Figs

Blue_Doggy

My fig tree (Brown Turkey, about 10 years old, growing in a large container) has had its best year so far with seven figs which ripened. It also has about three dozen little figlets which have developed since early summer but are still at the size in the photo. I know they won’t ripen now and need to be taken off.

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Is there anything other than composting I can do with them? And is there any way next year’s figs (if any) can be brought to a usable size and ripeness before autumn?

It lives in south-east Hampshire, about eight miles inland. Openish to the south and east but tall shrubs and trees about ten metres away. Open to the north but with some house shelter, and on the west is the house, so hopefully some radiated warmth.

Thanks in advance for any tips.

FreeBear

I used to have a fig growing in a greenhouse. Would get a crop in summer, and a second crop late autumn. Fruits were never very large which was probably down to the roots being very constricted (growing in an old butler sink). Unfortunately, I killed the tree a couple of years back… Replacement is growing in another pot, but hasn't really started to fruit yet.

Friend had a cutting from the tree many years ago which got planted outside straight in to the ground. Prolific fruiter, with fruits the size of your fist…

Going to plant my tree straight in to the ground once I've selected a spot for a new greenhouse.

Farway

OP, I'm in much the same Hampshire area and have three figs in pots / tubs. Had them for years and TBH whatever I have tried they just seem to do whatever they feel like

Last year, loads, this year three but now have lots of immature ones the will never ripen

I've nearly gone blind looking at YT vids, bit so many are in sunny US state and not really applicable

I did see fruiting is related to direct sun on the branches, not daylight, bright sunshine. I think this may be correct because I have one in my conservatory, which never fruits. I foolishly thought the nice warmth would help

The only thing that seems to be true is they fruit on new wood. However I've tried pruning to produce tat, but the fresh growth arrives too late for any fruit ripen

I don't have room, but in the ground would seem to be the answer, see Gardeners World a couple of weeks back,. Monty Don has one

Blue_Doggy

@FreeBear @Farway thank you for your replies. It seems as though replanting the ground may be the answer.
There’s not a lot of space for that, so it may have to wait for the bay tree to be reduced and then move to a half-barrel with the bottom knocked out and standing on forked-over ground.

-taff

Mine was in a pot, grew slowly, hardly a fig to speak of. It was about 2ft high and the same wide. Put it in the ground, sheltered sunny spot last year, this year I've had about twenty odd figs off it, it's not getting taller though, just wider. Mine's Brown Turkey too. It's about six foot wide now and 3ft tall [ mostly sprawly arms though]

Sapindus

There is a parallel thread on "rubble gardens" which may be of interest. I read some advice on growing figs that said you have to convince them they are growing on a rock-strewn mountain in Crete. So rather than use a buried pot or paving slabs I have lined the planting hole of mine with lumps of rubble. It's too small to say whether this will be successful unfortunately.

FreeBear

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82139330#Comment_82139330

I should have said fig trees appear to thrive on poor crappy soil full of rocks - The friend mentioned earlier has his planted on a rubble filled embankment.

Bob Flowerdew (remember him ?) used to advocate using the perforated drum from a tumble dryer or washing machine buried in the ground to restrict root growth. Not sure if that is really necessary.

Farway

Bob Flowerdew (remember him ?) used to advocate using the perforated drum from a tumble dryer or washing machine buried in the ground to restrict root growth. Not sure if that is really necessary.

I remember Bob, and that tip. I think the reasoning was the fine roots would go out via the small drum holes, for water, food etc, but they could not swell into thick roots due to holes sizes

These days "root bags" do the same thing, and probably easier to obtain than washing machine drums

Link for info only, other suppliers are available !

Sapindus

Bob Flowerdew is still around, I've heard him recently on GQT. He has grown an enormous beard. His most interesting piece of advice I remember was "plant your lates early, and your earlies late". Meaning that early potatoes are only called earlies because they mature quicker than other varieties, so if you are late getting your spuds in you're better choosing an "early" variety. So often I hear people being advised "it's too late for earlies now" and I think it's misguided.

Blue_Doggy

Thank you, people, for your comments. The consensus is to plant the tree in what one would thing is an inhospitable bit of ground. I do have such, which although in the sunniest part of the garden, was used by the developers (40 years ago!) as a car/heavy machinery park, so basically compacted clay subsoil. Whatever I’ve grown there has been in raised beds. There’s an overgrown and flourishing bay tree close by which will have to be reduced (now that the magpies have driven away the wood pigeons which infested it), so that should be the equivalent of rocks or washing machine drums (neither of which I can lay my hands on at present). The best I can do is scratch the surface of the subsoil, put a half-barrel on top, make several holes in it, put some stones in and add the fig tree. With any luck it will be able to root through into the earth.

Meanwhile, the compost heap creepy-crawlies and wrigglies are feasting on three dozen immature figlets 😭 .

Sapindus

I think if the bay tree is happy, the fig might be too. They can speak Greek to each other. I have a bay, a fig and an olive planted fairly close. From what I remember, very small figlets can survive the winter so it's a matter of timing getting the tree to produce them later in the summer and then they are ready to grow in the spring.