putting way too little water on them last year, though.

Are your Celeste trees mulched?  That's a must, as well.  It sounds like you are using a lot of fertilizer.  I don't know if it is too much, maybe.  Also, did you see if your soil needs lime?  I've been told that if the trees need lime, it can make them drop fruit, as well.  Other trace nutrients, as well.

I put fruit tree stakes around my Celestes this year and they have gone and lost their minds and are growing all over the place.  I don' tank I'll do dat again, no!  :)

I put one stake for each of the four trunks and maybe that was too much, but they're both loaded with figs.

Did you look for evidence of nematodes?  Is your soil sandy?  Did you put lots of organic matter in the planting hole when you planted your tree?

I hope things improve for you with the tree and maybe someone else can help you out with this problem.

Celestes are survivors and if they get hot and dry, will jettison fruit to take the stress off of themselves.  I wish I could get cuttings from someone who has a Celeste that does not drop friut, but those trees seem to be rare, if nonexistant.  :(

Vivian

Thank you for the reply Vivian.

It is actually rainy season here right now. It has been raining every day, if not, every other day for the past month or so.

Maybe I am fertilizing too much. I've done extensive research and have not found one definitive source that tells me how much fertilizer fig trees need. I guess it's becaue there are soooo many varieties.

I did mulch, but apparently not enough since I've noticed a ton of weeds growing around the trunk. I read that mulch prevents nematodes, so that is why I though maybe that was the problem. Either way, I planned on pulling up the weeds and mulching the bejesus out of that tree.

My soil is rocky and sandy in some parts. Again, I'm going to add a ton of mulch just to be sure that nematodes do not have it easy. I previously added mulch about 6" from the trunk out of fear of causing mold around the trunk, but I will put it right up to the trunk and see what happens.

As for watering, I never water the leaves of any of my trees. I always water around the base of the tree and let the rain take care of the leaves. Even during times of dry spells, I avoid watering the leaves because I've been told that the sun cold burn them(it gets VERY hot here)

The tree itself is growing like mad, but I would love to enjoy the fruits of my labor as well. =)

Hi again.

I know what you mean about that fruit drop.  Very frustrating.

You can add a ton of mulch and the plant will love you.  It's all right that you didn't put mulch all the way up to the tree if the tree shades the very base.  If you put mulch up to the trunk, the trunk will sprout roots into the mulch.  As far as you cover up a Celeste trunk, she will send roots into that mulch.  And you can put a large circle of mulch around your tree because they send out lots of surface roots.  The heat and sun can burn the roots.  If there is grass around the tree, the grass will compete with the fig roots for water.

I'm not an expert, so maybe someone else could verify if you are over-fertilizing the tree.  I'm guilty of having not fertilized enough, if anything, except for this year, that is.

I misplaced all my notes I took that a retired UL prof told me he does for his trees.  He has a drip system that runs under black plastic.  I don't know how that plastic doesn't burn the trees up, but he's had that garden forever and whatever he plants, grows so well.  We go there to buy produce and fruit.  I'll be so sad when he's gone.  He's a living legacy.  Perhaps the leaves shade the plastic.  Don't know.  I'll have to ask him if he's there the next time I go by.  The whole thing is on an honor system and he has a wooden box for us to put money in when we buy things.  He's a crusty old guy and I really like him a lot.

Vivian

Well supermario,

I went out to talk to "Celeste" out back and saw that she's fixin' to drop some crop!  I ask her, "Mais why you doin' dat an' all?"  She jes' sit dar and ain' sayin' nuttin'! 

noss

Hey guys, just a quick update. I had applied some granular fert around the time I put up the first post in this thread. After the last post, I applied some water soluble 20-20-20 fert directly to the base of the plant. I am happy to report that figs began plumping up and ripening almost immediately. Since then, I've harvested well over 30 figs. Today alone, I harvested 8 figs and there are plenty more on the tree, so I should end up with even more figs than I had last year. =) 

For those of you having problems with your celeste's, try mixing about 4 tablespoons of water soluble 20-20-20 with water in a 5 gallon bucket. Pour it around the base of the tree and cross your fingers. ;o)

Also, I've learned that prociutto and figs are an EXCELLENT combination. X-D

Hi Supermario,

Thanks for letting us know what worked for you.  I'll try what you did next year and hope it wasn't just the finger-crossing!  LOL!  ;)

Vivian