Fig advice please!

[hamamelis]

I'm planning to buy my housemate a fig tree- she's been after one for ages, and has an allotment that really needs a few exciting things growing in it. There's just a few things I'm wanting to check on first, if anyone could offer their expert (or near enough ) opinion, that would be great!

From what I've found so far, is Brown Turkey the best variety? It'll be grown in Bristol, so South West, inner city; fairly warm as England goes.

Second thing- all the advice I've read gives instructions on growing them by a wall- there's no shed or anything like that to grow it up- should it do OK free standing? It'll be grown on a south facing slope, on a sunny, sheltered site; will that be enough, or would it be better to build some sort of low screen wall behind it?

Will it need winter protection? I read that they like having the roots resticted, so a big pot is best- will it need bringing indoors in winter? Wrapping with fleece/bubble wrap?

Any other tips/comments very welcome, I've never tried growing a fig myself, and I know she's not either, but I also know she'll never ask anyone else what to do!

[crazii_c]

ive just bought myself a fig tree before christmas (a little present to myself!). i too will be very interested in any advice people have.

i did buy brown turkey as i too heard it was best for growing in Britain. currently its in a pot outside and i wrapped it in fleece once the leaves fell off just to give it some winter protection.

[veggiechicken]

I have 2 figs, probably Brown Turkey, grown from cuttings. They were in pots for several years, whilst tiny and did very little. As soon as I put them in the ground they went berserk, throwing branches, leaves and figs everywhere. They are at least 8' tall and have to be severely cut back each year. They have a restricted root run, about 1' wide but maybe 12' long as it is a boundary wall planting, but backed by open trellis. I also have a camellia hedge and various other plants in with the figs so its not just their space. They live outside, obviously, and fruit every year but when the fruit are ripe its a race between the wasps and me. There are still unripe fruit on the branches. I know I should have removed them but I didn't have the heart! The dogs eat the unripe figs and their digestion does not seem to be affected!!
I have a couple more fig cuttings on the go at the moment and one that I planted out last year that I hope will take off this spring.

[jersey bean]

Just been looking into this myself! From Ashridge Nurseries website :-

"Planting fig trees in the open:

Fig trees grow in any well drained soil.

To get the best crop of figs, you need to restrict the roots of your fig tree. By making a strong barrier around the roots of your tree, you will make it grow to a manageable size and produce more fruit.

Ideal places to grow a fig tree:

In large containers.
In between a wall and a path with concrete foundations (a 60cm gap is enough).

If you are planting a free-standing tree out in the open, you will need to place stone slabs or pieces of concrete under the soil:

Dig a hole about 2.5 feet / 75 cms square.
Line the sides with solid pieces of stone (like slate), or slabs of concrete.
Drive a strong stake into the soil at the base of the hole.
Line the base of the hole with tightly packed stones: broken up bricks are good. Make a layer about 20cms thick.

You can now plant the fig tree and attach it to the stake while it establishes new roots.

For best results, add plenty of well-rotted manure and compost to the soil that you fill back in to plant your trees."

Seems to be quite an informative site

[hippychick253]

I have a brown turkey fig tree and I'm in Gloucester, so not a million miles from you, climate wise :-)
My tree is about 6 ft tall and I planted it outside, on a very windy plot with no wall or protection and it fruits every year.

It is best to restrict the roots, otherwise the tree puts loads of effort into growing bigger and often doesn't produce much fruit.

I dug a hole in my very clay-ey soil then put a drum out of a washing machine (recommended by Bob Flowerdew, I don't just go around planting random bits of domestic appliances in my garden :-)) ). I then planted the fig tree in the drum, filled it in with the earth and topped it off with loads of well rotted horse manure- don't let the manure directly contact the roots- and heeled it in with a sprinkling of spring bubs. In effect, it's in a pot, with it's roots restricted, but I don't have the worry of it falling over in the wind, and I don't have to worry about it drying out or the pot cracking in the frosts.
It is very happy in it's position, all be it a little lopsided due to the wind!

Hope that helps, Happy gardening.

[VirginVegGrower]

I have Brown Turkey outside. Although there is a new Scandic variety, white fleshed, name escapes me. It is also OK for UK weather. You should always winter protect them. They do this in as far south as Italy. Lots of straw and old sacking or fleece. It protects the fruitlets that are on at this time of year. Mine has been planted into a seat area and we put a paving slab box around it's rootball, not underneath though. Mine too did OK in a pot, but now planted is piling on growth. They love South facing.

[FB.]

I'm planning to buy my housemate a fig tree- she's been after one for ages, and has an allotment that really needs a few exciting things growing in it. There's just a few things I'm wanting to check on first, if anyone could offer their expert (or near enough ) opinion, that would be great!

From what I've found so far, is Brown Turkey the best variety? It'll be grown in Bristol, so South West, inner city; fairly warm as England goes.

Second thing- all the advice I've read gives instructions on growing them by a wall- there's no shed or anything like that to grow it up- should it do OK free standing? It'll be grown on a south facing slope, on a sunny, sheltered site; will that be enough, or would it be better to build some sort of low screen wall behind it?

Will it need winter protection? I read that they like having the roots resticted, so a big pot is best- will it need bringing indoors in winter? Wrapping with fleece/bubble wrap?

Any other tips/comments very welcome, I've never tried growing a fig myself, and I know she's not either, but I also know she'll never ask anyone else what to do!

Brown Turkey is considered to be the hardiest and most likely to give good crops.

In this area, figs do very well indeed - there are several free-standing small trees.
Here it is mild, sunny, low-rainfall (which is similar to figs natural climate) and the soil here is quite poor/shallow/dry (again similar to where figs grow naturally). We can happily let fig roots wander freely due to the poor soil.
However, if fig roots are allows free access to soil of decent fertility and/or in Western areas where rainfall is plentiful, they will make a lot of growth and sometimes not much fruit. It is therefore often recommended to restrict the roots in a pit lined with slabs to restrict the root growth (sides and bottom) - a few roots will squeeze between the slabs and escape but that is not a problem.
Restriction of roots encourages more and earlier fruiting - it's not much different in principle to the old "root pruning" technique used to bring over-vigorous fruit trees into production instead of growth.

The main reason for growing against a sunny South wall is to retain warmth to improve the ripening of the fruit and reduce the rsk of winter-freeze damage.

In colder areas, most figs can be damaged; Brown Turkey is the most likely to survive - I am told that it can tolerate down to about -12'C, whereas most other figs only tolerate about -5'C. Being sheltered by a wall keeps them from freezing so hard.

Figs are also quite fussy about having their roots or climate disturbed; try to minimise root disturbance while planting - and don't be surprised if it "sulks" for a year or two due to trasnplant shock and change in climate between the nursery where it grew and its new home in your friends plot.

[VirginVegGrower]

They also grow in rock cracks in Turkey where no soil appears to be???

[binley100]

I've seen them growing in the middle of derelict houses in Greece ..........bit like buddleias do in this country ...

[VirginVegGrower]

I've seen them growing in the middle of derelict houses in Greece ..........bit like buddleias do in this country ...

Anywhere they can get a foothold in heat - missed you Bins!