On Sat, 28 Jul 2018 16:54:09 Jeff Layman wrote:

On 28/07/18 13:38, Nick Maclaren wrote:
We have a fig tree, which is overleafy and underfruiting because I
failed to restrict it when planting it, but that's not the real
problem. It rarely crops because the overwintered figlets almost
always fail to develop, which I suspect is because it isn't against
a wall (we don't have one), and our garden is a bit of a cold trap
in winter (wind more than a frost pocket).

You don't have a wall? Do you live in a hole in the ground?! FWIW, our
fig has been pretty poor this year. Only a few fruits to speak of and
none yet ripe. Although, strangely enough, there's another crop
starting to form now. It is in a SE-facing walled-corner in a 42 or 45
cm pot and gets very hot, particularly with this year's weather.

Am I onto a complete loser here? If so, I may try in a polytunnel
with draconian root restriction.

Surely a fig is hardy enough anywhere in the UK (outside of Cairngorm
peaks), even in Cambridgeshire! This is interesting, but I can't see it
needing this sort of treatment where you are
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_fig#Overwintering. I really
don't know what a fig requires to fruit well in the UK, but other
plants I've seen this year have good crops on them.

Maybe it's just where I am (south central Hampshire), but both our
grape vines (both outside) have been hopeless this year. Just a few
bunches of grapes, while all around the vineyards are expecting perhaps
the biggest wine production ever. And, if the hot weather holds, one of
the finest vintages.

Interesting.

This year my fig tree (which is against a wall!) is ripening a large
number of figs for the second time ever (first time was two years ago)
and the tree is more than twenty years old. At least, they would ripen
if many of them weren't going rotten. I don't restrict the roots but I
do prune the branches quite heavily.

As for grapes, I would have had the largest crop ever this year, both
here in Reading and in my place in Normandy. However, I wrote here a few
weeks ago about the fact that, in both places, mildew and anthracnose
was developing. After help here on urg I managed to get hold of some
Dithane (Mancozeb) and have been spraying with that and Bordeaux Mixture
a couple of times since, but to no avail. It looks as though I shall
lose the whole crop.

But good news - I've had a good crop of mulberries this year!

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK