Figs

[Beryl]

Just a word or warning if you are removing figs that won't ripen this time of the year and have a sensative skin. The milky white sap at the base of the fig can cause a prickly hot irritation and rash. As I found out to my cost.
Beryl.

[Diane]

I agree.

When we prune our fig tree in late winter/early spring. we always wear glasses, gloves and long sleeves. The sap drips for ages.

[oldherbaceous]

I think this was one of the rather nasty tricks the Head of the fruit glasshouses used to play on the journeyman. Get him to start pruning the figs from the top, thus getting driipped on when pruning the lower branches.

[Ian in Cumbria]

Hello All

I'd like a bit of advice re figs please. I have a fig in a container about 30cm diameter and the same deep. The plant is about 3ft high and has 3 or 4 shoots. It was outside for a couple of years but was in the greenhouse this year (first year of greenhouse). I have had a couple of ripe figs but most fall off when still very small. I have read that in the north of England they grow well in a greenhouse in a container. I have bought a cubic container 40cm each way and plan to repot once the leaves have all fallen off (most have fallen now). I would like to grow it vertical then train horizontally down the gh at the height of the top of the tomato plants or at the ridge. Is this feasible? If so, ideally I would train one of the shoots this way and prune out the others.

The questions: Can a fig be grown like this? How would I prune it to keep it like this? What compost? Any other thoughts?

Regards

Ian

[Beryl]

I can't help Ian with this. My fig was in a lage pot for several years and didn't do anything but as soon as I planted out on the allotment in a large hole lined with rubble it really got going and since then I have had fantastic crops and a lovely tree which does need pruniing in the winter to keep the height down. I have it trained on some wires and just cut to keep it in shape.

Beryl.

[PLUMPUDDING]

I can't really help with the (topiary) side as I find small fig plants don't have enough branches to do much with, but I do always pot up all the twigs I do cut off and they usually root, so you have a few new plants as spares in case your pruning efforts go wrong.

[Ian in Cumbria]

Thank you. The deed is done now. Fig reduced to 2 shoots (will decide later which one to use as the leader - or may use both) about 30" high. Repotted in 40cm cube pot in corner of gh. As I said before, the plan is to let the shoot(s?) grow vertically until they reach the roof (~5ft where it is) then to train them to a cane fastened along the gh roof. I have visions of ripe figs hanging behind the tomato plants at eye level. Reality will no doubt be different but experimenting is part of the fun.

Regards

Ian

[Marigold]

Completely off thread.. noticed that the times of posts here seems to be pre-clocks going back...For Ireland at least

[Beryl]

Ian, just a thought that if the tree does reach 5ft it will be growing quite vigorously by then, just watch it doesn't crack the glass.

Best of luck. I woud be interested to hear how it goes.

Beryl.

[FelixLeiter]

When we prune our fig tree in late winter/early spring. we always wear glasses, gloves and long sleeves. The sap drips for ages.

The received wisdom is to prune figs in early winter while fully dormant. Like grapes, the sap rises early, well before leaves appear. Done at the wrong time, they can haemorrhage. On the other hand, there is always a chance of dieback after a hard winter, in which case it is better to leave all the limbs on until after winter to give you a choice of healthy wood.

[Ian in Cumbria]

Beryl

I'd thought about cracking the glass. I'm going to make a 90 degree bend out of something (not thought what yet) and train the leading shoot around it if and when it gets to maybe 4ft. If it does ever get to what I have in my mind's eye I'm going to have to watch side shoots carefully for pressing against the glass. What's the experience of people with grape vines?

Regards

Ian