On 2013-10-29 15:02:01 +0000, Bill Grey said:

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 25/10/2013 15:40, Bill Grey wrote:
A neighbour has a fig tree laden with figs which which aren't ripening. He
has planted the tree in a decent sized home built concrete planter (to keep
the roots from spreading. He has been told that a fig tree planted in open
ground will yield ripe fruits but his confining of the roots is preventing
ripening.

Anyone have any ideas on this please?

Bill


I always thought it was figs that had their roots confined that fruited.

Thanks to you David and others who suggest planter growth is the way to
go. He is not using a "planter" as such but the tree is grown in a
small patch of ground surrounded by a concrete "wall", sort of!

Bill

I'm sure lots of us have seen fig trees grown like that in the Med
countries. It may mean - may - that it drains well, gets hotter in
sunshine and that the roots are confined. Iow, a combination of all of
the best circumstances. The confined roots theory probably depends on
the idea that when a plant is stressed, it puts out fruit to propagate
its progeny, even if it's going to die itself. it is just possible
that he simply has a bad plant. It does happen and nobody knows until
the thing gets to the age at which it's supposed to do something.
Plants are not unlike people at times!

We have a fig tree in the field which has loads of fruit on it which
has never got to edible size this year and Ray has had one fruit from
it. He doubts they'll go through the winter to ripen in the
spring/summer of next year and suspects our cold spring has affected
our tree, so may well have affected others. Otoh, and this is my two
pennorth, for what i's worth, could the concrete of the planter affect
the tree in some way. I don't know.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon