Quoting earlier comment, "Fruit drop has not been an issue with any Celeste in my collection."

Robert posted....."Dan, a few months back you stated that white Trianna was the second sweetest fig you had ever tasted, and that it was only second to your Cajun Honey fig, for sweetness."
 
Bob, White Triana is an excellent rain tolerant fig; but, it is not as sweet as Cajun Honey or LSU Golden Celeste.  I did state that White Triana is sweeter than LSU GOLD to give people some idea of the sweetness of White Triana. I highly recommend the White Triana cultivar for its many desirable fruiting characteristics. It is an almost perfect fig for my growing area. These figs would be awesome for growing in a drier climate where they could dry on the tree. You almost need a pruning shears to remove these figs from the tree.....no joke. They NEVER NEVER EVER fall off.
 
FYI, the flavor profile of many of my figs often change with time of the year and particular crop number. Read my thread called "Dans figs 2010 season" on the Garden Web fig forum and you will see my comments on some of my figs throughout the growing season. It is a lengthy thread; but, it contains some really good information that you WILL NOT FIND anywhere else.
 
Also FYI.........I ate some LSU Jack Lily figs this Am that had a banana flavor. LSU Jack Lily figs are some of the juiciest figs around. However, they did not have that banana flavor earlier in the season.  I also ate some very good Flanders figs. Flanders figs taste much better when they ripen in cooler weather than warmer. The interior is a beautiful Golden color. Unfortunately, my large Flanders tree is going to fig heaven to make room for other more promising varieties for my area.  Also ate some hanging dead ripe LSU Late Black figs. The pulp is nearly purple in color and it has a Mogen David Concord grape wine flavor. These large figs are very sweet and good tasting for a late season fig. Ate one excellent tasting Black Mission fig from my tree today that dropped me to my knees it was so good.  These were good all season long. LSU Scott's Black has lots of flavor right now but it has lost its sweetness......much like what has happened to Violette De Bordeaux.....good flavor with little sweetness.  They still taste good; but, they are lacking the sugar that they had only weeks ago.
 
So both sweetness and flavor profile can change with time of year. Next year I will again post information about the fruiting characteristics of the figs that I grow and study.  Cajun Honey figs are the sweetest I have ever eaten and LSU Golden Celeste (the amber pulp strain) runs a close second. 
 
Dan
 
 
 
  

Is fruit drop a plant trait or does it have to do with the climate in celeste type figs?

Fruit drop is a problem with some regular (not hybrid) Celeste trees. It is less of a problem when growing them in the ground as opposed to growing them in containers  (pot culture). Mulching seems to help and it usually becomes less of a problem when the tree is mature.

Dan

Like I said at the start of the thread I am new to figs. In doing research on types of figs that will do ok in the southeast I'm finding that when it comes to names for fig trees its a free for all. The same fig can have many names, then add numbers and letters to the end and it even gets more crazy. Some figs or named and/or labeled wrong.How do you guys know what you are getting? Or do you?

Welcome to the fun of figs. This is the "fig confusion" you will hear folks lament about from time to time.

Great ,,,,,, " fig confusion" ,,,,,, sounds like fun..... some one could buy what they thinking to be 3 diffrent types of figs and end up with three of the same fig trees.. then to add a twist I read that there are dishonest people selling fig trees and scion that they know is not true to type..good thing for the fig forums. I guess I wil have to do my home work...

Hi Grant,
a helpful tool is reading the forums and seeing what folks post about there trees and where they came from.
Its not 100% as you will see some posts that the person made a mistake and not have what they thought they have. but its a start, some folks are very picky about there sources and dont be afraid to ever ask them.

I am NOT advocating mislabeling, etc, but some of my best figs are either unknowns or things that were mislabeled, or generic "Greek", Italian", etc.

Sometimes you have to live with the ambiguity and enjoy the wonderful taste. Changing the name will not change the taste.

I have one called White Greek (good generic name) which I think is the best "white" fig I have (and I have a few). From pictures posted earlier this year, it may in fact be the hard to obtain Vasilika Sika. Will have to do some more comparisons to see if that is indeed the case, but if it proves out, it would explain why this "generic" is such an awesome fig.

One additional note, if you fig is mislabeled, the odds are probably pretty good that it is really a Celeste or a Brown Turkey, in the end. I have read more than one report about some online nurseries which would suggest that everything they sell is Celeste, regardless of the name ordered.

The thing to keep in mind is that many fig forum members are the real experts on figs......definitely not the nurseries, not the horticulturists, and not the universities. The reason for that is most forum members really love growing figs and pay very close attention to details and how they perform. Often members will identify duplicate figs and will say so in their postings. Just keep reading all posts and you will learn such information.

Here's one example of information that I posted on the Garden Web fig forum....... I am 95% sure that the St. Jerome (originally from Gene H. and sold by Jon) is the same fig as the Black Triana sold by Joe Morle up in Boston. And I am 75% sure that it is the same fig as Lou's (Elder) Quantico fig that was discovered in Virginia.  These are all very good tasting figs; however, in rainy weather, they can split and sour if you do not pick them right before the eye opens. These figs still taste very good when picked early. However, they become excellent tasting when allowed to fully ripen. At the perfect ripening point the eye will have opened up and the skin will have cracked (not split). These do well in the rainy south if you follow my simple advice.....if rain is in the forecast, pick 'em early.  I will be sending my two "duplicate" trees to fig heaven to make room for other experimental cultivars that might do well in my climate.  I don't need all three if there is not a dimes worth of difference between them.

You will not find such information coming from anywhere other than a true fig nut's posting on one of the fig forums. If you are into figs......read all posts on both fig forums and you will be amazed sometimes what you will find. Don't let the subject heading fool you......jewels of information is sometimes buried in those threads.

Pay close attention to Herman2's advice and postings. IMO he is THE fig expert on both forums. That comes from his love of figs and years of trialing many cultivars. Best of all he gives out his advice and information on the performance of his figs for FREE.

Dan

Hi Grant,

What Dan has said is the very reason I'm so interested in his fig studies in South Louisiana.  I'm here, he's here and we have virtually the same weather patterns.  I think he has much better soil, living in the delta area, though.

I'm mainly interested in varieties that do well in the rain/humidity we have here and also the triple-digit heat and dry spells we have been having the past few years.

Grant, you will no doubt get priceless information from the people who are on the forums, who live near you.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate James Robin, Dan and Gene C and am wanting to meet Jeff and several others in time. 

Marty and his wife were sweet enough to invite me over to taste their Scott's Black figs and I also got to taste an LSU Gold fig.  For any people who are not true, there are so many more on these two forums who are precious, kind, friendly and who want to see a newbie succeed.

Herman is a fig master and Bass and Martin and Jon and quite a few others are people I have come to have great respect for.  There are many sweet people here and in GW.  There is not enough space to name everyone, but they have touched my heart so deeply.

Join the club with the fig confusion.  It's been driving me crazy!  I got a Golden Celeste, but it's got pink pulp, not like Dan's, with amber pulp.  One of its figs blew its eye out--looked like someone had stuck a little firecracker into the eye.  I found out my Improved Celeste is NOT an O'Rourke, though everyone around here I talk to insist they are the same.  That's not a bad thing, though because the figs I tasted from my little tree were very good.  I only hope the Golden Celeste will turn out to be a good one.  Time will tell.  If not, it will join some of Dan's and Gene's figs in fig heaven.  :(

My two grown Celestes start spitting off figs the minute the weather gets really hot, but they put so many on them that I do get enough, but I'd like to get a Celeste that doesn't do that and that may not be possible.

By the time I finish talking to people about Celestes, my head is hurting and spinning.

I found a tree downtown Lafayette that had different-looking figs on it, but still looked a lot like Celeste.  I'm going to get some cuttings from it and see what happens.

Go fig hunting in your area and make friends with people with fig trees.  Dan has told me he has a ball going fig hunting.  Find trees that people tell you do real well and see if you can taste them when they're ripe.  Observe those trees over a season and see how they do.  The tree I was talking about, downtown here, didn't seem to be dropping very many figs, but it may have been because it's a large tree and the bottom portion of it is behind a high board fence and that may keep the roots cool.  Who knows?

So, I've gotten several other varieties of figs to play with.  Try to relax and have fun with the figs.

I've gotten so that I don't want to get "a" certain fig--I would like to get that very fig that someone tells me is so great, like Dan's amber-pulped Golden Celeste, from THAT tree.

Best of luck with whatever figs you find and decide to grow,

noss

Jon,

O'Rourke IS NOT the same fig as LSU Improved Celeste. Let me repeat that again. O'Rourke is not the same as LSU Improved Celeste. I have LSU Improved Celeste trees from two sources and have studied many fig trees in other fruit orchards here in south Louisiana. The leaves on LSU Improved Celeste are single lobed and tri-lobed leaves. NEVER have I seen a five lobed leaf on either of my two IC trees. O'Rourke, on the other hand, has three to five lobed leaves. 

One day, when I publish some of my fig research work, I will reveal more information about the LSU figs and the confusion.   Right now I choose not to make some information public. I specialize in the LSU bred figs and am 100% sure in what I have listed above. Both are excellent tasting "sibling" Celeste hybrid cultivars.

You can read more about the fruiting characteristics of some of the other figs that I am studying in this link.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0621220325558.html?46

Dan

Hello All



The forums have really helped out in saving me a lot of mistakes I would have already made. A couple people even said they would send me some cuttings to help get me started. I have been reading Dan_la post since I'm also in the southeast. The more I read it looks like I will try to find some of the diffrent LSU scions to work with. I don't know who all is in the southeast besides Dan,Jason and now Noss, but I'm sure as time goes by and I keep reading the forums I will know more. Everyone has been nice and willing to give infornation.do half the fig people live in NJ? (Kidding)
I was able to get some celeste cuttings from some nice people down the road,I was told there celeste, the tree had no leaves. And was told it was a rooting from a tree that came frome his fathers farm years ago and it was an old tree then. That's all I know about it,he doesn't eat figs and prunes it with a chain saw,,, in two weeks I plan to try the horz rooting method I read about in the other fourm. I figure I would pratice on those before I try it on other cuttings,plus it will give me a little more time to try and find more cuttings to start. Living I southeast georgia spring comes early and doesn't stay long,,we have about 8 month of summer.I guess I should take pics of my progress as I go.

I do have a question about keeping records,,,,,,,when you guys get cuttings from something you are not for sure what it is do you just call it unknown,the date you start it and where it comes from,,,,,, then try to figure out the rest later??

Dan, that is a very good description of LSU late black, "A Morgan David wine flavor". This is one thing that is missing on most of the post on F4F and other forums. Plus, sweetness descriptions of sweet or not sweet, do not help those who are new and looking for figs that will not only grow in their location, but also whether or not they are going to like the flavor.

Hello Grant!  Isn't this a great thread?????  I am glad this question came up concerning Celeste.  Jason is correct and so are others.  I use to live in Marietta but moved to Charlotte about 6 years ago.  I am from the Charlotte area....grew up here, wife too.  Down in our area (NC/SC/GA), when you ask people about fig trees, all you will hear about is Brown Turkey and Celeste.  And I guess if that is all you know then that's all you know.  But people in this forum has some amazing figs and once you taste one, you will want more!  Everyone here is very generous and willing to share.

I'm glad Jon explained the naming of his Celeste.  I received a few of Jon's Celeste JM this year and I can't wait to taste the fruit from it.  I also have a few other Celeste from around the USA.  Labeling is critical to help identify a fig.  Over the years, I've been trying to obtain different varieties of Celeste.  It truly is one sweet tasting fig!

I am glad Dan stepped in and commented on the differences between Celeste, Improved Celeste, O'Rourke and there is also a fig in my collection called Improved Celeste NOT.  Next year will be a good year to see all these trees growing side by side.  cheers,

I was thinking along the right lines about the records. I know keeping up with things will save a lot of head aches. I don't need any more "fig confusion"I'm confused enough..


* How do I tell from infected and non-infected stock??

Bob, I have a refractometer which actually measures the sugar content of a fig. One day I will publish the exact sugar content readings for some of my figs. I do intend to make sugar comparisons between the different cultivars. Right now my trees are not producing enough ripe figs on the same day for me to get good comparison readings.  

If you like your figs to have that sweet, rich, "figgy" taste (I sure do), then the single and tri-lobed LSU Improved Celeste is the fig for you. It is a nearly ever bearing fig and will produce good figs through out the entire season. These figs are larger than regular Celeste, more productive, and do not drop. When they are hanging dead ripe......they will achieve that AWESOME rating. These can have a splitting problem during heavy (tropical storm) rains. But, that is not a problem as this cultivar is nearly everbearing and will produce more figs. This strain is replacing many regular Celeste plantings in south Louisiana where Celeste is the king/queen of figs. Celeste fig trees were growing in early La. settlements EVEN BEFORE there was a United States. A regular Celeste will produce one crop of figs over about a 6 week time frame (July 1st to mid August) in my area. Dr. O'Rourke was trying to improve upon the Celeste strain and to lengthen its ripening season. He definitely achieved his goal and developed some other good figs in the process.

Dan

Dan,

Would you please tell us the difference in taste between the O'rourke and Improved Celeste?  I'm not sure you have done that before.  I don't remember if I asked you about that.

Thanks,

noss

For those who never saw this site and or are newer members  and curious about brix test and so forth on a few figs. He grow figs at different elevations there.
http://www.hawaiifruit.net/index-figs.html
Ken shows many pictures of figs that he grows in Hawaii.
Also Brix test on some and compares with some California grown figs.
When i mention where i reside he knew location well as he grew up here.  

Noss,

I have been eating LSU Improved Celeste figs from my in ground trees for a few years and before LSU released O'Rourke. I am very familiar with IC's fruiting characteristics and taste profile. Like many, I was confused with some of the information that came with the LSU release announcement. Since that release I have been on a mission to clarify some of that information. There is NO DOUBT that they are different sibling cultivars.

Does anyone know where I can get LSU hybird CUTTINGS before feb? If so just shoot me a message. The more I read on them the better they sound. A few people have told me where to find plants to order but I would like cuttings.. thanks

Thanks Dan.

Viv