Fig Tree

Figs have a touch of the exotic about them and produce exceptionally succulent and tasty fruit that can be added to all sorts of cookery. Hardy plants that have beautiful foliage, Figs are well suited to container growing and training against walls. If you want to grow fruit on the patio or in other garden areas you should not be without a fig or two as they are architecturally beautiful and productive.

How to grow

Figs are very easy to grow and are especially valuable as they are relatively drought tolerant plants. Perfect for the environmentally minded gardener. When you receive your plants you should try to plant them in their final positions as soon as possible. If you cannot do this ensure plants are watered and kept in a bright space until ready to move outdoors.

Position

Figs enjoy a sunny spot that is sheltered against cold winds. Plants are especially good planted against a sunny wall as the heat radiated from the wall at night will keep plants warm and frost free. Figs make for excellent container plants and actually benefit from a restricted root ball as this promotes fruit production.

Soil

A rich and free draining compost will be most beneficial for growing figs. Add a layer of drainage at the base of containers and incorporate plenty of organic matter in to the soil, a multi-purpose compost or well-rotted garden compost will suffice. An annual mulch of organic matter will also benefit plants and this can be applied in spring.

Care

Figs require little care in general. A regular regime of watering and feeding with a general fertilizer throughout the growing season will benefit plants. You can prune shoots in Spring and later in the season to promote healthy growth and reduce overlapping stems and disease. Remove any developing fruits larger than a pea in Winter as it is the smaller embryonic fruit that will develop in the next year.

Harvesting

Harvest figs when they are plump and have changed color . A ripe fig removed from the tree on a sunny day is a true delight as the flesh is warm and very succulent. When the skin begins to crack the fruit is fully ripe and makes for excellent eating. Remove figs individually by hand.

Top Tip

Birds can eat fruit as it ripens and develops. You may wish to cover trees with netting to avoid this or grow plants in a fruit cage.

Bavarian Fig Violetta Tree

Bavarian Fig Violetta produces large fruits (individual fruits weighing up to 110g/4oz have been recorded) and perhaps of most interest to gardeners is that it is said to be able to with stand temperatures down to -20°C (-4°F)!

Fig

This deciduous, spreading shrub is highly ornamental, with large, glossy, palmat palmate leaves. It is best grown against a south or south-west facing wall, where, in long, hot summers it will produce an abundant crop of brown, pear-shaped fruit with red flesh. These figs are rich and sweet and available for picking from August to September. An interesting and easy plant to grow, and one of the oldest fruits in cultivation. Garden care: Plant in a 40cm (15in) pot in the ground or in a lined pit to restrict root-growth as unrestricted root growth leads to poor fruiting. Prune in spring when all chance of frost has past. Remove any frost-damaged or weak branches, and thin out shoots to let light in. Some pruning may be required in summer - trim all new shoots back to five or six leaves.Figs are capable of producing three crops of fruit every year, but in our climate it is the tiny little ones that you find tucked into the leaf axils in autumn, that if protected from frosts, will go on to ripen in their second summer. Therefore if you are growing the fig for its fruit rather than its foliage, you should remove any developing fruits that are larger than a pea in autumn, and either cover the crown of the tree with a blanket of frost fleece or try to gently pack it with straw. This will keep them snug and warm throughout winter and push the plants energy into the development of the young fruits, which should grow into fully ripened figs next year.

Fig Brown Turkey

Specially selected for the UK climate as Brown Turkey is fully hardy and can be grown very successfully outdoors, producing large crops of sweet and juicy figs with a deep red flesh under their brown skins. Makes a dramatic feature plant fan trained against a wall or in a container on the patio. Fruits ripen August to September. The perfect fruit to grow in containers on your patio, and will consistently produce large volumes of tasty fruit.

Fig Brown Turkey Standard

Expensive to buy in the shops but so easy to grow! Fig Brown Turkey is the most reliable fig. It will produce for you a heavy crop of healthy, purple-brown fruits with sweet red flesh and the more you pick the more fruit your tree will produce. Plants are very vigorous and growth should be limited by restricting the roots to a large container (which will also encourage fruit formation). Ideally suited to a warm, sunny position in a pot on your patio, your standard fig tree will be both a decorative and productive addition to your garden.

Fig Brunswick

Attractive trees with enormous hand shaped leaves have medium vigor making them ideal for growing in containers. Produces a heavy crop of medium sized pear shaped fruits with the sweetest of flavors. Tolerates growing in cooler wetter growing conditions and is a lot hardier than other varieties.

Fig Panachee

Also known as Tiger Fig due to its unusual striped fruits, Fig Panachee is an ancient variety mentioned in agrarian history as far back as 1668, which boasts an excellent flavor and very good cold resistance. Produces one crop per year of 55g fruits.

Fig Violetta

The Bavarian fig and in our opinion the most hardy, best flavored and heaviest cropping fig available. Produces very hardy figs of exceptional eating quality. Unlike other figs, Violetta needs regular watering and feeding to grow well, when the over wintering figs will mostly ripen in June, followed by a superb crop in September. Perfect for growing in containers.

Specials