Who gives a Fig?

[veggiechicken]

How many of us grow figs? What sort? Have you picked any yet?
I'm never sure when to pick figs. In a normal year, my Brown Turkey figs go dark and are soft to touch but by that time the wasps are in them (Thinks.... Haven't seen any wasps this year??)
So today I picked two still-green figs that were softish when squeezed. If yours look like mine, wait a little longer as they're as dry as cardboard inside. Time to heat them up with some honey instead of eating them fresh.

[realfood]

I grow figs and am harvesting now. Pick them when they hang down and go soft and change colour. depending on the size of your fig tree, use a mosquito net to stop the wasps getting into them.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I have a little fig tree that I am growing as an espalier. I have no idea what variety it is, as we rescued it from my BiL who inherited it when he moved house, but didn't want it. It has fruited quite nicely, but I haven't been brave enough to pick them

[northepaul]

My fig tree is about 5 foot high and 3 years old, but has never produced a single fig!! Very pretty leaves though.

[scarey55]

My fig tree is about 5 foot high and 3 years old, but has never produced a single fig!! Very pretty leaves though.

My fig is producing well but the fruit isn't any where near ripe yet - not sure what sort it is.
Hang in there Thea, it took mine about 5 years before it fruited. The advice I was given is to prune it to 4 or 5 leaves to get it to fruit and it worked for me.

[PyreneesPlot]

Mine is 2 foot high and hasn't produced anything either. Last year it was new, reached 2 foot high and then the evil cold winter cut it down to ground level.

Luckily there is a huge tree opposite a house where we do the garden and the owners hate figs so the whole village helps themselves

[veggiechicken]

Thanks, Fig tree growers! I find it really helpful to hear how ripe your figs are as its always a bit of a puzzle to me! I shall wait a little longer before I pick any more - not that there are many this year

[DuncanM]

My neighbour has two fig trees, both of which overhang my garden. The first crop was dismal, only maybe 4 or 5 figs on a tree that last year produced hundreds - the cold got them as they were developing and killed most of them. the surviving ones were ripe about a month ago and when I went outside to pick them I'd already been beaten to it by the birds

The 2nd crop contains hundreds, and they are developing well but it will take a warm and sunny September and possibly October to finish them off.

The advice my neighbour gave regarding ripening is that wait until the figs have stretch-marks (a fig version of cellulite :P ). That holds true for his trees anyway (not sure the breed but they stay green, even when ripe).

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Duncan. I'll look out for stretch marks!!

[veggiechicken]

What a difference a few days make!
Three droopy figs, soft to touch - not too sure about the stretch marks!

[veggiechicken]

...and it was delicious, just see all that juice

[BUFFS]

since i moved my potted brown turkey fig into the newly converted hothouse there are signs of some fruit forming,we had none this year(first time for years)because of those four cold snaps,but now,with improved growing conditions we should get a good crop next year,especially as its now in a half dustbin 24ins wide,24ins deep ,and its black loam from the veg patch,so OH is already planning fig and peach ice cream for next year,any fruit i grow could end up as an ice cream,she has just a wee sweet tooth,so to speak,just a little one,she tells me,i believe her,i have been married long enough to know not to do otherwise,im the boss in my house and my wife said i could say so......nuff said........

[Marcher]

I have a fig plant (Brown Turkey) but found out that I'm not too fond of figs. I guess I should have tasted some before buying a plant. Oh well, it makes a nice shrub and at least I don't have the trouble of trying to ripen figs in Northern England any more.

[alldigging]

HowStuffWorks "Are figs really full of baby wasps?"


Mmm figs.

[Marcher]

HowStuffWorks "Are figs really full of baby wasps?"


Mmm figs.

Not the ones we grow in this country anyway. Ours are all self fertile because the wasp is absent. It makes you wonder how ancient people ever put up with eating a fruit with a dead bug in it, maybe they weren't as fussed about it as us.