What to do with my fig bush?

[iwatkins]

I attach a picture of the aforemetioned "bush".

Rather a single stem with a few leaves on the top.

Hasn't produced any figs either - or rather it does but they fall off or rot before they get big enough.

Any suggestions as to what to do to improve this bushes outcome?

Thanks.

Ian Watkins

[BarleySugar]

I'd put it in a bigger pot (the one it's in looks a bit small), and take out the growing tip to encourage side shoots to grow into branches, though others might advise differently. I've never had one before, but my sister gave me hers before she moved. It is rather lopsided, and all the embryo figs dropped off, but it's grown quite a bit this year so far. I'm considering putting it on the allotment, with some root restriction, and trying to improve the shape a bit.

[Flummery]

I have one looking a bit ike yours, given as a cutting 2 years ago. It's in a bigger pot though. I keep it well watered and it produced 5 baby figs early in the season of which I suspect 2 will swell enough to eat. Two tiny ones have dropped off already.

What compost do you have it in? If I'm keeping anything in a pot permanently I use John Innes no 3 which is heavier and I think better in nutrients than some of the fluffy multipurpose ones on the market. Just a thought.

[iwatkins]

Thanks to you both.

It's in JI No 3, but I have read you should add a bit of extra grit but I haven't done that as I don't have any.

It looks as if a repot would be a good idea, so I'll do that this weekend if I have a larger pot.

I'll also mull the idea of taking the growing tip out, unless anyone can come up with a good reason not to!

Thanks again.

[mmd622]

fig tree

If you dont prune fig trees just right they will not be productive and become large and leggy. What you should do in April is to 'prune all tips of all branches to encourage side shoot growth. Then in mid/late June, prune the resultant side branches to 4 leafs. This will encourage the tree to produce more branches. It will be these side branches that will bear the figs the following year (they will start to form in late summer). Please feed your fig with tomato fertilizer every 2 weeks and repot every couple of years as root restriction encourages fruit formation. I bring my potted fig trees into the green house for the winter and pick off figlets that are larger than a pea as these will be damaged by frosts. You illustrate in your case about pruning. Last year I had one fig cutting that was only a 10 cm stick with a few leavs just like yours. Cut out the tip in june and it produced 4 branches of 30 cm long by end of july. I pruned these back which prouced more side branches and now have 15 figs on the this bush from a stick last year.

[Flummery]

Mine has produced side shoots all by itself. It now has a much-branched mop-head look about it (and 2 swelling figs).

[BUFFS]

i pruned my similar fig plant two years ago,cut it down to just three buds and these all started to sprout,now have 5 main stems and even in our rain we have 7 figlets..fingers crossed...needs at least 18ins wide and 2ft deep container with john innes No3 and good amount of time in the sun,mine stays out all year with no problems...