How do I care for my new fruit bushes?

[Samurailord]

Hi all

I gave in to temptation today, and bought the last two fruit bushes from Lidl, an Olive and a Fig.

The Fig looked in pretty poor shape, one tiny leaf and not much else, but the Olive looked OK - a few leaves dropped off but plenty of healthy ones left. They were marked down to £1.99 each so I thought 'Why not?'

I have bought bare twigs from Aldi and Lidl before and most have thrived - my gooseberry is three years old and was in that state, so I am hoping for the best.

I have given them both a good watering in, but as I have never tried to grow anything like this before I was hoping for some advice from the more experienced Grapes on what to do next.

I know that I have to bring them in over the winter (I have my eye on some nice decorative terracotta pots that will look nice in our conservatory), but apart from that I know nothing.

Help, please!

Andy

[Samurailord]

Come on Guys!

41 views but no replies?

Does no one have any advice at all?

Andy

[Peas'n'Kews]

I managed to kill my 2 year olive this year, so I would recommend this being inside over winter (mine wasn't) but there's no probs with it being outside the rest of year.

I believe figs only fruit if their roots are restricted (VC posted something on this recently) but they can grow outside all year round, I believe. I can't wait to have a fig!!!! (need to move first).

Not much help, I know, but at least not just another viewing!

[veggiechicken]

Come on Guys!
41 views but no replies?
Does no one have any advice at all?
Andy

Patience, Andy, while we mull over your questions
So, you want to know what to do with two rubbishy old leftover plants you bought cheap in Lidl............. Ermmmmmmmmm, ....... thinks............
I'm guessing that they are both quite small..........uummmmmmmmm
I have figs and an olive tree that live outside, planted in the ground, BUT, they are quite large. The olive is about 4' and the figs are gigantic, apart from the 2 year-old tiddler that is about 18" tall, planted out last year.
I would keep them in pots this year, but slightly bigger, better pots than they came in. Give them some TLC and bring them indoors through the winter.
The olive is quite slow growing and you may need to keep it in a pot for several years. The fig, once its happy will romp away.
Here are 2 of mine

If you're lucky, someone who knows about these things will be along shortly.

[FB.]

Come on Guys!

41 views but no replies?

Does no one have any advice at all?

Andy

Advice?

Yes - figs (and presumably their Mediterranean friend the olive) like a long, hot, dry growing season. Just about the opposite to what you're likely to see in the NorthWest.

Figs don't have much problem with infertile soil as they grow a root system so massive that it will shock you that such a "small" above-ground plant can be many multiples of that size below ground. The size of the roots will make your eyes water - so they crop best in infertile and slightly dry soil, which is what grossly oversized root systems are designed for (a bit like D'Arcy Spice apple which grows well in hot dry infertile soil - as long as its rootstock is strong enough to cope with the conditions; MM111 and M25 only for dry infertile soil!).

Moist and fertile will encourage growth and not cropping.

Not much problem with disease.

The fruits can attract birds, or wasps which come to drink little beads of nectar which drip off the "eye" of very ripe fruit.

Wet weather tends to cause fig fruits to split.

Figs do not like temperatures much below about -5'C; some varieties will be killed, while others may withstand a bit colder temepratures (say -10'C) but will still lose many branches to "winter-freeze-kill". Brown Turkey is the most likely to survive British winters.

Figs are generally best grown against a warm, sheltered, sunny, South-ish-facing wall.

[rustylady]

Come on Guys!

41 views but no replies?

Does no one have any advice at all?

Andy

Well you said fruit bushes so I had a look. I know quite a bit about currants and gooseberries etc. but zilch about figs and olives so I didn't reply. Sorry

[alldigging]

I think you need a leather briefcase or something to plant the fig in...
And a sheltered sunny spot.

[Samurailord]

Thanks for all the replies - and sorry I was a bit impatient but it's been one of those days at work today.

I am planning to keep them both in pots so they can come in over the winter - the packaging recommends -5 as a minimum, and as we got down to -16 last year I am not chancing leaving them outside.

I guess just plenty of good compost in a new pot, and a bit of tlc will do the job.

Andy

[veggiechicken]

Sounds like a good plan to me

[Scarlet]

Olives - I haven't got!!! (even though I love them!)Figs - keep the roots contained and plant in a warm,sheltered spot - if you plant them in the ground they will just green up. Pot grown and overwintered inside is the best way to go if you can manage it.