Hello all:

I'm new to figs and live in southeast Georgia. Since I'm just starting out I was thinking it would be a good idea to try and find closed or small eye type figs do to humity and the summer rains we have down here.

My question is about celeste type figs. I see so many celeste figs, but is there enought diffrence between them to plant more than one kind of celeste? What are the "best" types? Who can I trust to get cuttings from (celeste and other)?

One last question, can I ask in a post if anyone has cuttings for sale or ti donate with me paying shipping to help get me started out? I was thinking about doing the ebay thing but there is no telling what I would end up with..

Thanks in advance

I have about 2 dozen variants. They are not all equal. Some have more fruit, some have bigger fruit, etc. You might want to get cuttings locally of a variant that has performed well in your area.

Cuttings at Encanto Farms

Any must have celeste?

Is there a celeste that is big everything?? big yield, big fruit, big tree, big flavor..

I plan on placing an order with you (Encanto Farms) In feb.I am trying to narrow down my first time order to around ten,I have over 20 on it right now .

I have asked around for cuttings (friends , co workers )and even posted in craigslist around my town looking for cuttings,,,,, no luck yet

Generally, I propagate from Celeste JN, GM, IS, and Blue Celeste JN.

Hi Jon,

What is your favorite Celeste?  Do you have a Celeste that doesn't drop its figs in very hot, dry weather?

What is JN, GM and IS?  Is the Blue Celeste a real Celeste?

Thanks,

noss

Those are my favorites, which is why I propagate them. Fruit drop has not been an issue with any Celeste in my collection.

JN, IS, GM, PM, UC, AA001, etc represent the origin of the accessions I have.

USDA / UC Davis DNA testing indicates all of the Celestes and Blue Celestes are the same (I think we tested 19 different ones), but performance here is not the same.

Thanks, Jon.

I meant what does JN, IS, GM and PM stand for?

What would make all your Celestes perform differently for you in the same place?  That's really interesting.

noss

<P>

Hey Jason: or anyone else

Can you suggest a good celeste for georgia. I am further south than you, I'm near Savannah..

Thanks
Grant

I was wondering about the initials because if I could know the names of the people, perhaps I could contact them and ask about the varieties from that very person, if they were willing, that is.

Thanks Jason.

I'd really like to be able to get a variety of Celeste that might not tend to drop its figs in hot, dry weather here in Louisiana.  That may not be possible and then I could concentrate of something else, which I'm already semi-doing now, anyway.

noss

Is there anywhere I can find out what the diffrent traits of each of the celeste listed? I google them and it leads back to here.. I would like to compare them before I buy one..

Go to the Figs4Fun Varieties section here: http://figs4fun.com/Varieties.html

Locate Celeste by clicking the letter "C" up top, then clicking on Celeste in the left-hand pane.

Click on the MORE PICTURES link towards the bottom of the description.  It will show you thumbnails.

(Cheat link: http://figs4fun.com/Thumbnail_Celeste.html)

Look at the text at the top of each group of pictures and you can see what name is tied to it.

Encanto sells these trees, you can buy what looks good.  Just know the fruit will vary based on your climate (he is in California, which is almost fig heaven) and the size/age of the tree and variety.

If it means anything, the Celeste I typically see that do well in Atlanta are mostly like the JN and GM variety - very long, teardrop shaped and pretty small.  They never drop their fruit.

The initials refer to the people, collections, nurseries, etc. from which they originated. In some cases they do not wish to be identified or subjected to endless inquiries. In some cases, they have made material avaialble to me because they wish to have the material distributed, but do not want to be involved in the process. Sometimes I receive it so that it will grown, evaluated, photographed and added to the Figs 4 Fun database, where the donor may not wish to do that work themselves. Sometimes, this discretion opens up opportunities for scion that would not otherwise be made available.

Jason has some correct, and some not, and he stopped at a good place before he wandered off the plantation. ;-))

Hello all:


I will try the celeste gm, jn and blue celeste jn. I have the room for hundreds of trees if I wanted to plant that many,but I trying to find ones that will not be a waste of space, time and money.I'm sure I will run across some fig trees that will end up being moved out to pasture or in a hedge row at the edge of a field because I don't really care for it, but I would like to try and keep that number down.I am open to sugestions on must have figs for zone 8/9.
does anyone know where I can get cuttings of gm, jn and blue celeste cuttings now? (Or any other type fig)I have been keeping my eye on ebay and even bought some from people that where recomemded from the fourm here. I would like to start rooting some stuff real soon. It might be 6 weeks before we get any cold weather here(cold to use) I think it has only snowed once it the last 25 years and it was gone by lunch time.

What I can't find before feb I will try to get from Ecanto Farms.

I hope you guys don't mind all the questions,I'm learing a lot from the post..

Thanks
Grant

Grant,

That makes sense, Jon, and I would respect it.  It doesn't really matter the source if we can get information about a particular variety--its characteristics and what distinguishes them from each other.  If you can give that information, that would be great.

In several places, I've read that Celeste doesn't do well in hot, arid climates.  does that pertain to all Celestes?  We have had really hot, dry conditions the past two years here and even watering doesn't help.

With the varieties you mention above that you mention you don't have a problem with fruit dropping--Is that because your weather is not as hot and dry as it can get in South Louisiana, or have the people who have those varieties from you given you feedback that they don't have trouble with fruit drop in triple-digit, dry weather?

Celeste is almost all you'll find here in Atlanta - that and Brown Turkey - and they don't seem to be affected by the heat and humidity.  I can get you cuttings off any of a number of local trees if you want.  I have pictures of their fruit around here.  I have access to Celeste and a Blue Celeste.  The "Blue Celeste" seems to produce slightly larger fruit.

If you want two EXCELLENT Celeste Hybrids, get yourself an LSU Improved Celeste and an O'Rourke. They are both completely different sibling figs that were bred at LSU from a Celeste mother. I ate several good tasting "third" crop LSU Improved Celeste figs this past week.....not as good as second crop figs, but good tasting figs non the less. Third crop IC figs will have vertical light purple striping on the brown exterior. (For some reason, late ripening Smith figs develop the same vertical purple striping on a greenish yellow background....still good tasting figs. Get yourself a Smith fig too. It is a MUST have variety. "Some " have literally dropped  me to my knees so I could give thanks to the Lord for such a creation. By all means get yourself one of those jewels too.)

Also, the amber pulp strain (not the red pulp stain, and definitely not the strain at UC Davis) of LSU Golden Celeste is a truly outstanding fig.....for taste, productivity, and rain tolerance.  This fig is also a Celeste hybrid bred at LSU. LSU Golden Celeste figs are almost too sweet. It is the second sweetest fig I have ever tasted and the flavor profile & its sweetest level is very consistent....much more consistent than many of my other figs.  I'm still eating good figs from my tree.....still sweet, but they have lost their background flavor notes. Unfortunately, this late in the season in my area some will develop a greenish mold on the outside of the fig, where the honey leaked (they all leak honey that solidifies), and will need to be discarded. This is not a problem during warmer months.

Dan

I have seen info on the LSU hybrid figs,they sound interesting, but the same question pops up for me.. where do you buy cutting?? Do I just wait till feb and see what I can get from encanto?

grant_n_georgia,

are hybird fig trees more vigorous than pure strains? I know in livestock and other animals if you cross two diffrent pure animals you get a cross with more vigor since the tight breeding cycle is broken.(fresh blood) In animals the male is the more important sex in breeding, you have a good male and a soso female you can still get good offspring, but not a good female and a soso male.. any relation to plants??? Maybe I'm thinking to much.....

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  

I live in southeast georgia 50 miles inland,,, very far from dry here .... hot and humid... had shorts on thanksgivng day.... most likely short sleeves on xmas

It may be possible Grant, that there are many different variants of Celeste. That might be the reason why some fig growers state it drops fruit badly when stressed, and some say theirs does not.