The Differences Between Blue, Black and Celeste
First.. why do we even care about Celeste? What makes it so special? Well... it's easily one of the most humid climate tolerant figs in existence. Having a teardrop shape allows it to shed water easily, it rarely if ever splits, has minor cracking and has a high enough brix content to using avoid fermentation and spoilage. All great traits in humid climates. However not all Celeste figs are created equal... They can in fact be quite different even though some may share parentage or be related in some way. The flavor on some however may not be all that different. As most of these fall in the sugar fig category. Celeste vs. Blue Celeste - As I currently understand it.. I'm not sure there is a whole lot of difference genetically. As Jon Verdick mentions here: http://figs4funforum.arghchive.com/po... - "Generally, I propagate from Celeste JN, GM, IS, and Blue Celeste JN. Those are my favorites, which is why I propagate them. Fruit drop has not been an issue with any Celeste in my collection. 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." So I kind of think of them like HC types. They may be genetically equal, but show different characteristics. Some much more than others, which is where I think the whole "Blue" Celeste comes into play because some Celeste figs will not turn blue. Typically these are sugar figs. Some with concord grape berry notes. So far some of the standout Celeste strains are: The One, Stallion, Sweet Diana, Bill's Patrick Supergiant "Not" & Violette de Marseille. I'd like to grow some of the strains Jon is recommending at some point to compare. Zone 7A - Greater Philadelphia Website & Blog: https://www.figboss.com/ The Fruit Talk! Podcast: https://anchor.fm/rossraddi Social Media: / rossraddi / rossraddi Support My Work! Become a Patron: / rossraddi Consulting Services: https://www.figboss.com/consulting One Time Donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rossr... Our Shop! Cuttings & Plants for Sale: https://www.figbid.com/Browse?Seller=... Products I use to Grow Food: https://www.amazon.com/shop/rossraddi Other important links: The Ever-expanding Fruit Growing Spreadsheet: https://goo.gl/X6ye9e Growing Fruit Trees Community: http://growingfruit.org/ 2018 Fig Variety Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/a9MLNYaf3pq... 2019 Fig Variety Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bSFfDZnVuwS...
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