Improved Celeste! As always, please share any photos and experiences here and on the variety index.
For starters, there are several varieties that can be considered improved Celeste (note lowercase 'i'), but this is reference to Improved Celeste. This is a confounding and confusing topic, so if I make mistakes please correct me! The LSU breeding program developed (at least) 3 improved Celeste varieties: O'Rourke, Champagne (Golden Celeste), and Improved Celeste. As I understand it, Improved Celeste has not been officially released like the other two. Because of this, I don't think it should have LSU in the name?
O'Rourke has been mislabeled as Improved Celeste (IC henceforth) in the nursery trade quite a bit, they can be distinguished by lobe count: IC will have 1-3 lobes (thumbs on occasion), O'Rourke will have 3-5 lobes (looks like Brunswick). To keep it simple: any one lobed leaves = Improved Celeste; any 5 lobed leaves = O'Rourke. Golden Celeste/Champagne will have golden fruit, of course. There are also untold other Celeste variants, some improved, to make the puzzle more difficult.
The primary improvements of IC over regular Celeste are less fruit drop, longer harvest, and hardiness. IC should be considered hardy through zone 6, herman2 suggested possibly zone 5. Reportedly it has a slightly larger eye than Celeste. In years of being killed to the ground it can regrow and still fruit heavily.
IC will set breba, though I don't know how large of a crop. Starting in late June, they blend right into the main crop which is early (70 days to ripen) and starts ripening in early to mid-August (mid-Atlantic region) and should continue til frost. Light brown or violet fruits with pink centers that are small but very, very sweet! Can ripen in part shade.
An excellent, easy to grow fig that should be grown by all 'beginners', myself included! Hopefully I can root some of these. Are they any varieties you would like to see me write up, let me know!
For starters, there are several varieties that can be considered improved Celeste (note lowercase 'i'), but this is reference to Improved Celeste. This is a confounding and confusing topic, so if I make mistakes please correct me! The LSU breeding program developed (at least) 3 improved Celeste varieties: O'Rourke, Champagne (Golden Celeste), and Improved Celeste. As I understand it, Improved Celeste has not been officially released like the other two. Because of this, I don't think it should have LSU in the name?
O'Rourke has been mislabeled as Improved Celeste (IC henceforth) in the nursery trade quite a bit, they can be distinguished by lobe count: IC will have 1-3 lobes (thumbs on occasion), O'Rourke will have 3-5 lobes (looks like Brunswick). To keep it simple: any one lobed leaves = Improved Celeste; any 5 lobed leaves = O'Rourke. Golden Celeste/Champagne will have golden fruit, of course. There are also untold other Celeste variants, some improved, to make the puzzle more difficult.
The primary improvements of IC over regular Celeste are less fruit drop, longer harvest, and hardiness. IC should be considered hardy through zone 6, herman2 suggested possibly zone 5. Reportedly it has a slightly larger eye than Celeste. In years of being killed to the ground it can regrow and still fruit heavily.
IC will set breba, though I don't know how large of a crop. Starting in late June, they blend right into the main crop which is early (70 days to ripen) and starts ripening in early to mid-August (mid-Atlantic region) and should continue til frost. Light brown or violet fruits with pink centers that are small but very, very sweet! Can ripen in part shade.
An excellent, easy to grow fig that should be grown by all 'beginners', myself included! Hopefully I can root some of these. Are they any varieties you would like to see me write up, let me know!
Comment