I have a gig tree about 8 years old in Surrey. I get two edible crops per year. Last year I got about 180 and this year I have about 70. They are as big as a plum they are just starting to ripen and the next crop has started to show. This fig came from Notthrrn Italy near Torino near Venice courtesy of an Italian friend. Have cuttings and I give them away each year
I’m on the Wirral, North West England. My friend’s house has a huge fig tree in her tiny backyard that produces masses of figs each year. I was blown away the first time I saw them. No idea how long it’s been at her Victorian property but it’s inspired me to have a go too! I bought a £25 plant early this year and it’s growing nicely in a pot right now (Mid June). I’m hopeful!
Well done, it should fruit in a year or so. You can also very easily take cuttings off her plant in spring. I'm sure she needs to prune it each year so you can pinch some branches lol. My friend on you tube 'the adventurous allotmenteer' is growing figs as well as some other unusual fruits in the wirral
You need to take cuttings from her tree and learn how to root them yourself which is very easy. Do you have a tree that you know will work in your area right next door
I have got Brown Turkey Figs every year for the last 4 years from my 9 plus year old fig tree I have never pruned it or pinched out but I do have had to tame and tie it back as its 7 ft tall and about 16 ft wide growing alongside my fence in Cornwall.This year was Magic about 8 every day from July to September was still harvesting up to last week it also grew 3 ft this year so I am training it along top of gate and around side of House mine was better than the ones in Heligan. Even managed to get 5 spare plants by scratching long leaders from base of tree and burying then whilst still attached to main tree then cutting main stem after 4 months.
Yes that’s probably the most reliable variety in the UK. If you have space to let them grow unrestricted, of course you get the best crops. It’s helpful to be in one of the mildest parts of the UK 👍😁
Here is a top tip! Cut them branches off that are going to fruit next year! when they have gone dormant and root them in a greenouse of poly tunnel! You will most definitely still get figs! even though they are dormant if kept warm they will root over winter long before the leaves show. Done this a few times over the years so I know it works. You will get an 80% strike rate on cuttings. Hope this helps you get some decent figs! I have had two fig trees fruit with tastey golf ball sized fruit in an unheated Poly Tunnel! They kept out growing and taking over with the biggest leaves ever! I have some saved seedlings from a fruit from them. They had to be taken down when the Poly Tunnel was moved! Such a shame to have lost the trees! Hoping to get these little seedlings from them to grow some where they are never going to be moved from!
I have a Brown Turkey growing in a large pot. The only time I had a large amount of ripe figs was when I fed them with comfrey tea fertiliser and that was the end of August. This year I ran out and so I had to prioritise my peppers etc... So the figs won't get ripe this year. I never understood why so thanks for that information Brett. All the best Steve
Hi steve yes I saw your fig in the recent video update. Funnily enough if you over feed figs they tend to make lots of new green growth and not many figs. If it's cold early in the season a lot if the brebas drop off. Last summer would have been a great year for figs with those weeks of record temperatures and no rain. Brown Turkey normally ripens its brebas mid to late August. If you stuck it in your greenhouse you'd probably get earlier brebas and consequently possibly main crops figs 👍. There are one or two varieties ( that I dont have ) that ripen earlier so allegedly sometimes produce 2 crops 😁
@@lyonheart84 Sadly my greenhouse is full with over wintering veggies, so I'll have to take my chances, I wonder if I could fleece it maybe? Thanks for all your help Brett Best regards Steve
This was a very informative video and I learnt 1. that some regions have 3x crops per year and 2. reinforced my thoughts on how zones arent zones. Zone 9a (where I am) is not the same as zone 9a in Florida.
Ah yes that’s very true. US climate zones are based exclusively on probable winter absolute minimums , but that minimum might only be reached once or twice a year for 2 hours before a rapid temperature recovery the next day. Even in London I might not get the same minimum ( technically I’m zone 9a as well ) , however I can get 4 months of very wet nights just a degree or 2 above those minimums and that’s what wrecks all the borderline hardy tropicals 🤪🤪. What’s more relevant are heat zones. Even zone 7 in America gets considerably hotter, longer periods than we do 😁
@@lyonheart84 So true, our summers and Autumn are much warmer and hotter than yours, which means all our main crop figs have no trouble ripening. My subtropical plants though are going through their first winter under basic cover and I have fingers and toes crossed they get through the next 3 months. Nightly temperatures might not get down to negative 4 or 5 every night, or even every week- but nightly temperatures at -1 or -2 for weeks on end is common.
There are a few braber only fig trees about , one í was in formed about was Dessert King .. been looking for cuttings of This variety , not luck yet.. I tried figs in the greenhouse throughout the summer very poor results. For me the best results are From Figs planted in the ground .. Thanks for video..
Yes I don’t have desert king. Of course all figs are multi crop just not in our climate lol. I do get some main crop figs here in a very good summer , might get some this year
Hi Robin, yes no real issue about growing figs in our climate, the video was more angled at main crop figs that rarely ripen in the UK. The usual breba figs tend to be ready late July into August. My parents tree has dozens on it as well 😁
Iv'e got two multi-stem/coppice Brown turkey fig trees, both in full sun (Northwest England). One is planted normally in the ground, whereas the other is raised up on a mound next to a pond that reflects light and heat directly onto it. The 'pond' fig has a small crop early in the year and a HEAVY crop later in the year in Autumn, the other has yet to ever produce a single ripe fig.
They can be cantankerous plants sometimes lol, my breba figs were pretty much all wrecked this year by the late cold snap in the Southeast in April, but I had a couple of brebas that ripened in September then some main crops of other varieties in September and October, I trimmed them in July to try and force the main crop fruits to mature in time and had some degree of success. Its certainly all about the location and the amount of warm weather we get over the Summer 😁
Figs can and do fruit and ripen successfully outdoors in the uk. Im in the North of England and I get good crops from Brown Turkey variety regularly each year. They ripen from August- October. Also picked breba crops in July/ August. All depends on variety. Brunswick is also cold tolerant.
Yes of course figs fruit and ripen in the uk , I’ve been eating home grown figs for 20 years. That was a generic question in the video title about main crop figs that people that haven’t grown figs often ask me and the answer is not reliably as it depends heavily on weather, location and variety. It’s best to prune for Breba crops here and if you get some main crop figs it’s a bonus. I’ve been experimenting this year with different pruning methods and I did get some main crop figs in September and even up to late October however the cooler the weather gets the less sweet and juicy and lacking in flavour the figs tend to be. I find the best figs are in warm weather in August. 👍
@@lyonheart84 Thanks for clarifying , it makes more sense now. This year was an odd year as figs were later to ripen due to wet and cool weather in late summer. However, the crops did ripen from mid Sept to late Oct like you said ( outdoors). A potted fig that hadn’t ripened its crop outdoors did finally ripen in the greenhouse over October and into early November!
Having a greenhouse is a massive bonus for the figs, a luxury I don’t have. Biggest problem making videos is I have to think about the people that have no knowledge and experience rather than the experienced grower lol. You can be sure that whatever I put in a video there will always people that have found the complete opposite to be true for them 😂😂
@@lyonheart84 I think you can also do really well without a greenhouse when you consider how each garden has many microclimates within a small space. I also agree with regards pitching your videos to the right audience- you will never win! Its good to hear from different home growers and their experiences though👍🏻
Agree with most of this. I live in a similar location to you, outskirts of London. Mostly main crop figs a waste of time in UK without a greenhouse. However there are some early varieties which give me ripe main crop figs in a pot on a south facing patio without extra help by early September. That is Florea and Ronde de bordeaux. Lubera sell the second one. A few others give me a crop with the help of a cheap pop up polytunnel from March to mid June. I focus on high yielding breba producing figs for in the ground and early main crop figs for in pots.
Thanks for your comments, it's only my own opinions and experience of course, not hard scientific fact lol. I havent got any of the early varieties that I've heard can theoretically produce 2 crops plus none of mine are on a south facing wall, I've saved that for my pineapple guavas and kiwi as they need Autumn warmth to have a chance of getting ripe fruit. I've got no space for a polytunnel or greenhouse, my garden is the wrong layout and too small so I'm happy to get a few brebas. It was a cold June this year which messed everything up. One of my youtube mates is a Ross Raddi ( if you follow him ) devotee and of course pinched all his figs in June expecting to get figs in 90 days and sadly got nothing anywhere near ripeness, even tougher for him to do as he's much further North 😩😩
Yes I get figs here, the difference is whether it’s early season ( Breba ) crops which tend to be ready July / August and the main crop figs which tend to be September or later if the weather allows
What’s your thoughts on restricting roots when planting? I’m confused as you mentioned larger trees having a better chance of producing more figs… but I always hear that restricting roots to inhibit leafy growth encourages more figs. I’ve got 16 acres so not short on space, and a few fig trees to plant and unsure what to do with them… give them freedom to put roots down to Hades or clog their feet with rubble. Or a mix of both? I saw a video where they bent their young fig tree down to ground level to allow them to cover with leaves to protect from a cold winter climate as they get harsh winters… the lateral shoots grew upwards and produced crops (and they pruned these before winter)… am now wondering if that approach might make getting a maincrop possible with a row cover. 🤔
Yes I’m aware of the restricting roots advice. I suppose my in ground tree is in a small raised bed so may have restricted roots. I think unrestricted trees are simply very vigorous growers, maybe too big for many small gardens so restricting the roots will keep the trees more manageable. I’m sure a larger tree can be pruned and ‘pinched’ to try and encourage fruit development. I would say that my potted figs which therefore have restricted roots have had very poor fig production. I would say where you live will influence whether you need to winter protect your fig plants, it’s certainly not necessary where I live 😁
Hi Thank you for your video, nice to see someone near to my location growing figs. I have had a fig tree planted in the ground for many years now, it is quite large and I it cut it back each year which seems to make it grow more!!!!! I believe it is called "Adriatic" I have a massive amount of ripe figs each summer and then a mass of small figs that drop off in the winter . I do have a south facing garden so that probably helps. I don't know if you have this variety but would be happy to send you a cutting if you would like.
You might have the so called white adriatic which is light green or yellow with a red flesh when ripe. I don’t have that actual one as far as I know although I do have a green fig that hasn’t fruited yet. I certainly wouldn’t say no to a cutting if you are local. Whereabouts are you ?
Did I notice one of your Brown Turkey's was turning brown it definitely looked a different colour you never no it's not over till the last fig drops. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂👍
Lol andrew I only wish that was the case, sadly nowhere near ready. The figs stopped growing mid september and if you look closely they are all starting to shrivel, the same as every other year 🤪🤪🤪🤣🤣🤣. We could have done with an Indian summer 😎😎😎
Me again, apologies! Great info, thanks for clearing that up, as I was wondering why my R.d.bordeaux dropped all its good sized figs last year. This year my small brown turkey is loaded with breba's, but I'm just wondering how to prune it in the coming winter. From what I understand, you have to create a permanent branching structure, and then prune off 2 year old growth back to that structure to encourage new growth which will bear next years figs, whilst leaving on the 1 year old growth which will hold this years figs. A sort of biennial pruning. Anyway, great video, look forward to updates. All the best.
Spot on with the 2 year pruning / cropping, it's not always easy to do depending on the size of the plant, it's all about encouraging this years growth to get the brebas for next year. Our American friends don't appreciate the issues we have here as even in their colder climate zones ( 7 and 8 ) where they may lose the brebas to extreme cold, they get considerably hotter summers which allows them to get main crop figs, something that is a rare occurrence here. There are one or two varieties that on occasions produce a main crop here as they are particularly early.
Hi there, fig plants are very hardy in your area, no need to move inside. However if you have a greenhouse / polytunnel / conservatory and wish to put it inside that would give you an earlier start to the season next year and more chance of both a breba crop and a main crop. Also in a frost free greenhouse some of the larger figs formed in late summer MIGHT survive over winter and give you earlier fruit
Has been covered in other videos Mike, complex to cover in a short reply but basically you can prune early to mid summer to encourage new shoots. The brebas will be in the leaf axils towards the tips of the new shoots around October. They need to be pea sized or smaller to have the best chance of surviving Winter. Anything easily recognisable as a young fig is unlikely to survive a normal winter
Thanks I learned a lot from you. Really interesting and no waffle. As a child in Wexford Ireland our neighbours had 3 very old huge trees which remained from previous family in 1800s. They produced delicious purple very ripe soft figs every year. Pigs used to eat them when they dropped and us. The family didn't bother with them. I was v sad when they cut them down to make way for horses. I wish I knew what variety they were. I remain hopeful that there is a fig for this climate. Still looking.
Thanks Janet, I try not to waffle on for too long like some people and bore everybody to death 🤣🤣. In those days the fig plants were probably brought back from Italy or elsewhere in the Mediterranean or they could simply have been Brown Turkey, the hardiest and most reliable variety. I have breba figs on some of my plants now, they will probably ripen in July. Some varieties only produce main crop figs if pollinated by the fig wasp which of course we don't have in our climate. If you wanted to try and get a main crop here you could probably search for and buy the variety 'Madeleine de deux saisons' online here which is a very early variety and sometimes produces main crop figs, otherwise stick with brown Turkey or Brunswick as they are very hardy and reliable 'breba' croppers ( the overwintered embryo figs ).
@@lyonheart84 ok Thanks for that very useful and interesting ( and prompt) information. Someone gave me a Brown Turkey this year. I planted it in a good spot close to the house. I'm very hopeful of it now. I kept a cutting from my Dads just for the memory of him. It's looking good but I know now it's just not a runner for here. Many thanks Happy Gardening
@@janetwhitney7432 you might be surprised what other varieties will grow where you are, they just vary in crop production from variety to variety. Should all prove very hardy in UK climates. LOL as I don't have too many subscribers it's easy to see messages and reply, no doubt if I end up one day with a few thousand subscribers and hundreds of messages on every video of course I will only be able to respond to a few each day 😁
We just moved to an old vicarage with a huge fig tree. The garden was abandoned for 7 years and it has produced ripe figs (we had a heat wave perhaps that’s why). So many of The branches hanging are all over the floor and it has tiny figs ( are these the embryo figs for next year or can I hard prune it). What month should I prune it please?
I would suggest you cut it back as you find necessary rather than worry about next years figs. Unfortunately anything small you can already recognise easily as a fig will not develop this year or survive the winter. Only the tiny embryo figs towards the ends of shoots in October / November once the plant is dormant will be next year’s breba crop. Therefore it unfortunately follows that any shoots you prune off now and in Autumn will also remove the potential Brebas. Pruning is best done anyway once the plant is dormant and the sap stops flowing. It’s also easier to see what you are doing then and you can at that time leave some suitably positioned branches with embryo breba fruit on 🤞
Once the leaves have all dropped and the stems have turned woody it will be completely dormant. The exact timing will depend on the weather for the next few months. It may hold onto a few leaves until November if the weather is kind. I normally prune figs in January or February
If you watch some of my newer videos you will see I do occasionally get main crop figs. It’s much milder in the south west than some parts of the country 😁
Thanks for dropping by Ceili. I've got about 6 varieties so far but I'm not knowledgeable on breba only varieties. They aren't particularly easy to get here as you know. If the ones I have grow ok this summer I may try to add a couple more varieties. As you probably know I've been concentrating on my persimmon collection lol 😁
@@lyonheart84 hi ,I need some roots of fig trees ...I need it badly for my treatment ..plz do not throw away d fallen leaves of fig it is that beneficial for health. Pls reply me yes or No...also can Whatsapp. .07405411649.thanks
A very informative video, thankyou. I started to grow mine in pots and in the winter I put them in garage for protection. I would like some advice please: before storage should I remove some/all or none of the unripe figs. Mille grazie
Do you live in a very cold area ? They are normally very hardy. But keeping them in a garage will get them growing earlier in the Spring. If you have a warm, light garage the larger embryo fruits ( half and inch and bigger ) might survive and become fruit next year. If they dry out and look dead in winter it’s best to remove them as sometimes they go mouldy. The fruits smaller than 1/4 inch will stay protected by the wood and should survive the winter and become your ‘Breba’ crop early next summer. You don’t remove these unless you have to prune the plant for size / shape.
If you keep your figs tree in a green house or pollytunnel you will get ripen figs iv done it, iv got a Turkey fig and I live in the northwest in oldham this year March iv already picked some ripen figs already
Great info. I was given a fig. It's about 6ft and in the tiniest pot. I'm thinking of repotting and pruning to fit in my greenhouse to over winter. Any advice on when to do this and how to prune it would be much appreciated.
Hard to be precise without looking at the tree but they often fruit better with restricted roots but I'm sure at that height a larger pot would be beneficial. Normally I prune in winter when its dormant just to control size , thin the branches if it has too many, or if it doesn't have any side branches, pruning it will encourage them. If you can cut the top off in late winter and stick it in a pot theres a good chance it will root and you'll have an extra plant
Can you explain please how to fertilise the fig tree? I gave it miracle grow (the blue powder) but seems not like it? Although I used same as the instruction said☹️
Hi Thomas assuming you mean the figs and other outdoor hardy fruit trees probably not necessary as it seems to rain continuously here in the uk through winter lol, plus of course they are dormant. I suppose if we had a winter drought for several weeks I would consider watering them as they don’t have access to ground water
Normally best to plant them when dormant in Winter as there is less stress but really you can plant at almost any time that's convenient for you if you look after the plant
@@lyonheart84 I'm from a USDA zone 7. I got two of them in the backyard. They seem to be holding up well. I hope you enjoy the yuzu tree when you get it. Great channel
They are apparently pretty hardy. Although our winters are milder than yours, they are generally much wetter which stresses citrus a lot AND our Summers are cooler so they don’t get that growth boost.
@@Sussy-Walter gee that's tricky to explain without demonstrating. I suspect I've shown how in more recent fig videos. Next year's brebas develop right at the tips of this year's growth. Normally you would prune your fig branches back in early to mid summer. This encourages new shoots to develop which should grow until late september. By the time you get to october you will probably have recognisable figs around a foot from the growing tip which will be maybe half an inch in diameter. These are the current season figs that are too late to ripen and too big to survive a normal UK winter. Nearer the growing tip you should see figs that are pea sized or smaller sitting in the leaf axils. When the stems turn woody these embryo figs will survive winter against the stems and will start developing late spring and will form your breba crop.
@@lyonheart84 thank you so much for the details. I have a small brown turkey with a couple brebas that seems to be ripening now, and a lot of main crops in various sizes. I snipped some tips a few weeks ago so I wasn't too far off from your suggestion. Guess I will go around pruning some branches now and hope I will get a lot more brebas next year. Is it a good idea to remove all the main crops except the largest ones as they wouldn't have a chance to ripen?
@Sussy-Walter if you’ve already got new growth you probably don’t need to prune again. In an exceptional summer brown turkey might produce one or two main crop figs in October so you could try removing any main crop figs except for a handful of the largest just to see if they might ripen. I don’t bother to remove figs from my large in ground tree as I just don’t have time. Brown turkey is a great breba producer here because it is a late fig
@@lyonheart84 ok thanks, just gonna prune the ones blocking the path than. I just picked the first breba from it this morning, it wasn't fully ripped but was splitted overnight. It tastes watery but still better than some store bought ones. Splitting is probably from the constant rains lately and there probably nothing I could do. Let's hope we have some good weathers for the figs and my skin too lol.
Yes I've heard Californian figs are superb. Because of our cooler climate we prune the figs a bit differently to focus on breba crops, however I have had my first ever main crop figs this year late in September so it seems if we have a perfect season we can get a few 👍
"Any figs you don't get by the first or second week of September to ripeness you can forget it". (Around the 7 min mark). Your videos are great but I have to disagree on this one. I've not been growing figs for too long, just a few years, but each year I've had figs producing until Oct/Nov, and last year Dec. All on trees outdoors, in pots and in-ground. I am in London so I understand that makes a difference but Woodford is only about 10 mins away from where I am. Also there are people in the community in similar climate to the UK climate, who live in places like Seattle and they have decent success year after year. I've never experienced fig drop in Autumn and to be completely honest don't do anything special to my plants. Thanks for the videos though, always great seeing other growers in the area.
Hi Peppe. Just personal experience but that is on smaller fig plants, and there are certainly even warmer parts of London than my location. Last year the leaves on all of my fig plants were turning yellow by mid September which effectively means active growth has stopped so sap flow to the figs slows down or stops. A much larger plant will certainly stay active longer and produce edible fruits until later but the quality and sweetness definitely drops quickly with lower temperatures. Seattle does have slightly higher temperatures than here in summer which helps ( I'm sure you watch Ben Seattle figs videos ?). I have myself picked a few figs off a brown Turkey in October but they didnt compare to the August ones for taste and quality. I'm hoping with some of these new varieties to get figs later and if successful video the results and post them, I'm delighted to experiment with new ideas to extend the season for figs and everything else. I just like to soften people's expectations in this Country as most of my UK viewers are in the Midlands and even further North and they have very little chance of late figs without a greenhouse. Unfortunately they watch Ross Raddi's videos ( I'm sure you follow him as well ) and think they can pinch their shoots in mid June and hey presto ( ! ) ripe figs 90 days later 🤪🤪.
@@lyonheart84 Hi, so sorry for the delayed reply! Thanks for taking the time to get back to me on this. Your observations are really interesting. My trees are all pot grown, and quite small, nothing taller than 5ft. I've tried pinching for the first time this year, probably a bit too late to be honest. I've had decent breba production this year but still awaiting any main crop. I'm hopeful as the past few years have given us fruits later on in the year. But like I said, comparing our observations are interesting as I don't live too far from your area. There's a growing community of fig growers on Facebook if you're interest, 'Fig Growers UK' I think it's called, quite insightful to compare different growers' experiences around the country.
Just buy any plant you find in a garden centre, they all look similar and will survive anywhere. If you hope to get fruits give it the sunniest position you can
Interestingly I've just asked an expert fig grower ( I'm waiting for an answer ) as I haven't been feeding mine yet, they were all potted in fresh soil. I believe figs fruit better when slightly stressed but in a restricted pot I'm sure they would benefit from some food. If in doubt I'm sure a little bit of any slow release fertiliser sprinkled on top of the soil will be fine or possibly water in something like miraclegro?
Yes but would the tree grow and keep growing other words wound our winters kill the tree I am not bothered about the fruit I want it for tree for birds
You can plant any variety of fig tree you an buy in any garden centre over here. They are easily hard to -15 to -20c when dormant so will happily grow in Scotland even. Some varieties fruit easier than others , the most reliable is brown turkey which is the one almost every garden centre stocks. If you neglect it and grow it for the birds and it’s appearance you will almost certainly still get some figs
You can prune them for size but if you want to get the breba figs you have to leave some branches with the embryo figs on them. If you look closely you can normally see that some branches have embryo figs and some don't. You can grow in 2 year cycles, allow half of the new growth to develop in the first year, let the shoots produce breba fruit in the 2nd summer then cut them back hard. The other half of the new growth will develop while the other shoots are carrying the breba.
In this year’s videos I have managed to get a handful of main crop figs due to the strange Summer, I’m hoping for more next years as my other fig plants get bigger
I’ve had a fig tree in my garden for 25 years & I’ve been enjoying figs from that tree for over 18 years. I think you need to re think your statements in this video as it’s not factual at all!!
Lol perhaps you’d like to expand on that ? Mature trees have more chance of getting some main crop figs but I’d hazard a guess that at least 75% of the figs you get ripen in August and are therefore probably breba figs. I’ve just eaten 2 lovely figs in mid September from an unknown variety but they were breba figs not main crop, it took them almost 5 months to develop to maturity 🤪🤪
😊 It was planted from a cutting by my father & like I said we eat figs every year. Some years more than others depending on the weather, but on average we had over 150 each year, for as long as I can remember. Alas I’m getting rid of it this year as it’s got too big now as the roots were never really restricted. 🥺 but I will be taking some cuttings and replanting a new tree and hopefully eat some fresh figs again one day 🤞
Wonderful that you've had so many figs each year, big trees always produce best, my parents brown Turkey against a wall has produced a handful of main crop figs this week ! Figs are great at regenerating, you could literally cut yours back to a stump if the overall size is too big and it will send out a lot of young shoots next Spring which you can thin out to few branches so you can start again 😊
If you watched my recent fig videos you would see I got some main crop figs late September this year and my last decent edible fig on the 6th October 👍
I have a gig tree about 8 years old in Surrey. I get two edible crops per year. Last year I got about 180 and this year I have about 70. They are as big as a plum they are just starting to ripen and the next crop has started to show. This fig came from Notthrrn Italy near Torino near Venice courtesy of an Italian friend. Have cuttings and I give them away each year
That’s great you are being so successful. As the trees get bigger they definitely have a better chance of producing 2 crops
Variety ??
I’m on the Wirral, North West England. My friend’s house has a huge fig tree in her tiny backyard that produces masses of figs each year. I was blown away the first time I saw them. No idea how long it’s been at her Victorian property but it’s inspired me to have a go too! I bought a £25 plant early this year and it’s growing nicely in a pot right now (Mid June). I’m hopeful!
Well done, it should fruit in a year or so. You can also very easily take cuttings off her plant in spring. I'm sure she needs to prune it each year so you can pinch some branches lol. My friend on you tube 'the adventurous allotmenteer' is growing figs as well as some other unusual fruits in the wirral
You need to take cuttings from her tree and learn how to root them yourself which is very easy. Do you have a tree that you know will work in your area right next door
Yes indeed , figs are super easy to root 👍
Finally understand growing figs in our climate, very helpful thanks
You are welcome, good luck !
I have got Brown Turkey Figs every year for the last 4 years from my 9 plus year old fig tree I have never pruned it or pinched out but I do have had to tame and tie it back as its 7 ft tall and about 16 ft wide growing alongside my fence in Cornwall.This year was Magic about 8 every day from July to September was still harvesting up to last week it also grew 3 ft this year so I am training it along top of gate and around side of House mine was better than the ones in Heligan. Even managed to get 5 spare plants by scratching long leaders from base of tree and burying then whilst still attached to main tree then cutting main stem after 4 months.
Yes that’s probably the most reliable variety in the UK. If you have space to let them grow unrestricted, of course you get the best crops. It’s helpful to be in one of the mildest parts of the UK 👍😁
Great video .very informative.Cycled past a large fig early oct on outskirts of Exeter,full of ripe maincrop this year.amazing
Yes the larger the tree, the more chance they have of producing some maincrop figs
Thank you for the information. Great video, like always.
Thank you
I am happy to see someone from U.K. speaking about fig tree👍🏻also I saw an olive tree in the background 👏🏻👏🏻
No I don't have an olive tree but they do grow here well 😁
Here is a top tip! Cut them branches off that are going to fruit next year! when they have gone dormant and root them in a greenouse of poly tunnel! You will most definitely still get figs! even though they are dormant if kept warm they will root over winter long before the leaves show. Done this a few times over the years so I know it works. You will get an 80% strike rate on cuttings. Hope this helps you get some decent figs!
I have had two fig trees fruit with tastey golf ball sized fruit in an unheated Poly Tunnel! They kept out growing and taking over with the biggest leaves ever! I have some saved seedlings from a fruit from them. They had to be taken down when the Poly Tunnel was moved! Such a shame to have lost the trees! Hoping to get these little seedlings from them to grow some where they are never going to be moved from!
Haha thanks but I don’t need any more fig plants, my garden is full. I also don’t have a greenhouse or polytunnel of course 😥😥
I have a Brown Turkey growing in a large pot. The only time I had a large amount of ripe figs was when I fed them with comfrey tea fertiliser and that was the end of August. This year I ran out and so I had to prioritise my peppers etc... So the figs won't get ripe this year. I never understood why so thanks for that information Brett.
All the best
Steve
Hi steve yes I saw your fig in the recent video update. Funnily enough if you over feed figs they tend to make lots of new green growth and not many figs. If it's cold early in the season a lot if the brebas drop off. Last summer would have been a great year for figs with those weeks of record temperatures and no rain. Brown Turkey normally ripens its brebas mid to late August. If you stuck it in your greenhouse you'd probably get earlier brebas and consequently possibly main crops figs 👍. There are one or two varieties ( that I dont have ) that ripen earlier so allegedly sometimes produce 2 crops 😁
@@lyonheart84 Sadly my greenhouse is full with over wintering veggies, so I'll have to take my chances, I wonder if I could fleece it maybe?
Thanks for all your help Brett
Best regards
Steve
@@stevesgrowingspace just hope for a warmer june next year😉. Don't worry there should still be brebas 😁
This was a very informative video and I learnt 1. that some regions have 3x crops per year and 2. reinforced my thoughts on how zones arent zones. Zone 9a (where I am) is not the same as zone 9a in Florida.
Ah yes that’s very true. US climate zones are based exclusively on probable winter absolute minimums , but that minimum might only be reached once or twice a year for 2 hours before a rapid temperature recovery the next day. Even in London I might not get the same minimum ( technically I’m zone 9a as well ) , however I can get 4 months of very wet nights just a degree or 2 above those minimums and that’s what wrecks all the borderline hardy tropicals 🤪🤪. What’s more relevant are heat zones. Even zone 7 in America gets considerably hotter, longer periods than we do 😁
@@lyonheart84 So true, our summers and Autumn are much warmer and hotter than yours, which means all our main crop figs have no trouble ripening.
My subtropical plants though are going through their first winter under basic cover and I have fingers and toes crossed they get through the next 3 months. Nightly temperatures might not get down to negative 4 or 5 every night, or even every week- but nightly temperatures at -1 or -2 for weeks on end is common.
There are a few braber only fig trees about , one í was in formed about was Dessert King .. been looking for cuttings of
This variety , not luck yet.. I tried figs in the greenhouse throughout the summer very poor results. For me the best results are
From Figs planted in the ground .. Thanks for video..
Yes I don’t have desert king. Of course all figs are multi crop just not in our climate lol. I do get some main crop figs here in a very good summer , might get some this year
I've grown figs in boroughbride for 14 years ,no prob outside on sunny front wall ,50 fruits on now ,figs jam later .Yummy
Hi Robin, yes no real issue about growing figs in our climate, the video was more angled at main crop figs that rarely ripen in the UK. The usual breba figs tend to be ready late July into August. My parents tree has dozens on it as well 😁
Iv'e got two multi-stem/coppice Brown turkey fig trees, both in full sun (Northwest England). One is planted normally in the ground, whereas the other is raised up on a mound next to a pond that reflects light and heat directly onto it. The 'pond' fig has a small crop early in the year and a HEAVY crop later in the year in Autumn, the other has yet to ever produce a single ripe fig.
They can be cantankerous plants sometimes lol, my breba figs were pretty much all wrecked this year by the late cold snap in the Southeast in April, but I had a couple of brebas that ripened in September then some main crops of other varieties in September and October, I trimmed them in July to try and force the main crop fruits to mature in time and had some degree of success. Its certainly all about the location and the amount of warm weather we get over the Summer 😁
Figs can and do fruit and ripen successfully outdoors in the uk. Im in the North of England and I get good crops from Brown Turkey variety regularly each year. They ripen from August- October. Also picked breba crops in July/ August. All depends on variety. Brunswick is also cold tolerant.
Yes of course figs fruit and ripen in the uk , I’ve been eating home grown figs for 20 years. That was a generic question in the video title about main crop figs that people that haven’t grown figs often ask me and the answer is not reliably as it depends heavily on weather, location and variety. It’s best to prune for Breba crops here and if you get some main crop figs it’s a bonus. I’ve been experimenting this year with different pruning methods and I did get some main crop figs in September and even up to late October however the cooler the weather gets the less sweet and juicy and lacking in flavour the figs tend to be. I find the best figs are in warm weather in August. 👍
@@lyonheart84 Thanks for clarifying , it makes more sense now. This year was an odd year as figs were later to ripen due to wet and cool weather in late summer. However, the crops did ripen from mid Sept to late Oct like you said ( outdoors). A potted fig that hadn’t ripened its crop outdoors did finally ripen in the greenhouse over October and into early November!
Having a greenhouse is a massive bonus for the figs, a luxury I don’t have. Biggest problem making videos is I have to think about the people that have no knowledge and experience rather than the experienced grower lol. You can be sure that whatever I put in a video there will always people that have found the complete opposite to be true for them 😂😂
@@lyonheart84 I think you can also do really well without a greenhouse when you consider how each garden has many microclimates within a small space. I also agree with regards pitching your videos to the right audience- you will never win! Its good to hear from different home growers and their experiences though👍🏻
@@ZSAziz-yj3ix I reckon my 30 to 40 container grown fruit shrubs and young trees should form a good microclimate 😉😉😂😂
Agree with most of this. I live in a similar location to you, outskirts of London. Mostly main crop figs a waste of time in UK without a greenhouse. However there are some early varieties which give me ripe main crop figs in a pot on a south facing patio without extra help by early September. That is Florea and Ronde de bordeaux. Lubera sell the second one. A few others give me a crop with the help of a cheap pop up polytunnel from March to mid June. I focus on high yielding breba producing figs for in the ground and early main crop figs for in pots.
Thanks for your comments, it's only my own opinions and experience of course, not hard scientific fact lol. I havent got any of the early varieties that I've heard can theoretically produce 2 crops plus none of mine are on a south facing wall, I've saved that for my pineapple guavas and kiwi as they need Autumn warmth to have a chance of getting ripe fruit. I've got no space for a polytunnel or greenhouse, my garden is the wrong layout and too small so I'm happy to get a few brebas. It was a cold June this year which messed everything up. One of my youtube mates is a Ross Raddi ( if you follow him ) devotee and of course pinched all his figs in June expecting to get figs in 90 days and sadly got nothing anywhere near ripeness, even tougher for him to do as he's much further North 😩😩
I have a green fig in my garden and I get loads of fig, I share them out between my friend
The taste is out of this world 🌎.
Always great to hear when people get plenty of figs 👍
Excellent video
Thanks
I was eating figs when i was a kid in england ,now 60 and the climates warmer they should still grow there
Yes I get figs here, the difference is whether it’s early season ( Breba ) crops which tend to be ready July / August and the main crop figs which tend to be September or later if the weather allows
What’s your thoughts on restricting roots when planting? I’m confused as you mentioned larger trees having a better chance of producing more figs… but I always hear that restricting roots to inhibit leafy growth encourages more figs.
I’ve got 16 acres so not short on space, and a few fig trees to plant and unsure what to do with them… give them freedom to put roots down to Hades or clog their feet with rubble. Or a mix of both?
I saw a video where they bent their young fig tree down to ground level to allow them to cover with leaves to protect from a cold winter climate as they get harsh winters… the lateral shoots grew upwards and produced crops (and they pruned these before winter)… am now wondering if that approach might make getting a maincrop possible with a row cover. 🤔
Yes I’m aware of the restricting roots advice. I suppose my in ground tree is in a small raised bed so may have restricted roots. I think unrestricted trees are simply very vigorous growers, maybe too big for many small gardens so restricting the roots will keep the trees more manageable. I’m sure a larger tree can be pruned and ‘pinched’ to try and encourage fruit development. I would say that my potted figs which therefore have restricted roots have had very poor fig production. I would say where you live will influence whether you need to winter protect your fig plants, it’s certainly not necessary where I live 😁
Hi Thank you for your video, nice to see someone near to my location growing figs. I have had a fig tree planted in the ground for many years now,
it is quite large and I it cut it back each year which seems to make it grow more!!!!! I believe it is called "Adriatic" I have a massive amount of ripe figs each summer and then a mass of small figs that drop off in the winter . I do have a south facing garden so that probably helps. I don't know if you have this variety but would be happy to send you a cutting if you would like.
Hi Beryl I’m not sure if the Adriatic is an actual named variety or more a type of fig based on where it originated, I’ll do some research later 😁
@@lyonheart84 I think you are correct. Looked at a video by Ross Raddi will delve into it a little more
You might have the so called white adriatic which is light green or yellow with a red flesh when ripe. I don’t have that actual one as far as I know although I do have a green fig that hasn’t fruited yet. I certainly wouldn’t say no to a cutting if you are local. Whereabouts are you ?
@@lyonheart84 I live in wickford essex will be happy to post you a cutting
@@berylosullivan5531 you can reach me through lyonheart84@yahoo.co.uk if you want to get in touch 😉
Did I notice one of your Brown Turkey's was turning brown it definitely looked a different colour you never no it's not over till the last fig drops. 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂👍
Lol andrew I only wish that was the case, sadly nowhere near ready. The figs stopped growing mid september and if you look closely they are all starting to shrivel, the same as every other year 🤪🤪🤪🤣🤣🤣. We could have done with an Indian summer 😎😎😎
Me again, apologies! Great info, thanks for clearing that up, as I was wondering why my R.d.bordeaux dropped all its good sized figs last year. This year my small brown turkey is loaded with breba's, but I'm just wondering how to prune it in the coming winter. From what I understand, you have to create a permanent branching structure, and then prune off 2 year old growth back to that structure to encourage new growth which will bear next years figs, whilst leaving on the 1 year old growth which will hold this years figs. A sort of biennial pruning.
Anyway, great video, look forward to updates. All the best.
Spot on with the 2 year pruning / cropping, it's not always easy to do depending on the size of the plant, it's all about encouraging this years growth to get the brebas for next year. Our American friends don't appreciate the issues we have here as even in their colder climate zones ( 7 and 8 ) where they may lose the brebas to extreme cold, they get considerably hotter summers which allows them to get main crop figs, something that is a rare occurrence here. There are one or two varieties that on occasions produce a main crop here as they are particularly early.
@@lyonheart84 thanks for the reply. That's very true, so I think I might focus on the breba's for now. :) Cheers for the info, all the best.
Hello.
I live in birmingham.
My fig tree is aprox 8ft in a 59l pot.
Please could you advice me on winter care. Should i move the tree inside?
Hi there, fig plants are very hardy in your area, no need to move inside. However if you have a greenhouse / polytunnel / conservatory and wish to put it inside that would give you an earlier start to the season next year and more chance of both a breba crop and a main crop. Also in a frost free greenhouse some of the larger figs formed in late summer MIGHT survive over winter and give you earlier fruit
Obvious question but not addressed. For Brown Turkey in UK. When and how & where to prune, to maximise Breba crop ???
Has been covered in other videos Mike, complex to cover in a short reply but basically you can prune early to mid summer to encourage new shoots. The brebas will be in the leaf axils towards the tips of the new shoots around October. They need to be pea sized or smaller to have the best chance of surviving Winter. Anything easily recognisable as a young fig is unlikely to survive a normal winter
Thanks I learned a lot from you. Really interesting and no waffle.
As a child in Wexford Ireland our neighbours had 3 very old huge trees which remained from previous family in 1800s. They produced delicious purple very ripe soft figs every year. Pigs used to eat them when they dropped and us. The family didn't bother with them. I was v sad when they cut them down to make way for horses.
I wish I knew what variety they were. I remain hopeful that there is a fig for this climate. Still looking.
Thanks Janet, I try not to waffle on for too long like some people and bore everybody to death 🤣🤣. In those days the fig plants were probably brought back from Italy or elsewhere in the Mediterranean or they could simply have been Brown Turkey, the hardiest and most reliable variety. I have breba figs on some of my plants now, they will probably ripen in July. Some varieties only produce main crop figs if pollinated by the fig wasp which of course we don't have in our climate. If you wanted to try and get a main crop here you could probably search for and buy the variety 'Madeleine de deux saisons' online here which is a very early variety and sometimes produces main crop figs, otherwise stick with brown Turkey or Brunswick as they are very hardy and reliable 'breba' croppers ( the overwintered embryo figs ).
@@lyonheart84 ok Thanks for that very useful and interesting ( and prompt) information. Someone gave me a Brown Turkey this year. I planted it in a good spot close to the house. I'm very hopeful of it now.
I kept a cutting from my Dads just for the memory of him. It's looking good but I know now it's just not a runner for here.
Many thanks
Happy Gardening
@@janetwhitney7432 you might be surprised what other varieties will grow where you are, they just vary in crop production from variety to variety. Should all prove very hardy in UK climates. LOL as I don't have too many subscribers it's easy to see messages and reply, no doubt if I end up one day with a few thousand subscribers and hundreds of messages on every video of course I will only be able to respond to a few each day 😁
Shame about the tree. Would've loved to know what variety it was.
We just moved to an old vicarage with a huge fig tree. The garden was abandoned for 7 years and it has produced ripe figs (we had a heat wave perhaps that’s why). So many of The branches hanging are all over the floor and it has tiny figs ( are these the embryo figs for next year or can I hard prune it). What month should I prune it please?
I would suggest you cut it back as you find necessary rather than worry about next years figs. Unfortunately anything small you can already recognise easily as a fig will not develop this year or survive the winter. Only the tiny embryo figs towards the ends of shoots in October / November once the plant is dormant will be next year’s breba crop. Therefore it unfortunately follows that any shoots you prune off now and in Autumn will also remove the potential Brebas. Pruning is best done anyway once the plant is dormant and the sap stops flowing. It’s also easier to see what you are doing then and you can at that time leave some suitably positioned branches with embryo breba fruit on 🤞
@@lyonheart84 thank you , that is very helpful.
Sorry to be a bit thick, but when will it be dormant? In autumn?
Once the leaves have all dropped and the stems have turned woody it will be completely dormant. The exact timing will depend on the weather for the next few months. It may hold onto a few leaves until November if the weather is kind. I normally prune figs in January or February
@@lyonheart84 ok lovely. Thank you
Good luck 👍
Crop every year in Devon without fail. Just make sure you take all old buds off by December.
If you watch some of my newer videos you will see I do occasionally get main crop figs. It’s much milder in the south west than some parts of the country 😁
If you like growing and eating your own figs a polytunnel or greenhouse is best I get figs every year even when the summer's not great.
I know but my garden is the size of a postage stamp lol, no room for a polytunnel or greenhouse 🤪
I agree with you on all your points on this. Have you considered growing breba only varieties like Desert King, Granthams Royal, etc?
Thanks for dropping by Ceili. I've got about 6 varieties so far but I'm not knowledgeable on breba only varieties. They aren't particularly easy to get here as you know. If the ones I have grow ok this summer I may try to add a couple more varieties. As you probably know I've been concentrating on my persimmon collection lol 😁
@@lyonheart84 haha I seen that. I might dp a breba report this year so I'll keep you posted. Cheers
@@ceili I'll be looking forward to seeing it, I've got the notification bell clicked on you should you post anything 👍
@@lyonheart84 hi ,I need some roots of fig trees ...I need it badly for my treatment ..plz do not throw away d fallen leaves of fig it is that beneficial for health. Pls reply me yes or No...also can Whatsapp. .07405411649.thanks
A very informative video, thankyou. I started to grow mine in pots and in the winter I put them in garage for protection. I would like some advice please: before storage should I remove some/all or none of the unripe figs. Mille grazie
Do you live in a very cold area ? They are normally very hardy. But keeping them in a garage will get them growing earlier in the Spring. If you have a warm, light garage the larger embryo fruits ( half and inch and bigger ) might survive and become fruit next year. If they dry out and look dead in winter it’s best to remove them as sometimes they go mouldy. The fruits smaller than 1/4 inch will stay protected by the wood and should survive the winter and become your ‘Breba’ crop early next summer. You don’t remove these unless you have to prune the plant for size / shape.
@@lyonheart84 Thankyou very much
Good luck, hope you get fruit
If you keep your figs tree in a green house or pollytunnel you will get ripen figs iv done it, iv got a Turkey fig and I live in the northwest in oldham this year March iv already picked some ripen figs already
Yes indeed unfortunately no greenhouse or polytunnel and no space for one, my garden is very small 😥
As we are having a hot spell i have my figs on a south facing patio in large pots, should i take in to the greenhouse at the beginning of September?
Great info. I was given a fig. It's about 6ft and in the tiniest pot. I'm thinking of repotting and pruning to fit in my greenhouse to over winter. Any advice on when to do this and how to prune it would be much appreciated.
Hard to be precise without looking at the tree but they often fruit better with restricted roots but I'm sure at that height a larger pot would be beneficial. Normally I prune in winter when its dormant just to control size , thin the branches if it has too many, or if it doesn't have any side branches, pruning it will encourage them. If you can cut the top off in late winter and stick it in a pot theres a good chance it will root and you'll have an extra plant
Can you explain please how to fertilise the fig tree?
I gave it miracle grow (the blue powder) but seems not like it?
Although I used same as the instruction said☹️
I don’t fertilise my fig trees as too much food means lots of green growth but no figs. I think you would be better just using a mix of seaweed feed
I recommend you to give potted figs a head start 3 months earlier you won't be desapointed
Sadly to do that I would need a greenhouse or polytunnel, something I don’t have space for 😁
I would like to know is it necessary to water your potted plants during the winter season
Hi Thomas assuming you mean the figs and other outdoor hardy fruit trees probably not necessary as it seems to rain continuously here in the uk through winter lol, plus of course they are dormant. I suppose if we had a winter drought for several weeks I would consider watering them as they don’t have access to ground water
When can I plant my fig plant into the ground? It’s in pot. Is it ok to leave it outside over the winter?
Normally best to plant them when dormant in Winter as there is less stress but really you can plant at almost any time that's convenient for you if you look after the plant
@@lyonheart84 thanks!!
@anilamirza4215 you’re welcome ☺️
I have few figs on my tree. It’s end of September. When they will ripe. They quite small and green. Thanks
Unless we get 3 or 4 weeks hot weather I’m sorry but it’s too late for small ones to ripen because the trees are going dormant now
@@lyonheart84 Thanks
It happened every year.
Great video; do you have any yuzu citrus outside growing?
Hi Joseph , no I haven’t got a Yuzu YET 😁
@@lyonheart84 I'm from a USDA zone 7. I got two of them in the backyard. They seem to be holding up well. I hope you enjoy the yuzu tree when you get it. Great channel
They are apparently pretty hardy. Although our winters are milder than yours, they are generally much wetter which stresses citrus a lot AND our Summers are cooler so they don’t get that growth boost.
Please, how exactly do we prune UK fig trees in a different way to encourage brebas?
@@Sussy-Walter gee that's tricky to explain without demonstrating. I suspect I've shown how in more recent fig videos. Next year's brebas develop right at the tips of this year's growth. Normally you would prune your fig branches back in early to mid summer. This encourages new shoots to develop which should grow until late september. By the time you get to october you will probably have recognisable figs around a foot from the growing tip which will be maybe half an inch in diameter. These are the current season figs that are too late to ripen and too big to survive a normal UK winter. Nearer the growing tip you should see figs that are pea sized or smaller sitting in the leaf axils. When the stems turn woody these embryo figs will survive winter against the stems and will start developing late spring and will form your breba crop.
@@lyonheart84 thank you so much for the details. I have a small brown turkey with a couple brebas that seems to be ripening now, and a lot of main crops in various sizes. I snipped some tips a few weeks ago so I wasn't too far off from your suggestion. Guess I will go around pruning some branches now and hope I will get a lot more brebas next year. Is it a good idea to remove all the main crops except the largest ones as they wouldn't have a chance to ripen?
@Sussy-Walter if you’ve already got new growth you probably don’t need to prune again. In an exceptional summer brown turkey might produce one or two main crop figs in October so you could try removing any main crop figs except for a handful of the largest just to see if they might ripen. I don’t bother to remove figs from my large in ground tree as I just don’t have time. Brown turkey is a great breba producer here because it is a late fig
@@lyonheart84 ok thanks, just gonna prune the ones blocking the path than. I just picked the first breba from it this morning, it wasn't fully ripped but was splitted overnight. It tastes watery but still better than some store bought ones. Splitting is probably from the constant rains lately and there probably nothing I could do. Let's hope we have some good weathers for the figs and my skin too lol.
@Sussy-Walter I’ve just made and posted right now a video about pruning for breba figs 😁
WOW, I live in a commercial fig growing area... did not know how cool weather affected figs in UK.
Yes I've heard Californian figs are superb. Because of our cooler climate we prune the figs a bit differently to focus on breba crops, however I have had my first ever main crop figs this year late in September so it seems if we have a perfect season we can get a few 👍
Where s ur Fig garden in uk ,I need some roots n fallen leaves pls... cud u pls contact ..
Agrawalmamta419@gmail. com
"Any figs you don't get by the first or second week of September to ripeness you can forget it". (Around the 7 min mark). Your videos are great but I have to disagree on this one. I've not been growing figs for too long, just a few years, but each year I've had figs producing until Oct/Nov, and last year Dec. All on trees outdoors, in pots and in-ground. I am in London so I understand that makes a difference but Woodford is only about 10 mins away from where I am. Also there are people in the community in similar climate to the UK climate, who live in places like Seattle and they have decent success year after year. I've never experienced fig drop in Autumn and to be completely honest don't do anything special to my plants. Thanks for the videos though, always great seeing other growers in the area.
Hi Peppe. Just personal experience but that is on smaller fig plants, and there are certainly even warmer parts of London than my location. Last year the leaves on all of my fig plants were turning yellow by mid September which effectively means active growth has stopped so sap flow to the figs slows down or stops. A much larger plant will certainly stay active longer and produce edible fruits until later but the quality and sweetness definitely drops quickly with lower temperatures. Seattle does have slightly higher temperatures than here in summer which helps ( I'm sure you watch Ben Seattle figs videos ?). I have myself picked a few figs off a brown Turkey in October but they didnt compare to the August ones for taste and quality. I'm hoping with some of these new varieties to get figs later and if successful video the results and post them, I'm delighted to experiment with new ideas to extend the season for figs and everything else. I just like to soften people's expectations in this Country as most of my UK viewers are in the Midlands and even further North and they have very little chance of late figs without a greenhouse. Unfortunately they watch Ross Raddi's videos ( I'm sure you follow him as well ) and think they can pinch their shoots in mid June and hey presto ( ! ) ripe figs 90 days later 🤪🤪.
Microclimates make a big difference. Big cities like London will be a few degrees warmer than surrounding areas and that can make a huge difference.
@@lyonheart84 Hi, so sorry for the delayed reply! Thanks for taking the time to get back to me on this. Your observations are really interesting. My trees are all pot grown, and quite small, nothing taller than 5ft. I've tried pinching for the first time this year, probably a bit too late to be honest. I've had decent breba production this year but still awaiting any main crop. I'm hopeful as the past few years have given us fruits later on in the year. But like I said, comparing our observations are interesting as I don't live too far from your area. There's a growing community of fig growers on Facebook if you're interest, 'Fig Growers UK' I think it's called, quite insightful to compare different growers' experiences around the country.
@@peppe-urbanfoodgrowing8921 thanks, I joined that group the other day
Yes exactly, I am in London but right in the suburbs so I’m definitely a couple of degrees cooler in winter than more central parts of London.
Give me list of fig tree that will grow I do the ones from the shops
Just buy any plant you find in a garden centre, they all look similar and will survive anywhere. If you hope to get fruits give it the sunniest position you can
What's the best food to feed a fig tree
I have a new tree
small leaves and small fruit
Interestingly I've just asked an expert fig grower ( I'm waiting for an answer ) as I haven't been feeding mine yet, they were all potted in fresh soil. I believe figs fruit better when slightly stressed but in a restricted pot I'm sure they would benefit from some food. If in doubt I'm sure a little bit of any slow release fertiliser sprinkled on top of the soil will be fine or possibly water in something like miraclegro?
I was told by a local nursery that tomato fertilizer is good for the figs
Yes but would the tree grow and keep growing other words wound our winters kill the tree I am not bothered about the fruit I want it for tree for birds
You can plant any variety of fig tree you an buy in any garden centre over here. They are easily hard to -15 to -20c when dormant so will happily grow in Scotland even. Some varieties fruit easier than others , the most reliable is brown turkey which is the one almost every garden centre stocks. If you neglect it and grow it for the birds and it’s appearance you will almost certainly still get some figs
Well so we cant prune them or lose the fig for next year.
You can prune them for size but if you want to get the breba figs you have to leave some branches with the embryo figs on them. If you look closely you can normally see that some branches have embryo figs and some don't. You can grow in 2 year cycles, allow half of the new growth to develop in the first year, let the shoots produce breba fruit in the 2nd summer then cut them back hard. The other half of the new growth will develop while the other shoots are carrying the breba.
I've seen figs growing in the crotch of other trees.
While looking for figs?
I think he/she means fig plants growing in the base of other trees
if main crop are not going to make it would it be better to cut most of them off and give just a few the chance.
In this year’s videos I have managed to get a handful of main crop figs due to the strange Summer, I’m hoping for more next years as my other fig plants get bigger
I’ve had a fig tree in my garden for 25 years & I’ve been enjoying figs from that tree for over 18 years.
I think you need to re think your statements in this video as it’s not factual at all!!
Lol perhaps you’d like to expand on that ? Mature trees have more chance of getting some main crop figs but I’d hazard a guess that at least 75% of the figs you get ripen in August and are therefore probably breba figs. I’ve just eaten 2 lovely figs in mid September from an unknown variety but they were breba figs not main crop, it took them almost 5 months to develop to maturity 🤪🤪
😊 It was planted from a cutting by my father & like I said we eat figs every year. Some years more than others depending on the weather, but on average we had over 150 each year, for as long as I can remember.
Alas I’m getting rid of it this year as it’s got too big now as the roots were never really restricted. 🥺 but I will be taking some cuttings and replanting a new tree and hopefully eat some fresh figs again one day 🤞
Wonderful that you've had so many figs each year, big trees always produce best, my parents brown Turkey against a wall has produced a handful of main crop figs this week ! Figs are great at regenerating, you could literally cut yours back to a stump if the overall size is too big and it will send out a lot of young shoots next Spring which you can thin out to few branches so you can start again 😊
I HAVE FIG TREE GIVE ME GOOD FIGS BY END OF SEPTEMBER , YOU SHOUL DO YOUR HOME WOEK ABOUT FIG TREE ,GET THE TURKISH FIG TREE
If you watched my recent fig videos you would see I got some main crop figs late September this year and my last decent edible fig on the 6th October 👍
Climate change for fig sake.😂
I’m getting a few main crop figs very late summer each year 👍