[Lesley Silvester]

All I know about figs is that I like them. I planted a small tree last year, which had three figs on it. It grew well and early this year had 30 baby figs appear. I was so excited but, one frost later and they gradually dropped until only one was left. to my amazement, I have just noticed more baby figs growing. Is this normal and can I expect a crop later on?

[pgkevet]

It's normal for them to flower again but rarely do weather conditions UK allow the second ones to mature before winter cold sets in. I found it was always that lottery at the beginning of the year when they'll bud up compared to weather - almost better to have the winter cold spell last longer so they bud later at beginning of year.
But when you do get a crop there's nowt better than fresh figs off the tree..

Cuttings are dead easy so you make up more new ones and plant in different sites to improve your chances.

[macgro7]

In the polytunnel (as in the Mediterranean) you can expect two croos a year. Outdoors one crop in september if you are lucky to have them in a sheltered spot so they can ripen before cold weather

[Lesley Silvester]

Mine is fairly well sheltered as I live in a built up area. Would I be better next year covering it in fleece to protect early buds.


pgkevet, I do agree that you can't beat figs fresh off the tree but that goes for all fruit IMO.

[SallyintNorth]

I thought I'd been told it took two seasons to ripen a fig in this country?  So buds and small fruits have to be wrapped in fleece for the winter.

I hope you get to sample the real thing from your own plant, Lesley!

[macgro7]

I thought I'd been told it took two seasons to ripen a fig in this country?  So buds and small fruits have to be wrapped in fleece for the winter.

I hope you get to sample the real thing from your own plant, Lesley!

Not really.
First fruit buds develop in spring and should ripper in september or October, then  another set of little fruit buds develop but they are often destroyed by cold. Unless they are really tiny in which case they can survive and grow in the spring.
Figs have NO FLOWERS  Straight to fruit

[pgkevet]

In the polytunnel (as in the Mediterranean) you can expect two croos a year. Outdoors one crop in september if you are lucky to have them in a sheltered spot so they can ripen before cold weather

It's one of those paradox things...sometimes not havng them sheltered means they fruit later for the first flush and you then don't get caught by the late frosts. Even in surrey it wasn't every year that i got a crop and my main fig was in a  bed near to the conservatory, sheltered on another side by buildings and a third side by a  high wood fence. There other varieties apart from the brown turkey ive always grown that probably fruit later anyway and might be worth a go but I doubt you'ld ever get later fruit through the winter however much you coddle them short of growing in greenhouse/polytunnel or tubs you bring in. I negkected the cuttings i brought to this farm and lost them .. so it's only 2 years since i planted new trees and made more cuttings. I'm hoping that 5/6 trees spread about the place in different likely positions will give me a better overall result.

It's a bit like the apricots.. 6yrs and this is the first year it's had any fruit and then not much. Always flowers prolifically but always so early it gets frosted. The fruit on it this time is all on the north side of tree (sheltered by a hill)

This year all my early blossoming fruit is low.. early apples bare of fruit except one sheltered amongst a load of trees. The later flowering ones have done about 60% of their norml crop. Damsons are down to 20%.. the one's in field hedges have no fruit at all this year. Fortunately i have so many apple trees that there's still more than i need left. Heck even plum trees were down to less than a dozen plums and the victoria had none at all.

[pgkevet]

Not really.
First fruit buds develop in spring and should ripper in september or October, then  another set of little fruit buds develop but they are often destroyed by cold. Unless they are really tiny in which case they can survive and grow in the spring.
Figs have NO FLOWERS  Straight to fruit

Figs are the flowers.. they're just inside out and the flesh is the petals.

[Lesley Silvester]

So is it worth using fleece this winter to try to protect my tiny figs? The tree is still fairly small so it is feasible for this year at least.


SitN, I will get the one that is still there, I hope. I shall savour it, maybe with a glass of bubbly.

[Possum]

I have a two year old fig tree with 3 figs that look about the right size to eat. How do I know when they are ripe? Sorry to ask such an obvious question, but none of the gardening books/sites have any info about this most important stage of fruit development!

[pgkevet]

With any fruit there's a learning curve..
For brown turkey fig .. well they have to turn brown.. then they swell even a  bit more and get a little softer. I often had some start to split 'cos the real joy of figs off the tree is you can risk them getting on the cusp of overripe as opposed to bought ones picked sl underripe and ripening en route. the one;s on my south london tree used to be almost twice as big as shop ones.

[Possum]

I'm glad I asked. They are still green and quite firm. I had thought about picking them and putting them in the fruit bowl to ripen but I will now leave well alone until they ripen on the tree.

[Lesley Silvester]

Mine is Brown Turkey. I didn't realise it had to turn brown. I just knew it was still rock hard. What time of year is it usual to pick them?