Neighbours have a nice sized fig tree which has loads of green figs.
We admired it, and they said they lost all their figs each year - they
dropped off.
Looking at it over the last few days we have seen the figs changing colour
as if they were ripening.
So we went round for a chat, thinking "It can't be as simple as the figs are
dropping because they are ripe.".

Well, the figs look ripe, but they are soft and spongy.
When broken open there is some flesh, but no seeds - just the inward facing
flowers.
So it looks as though they have not been pollinated.

Now memory plus a quick Google says that pollination is by wasps specific to
each type of fig.
I suspect that there is probably not a colony of wasps for this fig and that
is where the problem lies.

We have never had any problem with our Brown Turkey, which leads me to
believe that it is self fertile.

For this other fig tree (a gift from another gardener and of unknown
species) is there anything that can be done to fertilise the fruit
artificially, or locate wasps to provide the fertilisation?

I must say that the description of the female wasp laying eggs as part of
the fertilisation process, and grubs maturing within the fruit, did not
sound particularly apetising.

Cheers

Dave R

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder