Why doesn't my fig - give a fig?

[devonuk]

Turn it into a tree, not a bush. In other words, try and identify a main trunk and lop everything else off (not at this time of year). A good shock is said to help figs (chop off branches and the odd root is what people do here).

Also, and controversially, I don't understand this thing about them liking being pot-bound. Is that to keep them small? There are dozens of fig trees round me and not a one is in a pot. The best figs come from single-trunk trees.

I think the theory is English soil is too damp and rich for them and they vegetate rather than fruiting. So the advice is even if you are planting them in the ground put slabs round the roots and fill the hole with rubble.

I also find that in pots in a greenhouse they don't behave the way UK gardening books say they do. The books say the only way you will get ripe figs is from tiny figs which survive the winter and then resume growing in spring. I find those tiny figs just give up and fall off in spring. I get new growth in May on which figs are just now appearing, and those new figs ripen in October.

[SarrissUK]

That's interesting Devon - I've had tiny figs on mine, but they don't ripen. My fig is in the sunny side of the garden in a pot. I might stick it in the greenhouse, or take it up to the allotment's greenhouse or polytunnel. It would be nice to have a fig or two after four years!

[devonuk]

That's interesting Devon - I've had tiny figs on mine, but they don't ripen. My fig is in the sunny side of the garden in a pot. I might stick it in the greenhouse, or take it up to the allotment's greenhouse or polytunnel. It would be nice to have a fig or two after four years!

The other thing I do is, I pinch out growing tips on the new growth at 5 or 6 leaves (about now) which may encourage fruiting. Having said that, this year I am leaving a couple unpinched to see what difference that makes.

[Snoop Puss]

Jayell, if that's a question for me: no. I just let the tree do its own thing.

II get new growth in May on which figs are just now appearing, and those new figs ripen in October.

Same here with trees in the ground. Except the figs ripen in September.

[Jay-ell]

I was asking Lardman. Sometimes nipping out the growing tips at the end of June can encourage fruit to form and they should have enough time to mature before the frosts.

[Lardman]

I was asking Lardman. Sometimes nipping out the growing tips at the end of June can encourage fruit to form and they should have enough time to mature before the frosts.

I tried pinching out just the growing tips and pruning the branch back 4" or so last year, about now, might have been slightly earlier but definitely when the sap was flowing, It's mature enough to fruit and carried a couple (2-3) the first year I had it but they didn't ripen and I've had nothing since.

I've killed 2 cutting trying different watering and feeding techniques, I'm missing something - probably obvious.

From what I've read, the bottom node here should be a leaf and fig, but nothing has developed in previous years from them.

[Jay-ell]

This video suggests to induce fruit formation ease up on the nitrogen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mr7baVUzK8

also say 90-120 days after pinching till ripe fruit - guess I had look at pinching out soon

[devonuk]

Here is one of my potted figs, mini figs on a shoot which I pinched at 5 leaves a couple of weeks ago, unpinched shoot with bulges which should be figs but too small to tell (focus not brilliant). Pretty clear victory for pinching.

Edit: wrong order - unpinched is middle photo, pinched on right.

[Snoop Puss]

^Good experiment. Thanks.

[Jay-ell]

Yeah - figs

[dizzydidi]

Hi there

I grow many types of figs and Brown Turkey is one of the easiest to get to fruit. I have one in ground and had one in a pot and both gave fruit in the second year of planting. The potted one set far more in the second year than the one in ground.

There are 2 types of fruiting from a fig. The breba crop which fruits on old wood from the previous year and ripens aug-sept, and the maincrop which grows from this years new growth and sometimes ripens in oct.

Personally I would not bother with the maincrop with a brown turkey fig. Yes pinching will get them to grow, but they ripen late in the year and require a lot of heat to get a good taste so even if a few manage to ripen they will be sub par quality.

If you planted it straight in to a big pot from a small plant, that would slow down fruiting a lot. I start mine in 10l to 15l pots and they stay for 1-2 years. However you should still have got fruit by now.

a picture would help but my advice would be to make sure pot is well draining and the compost does not hold too much water.

Lots of sun and heat

Dilute high potash feed (tomato feed) with every watering. Has to be very low nitrogen or will inhibit fruit production.

No more pinching , let it grow for now.

Pick off maincrop figs once they get large to give more energy for breba crops to form.

In feb next year pinch off the green growing tips. This helps the breba figs to set.

Do all this and you should have figs next summer. If not than its either the wrong variety (sometimes suppliers mix up varieties) or a problem with the soil in the pot. I would try again with a new plant.

[devonuk]

Whereabouts are you?

[dizzydidi]

Hi. If that is aimed at me I am based in Essex.

[dizzydidi]

Hi. I tried to reply earlier but it did not appear. If your question was to me<I am based in South East England near London. I think my previous answer was moderated.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Dizzy. Don't know why it was moderated but its approved now!!