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edible figs - help please
Hi everyone. Long time, no post. I hope you are all well.
I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I purchased a fig tree in spring and it has produced some lovely figs. The supplier told me to leave it in its huge pot on the patio, which I did. It has several small, unripe (ie green) figs left on it but has shed all its leaves. Is this normal, please - ie do edible fig trees shed their leaves in winter? If they don't, can anyone tell me what is wrong with it, please? Also, is it right to leave it in the pot (the pot is huge - about the size of one of those large buckets with rope handles)? I would hate to think I have killed it off and the RHS books I have don't seem to contain any information at all. Many thanks in advance. -- June Hughes |
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In article , June Hughes
writes Hi everyone. Long time, no post. I hope you are all well. I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I purchased a fig tree in spring and it has produced some lovely figs. The supplier told me to leave it in its huge pot on the patio, which I did. It has several small, unripe (ie green) figs left on it but has shed all its leaves. Is this normal, please - ie do edible fig trees shed their leaves in winter? Yes. It will also shed all the small figs that are on it atm. They have two generations of figs a year, and in this country only the earlier generation will ripen. -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
In message , Kay
writes In article , June Hughes writes Hi everyone. Long time, no post. I hope you are all well. I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I purchased a fig tree in spring and it has produced some lovely figs. The supplier told me to leave it in its huge pot on the patio, which I did. It has several small, unripe (ie green) figs left on it but has shed all its leaves. Is this normal, please - ie do edible fig trees shed their leaves in winter? Yes. It will also shed all the small figs that are on it atm. They have two generations of figs a year, and in this country only the earlier generation will ripen. Great. Thanks Kay. That sounds about right for my fig. It has small buds at the ends of the branches but I didn't want them to drop off as well as the leaves. You have put my mind at rest. I bought it on the local farmers' market, which is now sadly defunct due to lack of support and have no way of knowing whether or not what the supplier told me was correct. I don't suppose you know whether or not it should remain in its pot? Many thanks again. -- June Hughes |
On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 08:19:48 +0000, June Hughes
wrote: Hi everyone. Long time, no post. I hope you are all well. I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I purchased a fig tree in spring and it has produced some lovely figs. The supplier told me to leave it in its huge pot on the patio, which I did. It has several small, unripe (ie green) figs left on it but has shed all its leaves. Is this normal, please - ie do edible fig trees shed their leaves in winter? If they don't, can anyone tell me what is wrong with it, please? After investigating this myself, I was advised that any figs about the size of a pea can be left on for next year. Any which are larger should be removed before winter...... or they will fall anyway. Therefore I removed 6 walnut-sized figs, the first fruit, from the plant I bought this Spring and have more hopes for next year. Good luck Pam in Bristol |
In article ,
June Hughes wrote: I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I purchased a fig tree in spring and it has produced some lovely figs. The supplier told me to leave it in its huge pot on the patio, which I did. It has several small, unripe (ie green) figs left on it but has shed all its leaves. Is this normal, please - ie do edible fig trees shed their leaves in winter? Yes. And, in hot, dry parts of the world, they may do so in summer. Also, is it right to leave it in the pot (the pot is huge - about the size of one of those large buckets with rope handles)? Yes. Try and avoid the pot freezing or staying waterlogged, but that is all. I would hate to think I have killed it off and the RHS books I have don't seem to contain any information at all. The number of books that contain a practical overview is small. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
The message
from June Hughes contains these words: Great. Thanks Kay. That sounds about right for my fig. It has small buds at the ends of the branches but I didn't want them to drop off as well as the leaves. You have put my mind at rest. I bought it on the local farmers' market, which is now sadly defunct due to lack of support and have no way of knowing whether or not what the supplier told me was correct. I don't suppose you know whether or not it should remain in its pot? Leave it in its pot until it really outgrows it. Then, if you want to plant it out, either put it a good distance from any expensive masonry (fig trees grow enormous, eventually. I don't know about the liklihood of damage to foundations, but they'll throw a long shadow.). It is better to restrict it, and a good tip given here some time ago was to dig a hole and into it put the stainless steel drum from an old washing machine or tumble drier. Replace soil and plant it in that. (I've buried an old bath, and my fig tree lives in it.) Don't bother about removing green figs, they will fall of of their own accord - or go on in the summer to better things if the winter isn't too hard. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
In message , Pam Moore
writes On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 08:19:48 +0000, June Hughes wrote: Hi everyone. Long time, no post. I hope you are all well. I have a question which I hope someone can help with. I purchased a fig tree in spring and it has produced some lovely figs. The supplier told me to leave it in its huge pot on the patio, which I did. It has several small, unripe (ie green) figs left on it but has shed all its leaves. Is this normal, please - ie do edible fig trees shed their leaves in winter? If they don't, can anyone tell me what is wrong with it, please? After investigating this myself, I was advised that any figs about the size of a pea can be left on for next year. Any which are larger should be removed before winter...... or they will fall anyway. Therefore I removed 6 walnut-sized figs, the first fruit, from the plant I bought this Spring and have more hopes for next year. Good luck Great, Pam. Thanks. I am about to remove my (also 6!) walnut-sized figs from the plant. -- June Hughes |
In message , Nick Maclaren
writes In article , June Hughes wrote: I would hate to think I have killed it off and the RHS books I have don't seem to contain any information at all. The number of books that contain a practical overview is small. Thanks Nick. Yes, I have found that to be the case - or to put it more bluntly, I haven't found any information at all. The only stuff in the books is about the other (evergreen) plant they call a fig but isn't. -- June Hughes |
In message , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes The message from June Hughes contains these words: Great. Thanks Kay. That sounds about right for my fig. It has small buds at the ends of the branches but I didn't want them to drop off as well as the leaves. You have put my mind at rest. I bought it on the local farmers' market, which is now sadly defunct due to lack of support and have no way of knowing whether or not what the supplier told me was correct. I don't suppose you know whether or not it should remain in its pot? Leave it in its pot until it really outgrows it. Then, if you want to plant it out, either put it a good distance from any expensive masonry (fig trees grow enormous, eventually. I don't know about the liklihood of damage to foundations, but they'll throw a long shadow.). It is better to restrict it, and a good tip given here some time ago was to dig a hole and into it put the stainless steel drum from an old washing machine or tumble drier. Replace soil and plant it in that. (I've buried an old bath, and my fig tree lives in it.) Don't bother about removing green figs, they will fall of of their own accord - or go on in the summer to better things if the winter isn't too hard. I have taken note of what you have said and shall move my fig tree next year. Thanks. (Presumably the best time to do this is spring?) -- June Hughes |
The message
from June Hughes contains these words: I have taken note of what you have said and shall move my fig tree next year. Thanks. (Presumably the best time to do this is spring?) Since it's potted, it doesn't really matter - you don't need to tease the roots out if you're going to constrict them anyway. All you need do is to knock it out of its pot and plant the whole root/earth ball. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
In article ,
June Hughes wrote: Thanks Nick. Yes, I have found that to be the case - or to put it more bluntly, I haven't found any information at all. The only stuff in the books is about the other (evergreen) plant they call a fig but isn't. Oh, I think that it IS a fig - just as the rubber trees are - but in the sense of belonging to genus Ficus and not in the sense of producing edible figs. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
"Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message k... The message from June Hughes contains these words: I have taken note of what you have said and shall move my fig tree next year. Thanks. (Presumably the best time to do this is spring?) Since it's potted, it doesn't really matter - you don't need to tease the roots out if you're going to constrict them anyway. All you need do is to knock it out of its pot and plant the whole root/earth ball. Rusty You can also leave in the pot, but it will do better in the ground :~) Mines been in it's 'pot' (large black rubber pot plasterers use for mixing up in) for several years and I get a few figs each year. Jenny |
In message , JennyC
writes "Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote in message . uk... The message from June Hughes contains these words: I have taken note of what you have said and shall move my fig tree next year. Thanks. (Presumably the best time to do this is spring?) Since it's potted, it doesn't really matter - you don't need to tease the roots out if you're going to constrict them anyway. All you need do is to knock it out of its pot and plant the whole root/earth ball. Rusty You can also leave in the pot, but it will do better in the ground :~) Mines been in it's 'pot' (large black rubber pot plasterers use for mixing up in) for several years and I get a few figs each year. That is what mine is in. I am so pleased it isn't on its last legs! -- June Hughes |
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote in
k: Leave it in its pot until it really outgrows it. Then, if you want to plant it out, either put it a good distance from any expensive masonry (fig trees grow enormous, eventually. I don't know about the liklihood of damage to foundations, but they'll throw a long shadow.). Um, maybe I have a different definition of 'enormous' but I wouldn't describe figs as that. They do tend to flop about all over the place and make a very messy big bush, but they aren't exactly leylandii. I've usually seen them grown as wall shrubs, including at RHS Rosemoor, and the usual advice is to train them against a south-facing wall - for example http://www.easyfruit.co.uk/figs/. Are you sure they are a risk to walls? Don't bother about removing green figs, they will fall of of their own accord - or go on in the summer to better things if the winter isn't too hard. This is wrong for at least one variety of fig (mine!). Remove the green figs: if you have a sufficiently sheltered location, they will stay stuck on the tree until about May: they then fall off without ripening, but this delays the onset of the next generation, which then doesn't get big enough to ripen before the winter arrives again. Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
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