my figplant

[ruud]

Some months ago there was a topic about figs in your own garden,these two figs are now 7 years old and doing well in my backgarden.
Here are the new ones,can almost taste them.

[ruud]

[Robert_Brenchley]

Are you growing them out of doors? If so, where are you and how do you go about it? I want to put more fruit in, and I'd be tempted; there is a variety that's supposed to be pretty frost resistant.

[weedin project]

Help  ??? :-[

My fig got overwintered in the greenhouse, then when I needed space a few weeks ago I took it out and left it in a sheltered spot.  No frosts since then, watered OK (I think), but massive leaf drop and looking very sad now.

Any tips/clues/advice?

[bunnycat]

Lovely figs, ruud ;D

I bought a fig tree this year, to grow in a container. It's been potted on, ready to go into it's final position at the end of the Summer.
My Dad has had a beautiful fig tree in a container for over 20 years, and gets a couple of dozen wonderful fruits from it every year ;D

It was partly nostalgia that made me get a fig, as I remember sitting under my Dad's one scoffing the fruit straight from the tree :D

The one I have is Brown Turkey, which is supposed to be quite hardy although my Dad says it might need a bit of fleece round it on very cold nights until it's a bit older. He did that with his for about 3 years, but he doesn't do anything special now.
He advised having it in a container as they can get very big and bear more leaves than fruit, if you leave the roots unrestricted :-\
It's in a sheltered, South facing spot that gets pleanty of sun and does very well there. My parents do live down South though, so I suspect I'll have to give mine a bit more protection since I'm in Yorkshire ;)
I'll pop a photo up when I get a chance to nip outside with the digital camera ;D

Do you think a feed might help your fig, WP? Perhaps it just objected to the sudden move ???



Quick edit, as I've just been outside and taken this photo of my new baby ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

How big a container do you use? Is it out in the garden all year round?

[ruud]

Bunny mine are nicked from abroad,one is from Greece(nice memories,lived there for a couple of years).The other one is from Spain.I dint know witch variates they are.The one from Greece got very big purple ,almost black,figs and they are sweet,so sweet.The fig from Spain gives green figs,they ain't so sweet,but never the less its a nice tree.Mine are straight in the soil and yes the are growing big.Your father is right about the fleece they need a little bit protection when they are young.Brown turkey is the best variate to have very hardy,here it is the fig for outside planting.I do root restricting,every spring late winter i put my spade and start cutting the roots a meter from the trunk.I have learnt it from a friend in Greece who had a lot of figtrees,and he did grow them for commercial reasons.Do this only with a fullgrown tree.Weedin that is shock your tree needs some time should be OK in a Weill.Robert i am living in the netherlands near the coast,and the best thing for a figtree is peace,no special treatments.

[bunnycat]

Thanks for all that interesting information, ruud. Glad to hear I've had good advice from my Dad.
He's the real gardening expert in our family ;D

Robert, the container that I've got for my fig to go into is about two feet square.
My Dad says that's about the minimum if you're growing in a container. The round equivalent is fine :)

Mine will stay out all year, but will be protected with fleece for the first few Winters  as has already been mentioned :)

I think you also have to be patient with regard to it fruiting, as it can take a couple of years to do that.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just assume that any tree will take 2-3 years. Brown Turkey is easily obtainable, and Marshall's offer a 'Bavarian fig Violetta' which will supposedly resist temperatures of -20C; if that's correct it could be even better. Do you grow it against a wall? I don't have a sunny wall so it would just have to go in a sunny spot and hope for the best. They suggest either a tub or a trough made of broken slabs.

[Marianne]

There is an enormous fig tree about 6 houses up.  They cut it back last year and it is producing an array of figs already.  Am going to try and grab one in order to plant in my own garden !  ::) ;D

[bunnycat]

I think they do like a bit of shelter, but if you've got a nice sunny spot and the fig is hardy anyway, I doubt it would make much difference to it.
You might have to keep an eye on it if that spot catches the wind, though.

[Robert_Brenchley]

With six-foot hedges, that's a problem I don't have! How to design a fig or two in, that's thew question.

[bunnycat]

LOL :D

I've revamped my whole garden since the gales earlier this year brought the whole back fence down and made a right mess of everything :o
I was toying with the idea of a fig then, so I kept a space free for it just in case I DID get one.
No spare space again now, though ::)

[greenfists]

Ours is in an old belfast sink. I did that thing where you mix up cement, sand and compst and put it on it.
Worked brilliantly, looks just like an old sink covered in cement, sand and compost.
But the fig has wintered well, I just whacked fleece around it when it was due to frost.

[Robert_Brenchley]

When our cottage in Cornwall (when I lived dpown there) had some work done, they painted the new cement over with milk. It grew algae and blended in in no time; it might work with your sink as well.