Restrict the roots from the start, either in a large buried container/root pit or a large pot — free-running roots in open ground tend to produce lush leaves and little fruit.
Care
Sheltered — ideally a warm, south-facing wall.
Especially while fruit is swelling; reduce sharply in winter.
Fertile but not overly rich soil; root restriction improves fruiting, since unrestricted roots and very rich soil favour leafy growth over fruit.
Prune in spring to remove frost-damaged tips and maintain shape; pinch out new shoot tips in early summer (traditionally around midsummer) to encourage the embryonic figs that will ripen the following year.
A high-potash liquid feed every two weeks from when the fruit starts to swell until picking, in a pot especially. Never feed a fig generously with nitrogen — it responds with leaves and wood, which is exactly what the restricted root run is meant to prevent.
Hardwood cuttings in winter: a pencil-thick length of ripened wood, two-thirds buried in gritty compost, kept frost-free. Figs root easily, and a rooted sucker from the base works just as well.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MarchRemove frost-damaged tips and any dead wood. how ›
- JunePinch out new shoot tips (traditionally around midsummer) to encourage next year's crop. how ›
- NovemberProtect the pea-sized embryonic figs over winter with fleece or straw in cold areas — these are next year's crop. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchRemove frost-damaged tips and any dead wood. how ›
- JunePinch out new shoot tips (traditionally around midsummer) to encourage next year's crop. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Yellow-brown spots on leaves, worse in wet summers.
What to do. Improve airflow; rake up fallen leaves.
How to spot it. Fruit fails to ripen in a cool or dull summer.
What to do. Choose a warmer, more sheltered spot; restrict the roots further.
How to spot it. To ripening fruit.
What to do. Net if practical.
Questions
Fig: is it hardy?
H4: Hardy through an average UK winter. It survives down to −10 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Large pot culture is a classic, effective way to naturally restrict the roots and encourage fruiting.
Fig: when do you prune it?
Prune in spring to remove frost-damaged tips and maintain shape; pinch out new shoot tips in early summer (traditionally around midsummer) to encourage the embryonic figs that will ripen the following year. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in March, June.
When do you feed it?
A high-potash liquid feed every two weeks from when the fruit starts to swell until picking, in a pot especially. Never feed a fig generously with nitrogen — it responds with leaves and wood, which is exactly what the restricted root run is meant to prevent. Feeding months, UK: May–July.