Celeste Figs Won't Ripen!

We have several fig trees of an unknown cultivar that have been producing abundantly all summer long. I thought they were finished and then found that the tiny green figlets that were left have grown and matured for another smaller crop of fruit. Meanwhile the Celeste figs have been in the same hard green status all summer; they don't seem to be maturing at all. I think we found one ripe fig early on and that's been the extent of it. Any thoughts about why this might be happening?

figs need alot of heat. Perhaps we havent had enough heat units? Have they ripened in other years?

This is a young tree that is only producing significant amounts of fruit this year. But it's been a normally hot summer, especially in July, and the other varieties have ripened quite readily. If it had no fruit I'd think it was just too young, but it HAS fruit that has remained in the same stage virtually all summer. It's weird.

My Hardy Chicago has had fruit all summer - but it is ripening them now and for the past 3 or 4 weeks.

Hmmmm, I'm not seeing any changes at all! Meanwhile the nameless cultivars are still pumping them out, albeit not as abundantly as earlier in the season. I see small hard figs and a few days later they're larger and a week after that they're ripe and hanging plumply. Whereas the Celestes just sit there sticking their figurative tongues out at me, unchanged.

I have a brown turkey fig that has fruited for a while and now there is a second crop of small green ones but do not think they are going to make it.

My NC house is in Zone 7B (pushing it) and my Celeste figs some years set fruit too early and a mid April frost kills them, then the late ones usually ripen in late Aug, early Sept. Seems like one year recently, an early cool Fall wiped out almost all the Celeste figs. Hardy Chicago and, maybe, brown turkey did better. I like Celeste so much better than the others that it was a real loss for me.

Paul

We didn't wrap our figs at all last winter so I'll be interested in seeing what we have when bud time comes around. Maybe nothing...

Three of the trees are pretty big by now, and we're hoping that they were able to withstand the cold.

GG,

I didnt wrap mine either. Im not sure mine survived.

John

I keep checking for buds but it's really early yet. I remember they usually don't start greening up until way after I'm positive they're all dead.

Very true they tend to be much later than most of the temperate fruits. Last year I didnt wrap my brown turkey fig and nearly all of the previous top growth was dead. However new growth sprang up from the base. Im hoping the same will happen this year.

I am at my NC house right now (Apr. 14th) and NONE of the fig trees show any greening yet. I am expecting a good main crop, followed by a late follow-on crop which will probably get frost-bitten and fall off in Sept/Oct. I expect greening any day now.
I have Celeste, brown turkey, black mission, and green Greek.

Paul

At least it's not just us, Paul. The Negron fig that we keep in a pot and overwinter in my studio is leafing out, but it gets lots of sun and no frosty air.

As I re-read your posts, GH Gal, it occurred to say that, especially, Celeste is a VERY widespread fig tree and it may be that your tree is a different cultivar that got mis-labled as Celeste at the nursery.

Since figs are so easy to root, you perhaps can find a nearby friend who has a Celeste that is "behaving" and root a sprig from their Celeste. My Celeste came as two 6" cuttings from a Davesgarden member in Louisiana about 5 years ago. Both rooted & I tagged them as La Celeste so it wouldn't be confused with my original Celeste (from Lowes or HD in NC). Both are about the same and both are delicious.

This photo is of one of my original (not LA) Celeste figs

Good luck!

Paul

OK Greenhouse_Gal,
I'm in FL right now (May 28). I will be going back to NC on June 8 and expect to see trees full of little figs. I'll try to remember to ask you about your Celeste fig then and probably send you a pic of one of my La Celeste trees. I hope your news is good by then

Paul.

Paul, my fig trees died back to the roots because we had a very cold winter. So I doubt I'll be seeing any figs this year!

My brown Turkey fig also died down to the roots. It has three or four 6" branches coming up from the ground so I doubt I will get fruit this year too. Should have wrapped it.

I was disappointed too when my faithful (fig eating dog) friend and I walked the yard last Sunday after arriving from FL.
The trees all had died back about a foot or two and I see no little figlets on the greening portion of the trees. If some come out now, they likely wouldn't mature before frost time - Oh well, next year maybe - and my blueberries are full of fruit!

Paul

None of my old wood greened out; all I have are shoots from the base. I wonder whether I'll even get figs next year!