🟤 Fig

Figs are surprisingly happy in the UK, especially in the south, with a warm wall and a restricted root run. Their bold lobed leaves are very ornamental, and the sweet, honeyed fruits are a delicacy you rarely taste at their best in a shop.

Restricting the roots, in a large pot or a pit lined with paving slabs, encourages fruit rather than leaves. Only the figs that form in late summer and overwinter as embryo fruit need protecting; the following year they ripen. Figs are self-fertile, so one tree is enough.

Varieties to try

Brown Turkey (hardy and reliable, the usual UK choice)Brunswick (large fruits, hardy)Little Miss Figgy (compact, perfect for pots)White Marseilles (pale, sweet, good in warm sites)Rouge de Bordeaux (compact, good in pots)

Plant in spring in a hot, sunny, sheltered spot, ideally against a south- or west-facing wall. For good fruiting, restrict the roots by planting in a 40–50 cm pot, or in a pit 60 cm square lined with concrete slabs or thick plastic, with rubble in the bottom for drainage.

Use a loam-based compost such as John Innes No. 3 mixed with grit. Plant at the same depth as in the nursery pot and water well. Keep potted figs in the sunniest spot, and move to a sheltered location or wrap with fleece in cold winters.

Top tips

• Restrict the roots for more fruit.
• Choose a warm, sunny wall.
• Use gritty, free-draining compost.
• Wrap potted trees in winter.

Water potted figs regularly through the summer, and feed with a high-potash fertiliser every two weeks from the time fruit forms. Pot-grown figs dry out quickly in a heatwave. Repot into a slightly larger pot every few years, or refresh the top 5 cm of compost annually.

In late autumn, remove all fruit larger than a pea (they will not survive winter), and keep the pea-sized fruit that will ripen next year. Protect with fleece or straw in cold areas. Prune in spring to keep the shape, removing damaged shoots, and in early summer pinch out new shoot tips to five leaves.

Top tips

• Remove large unripe figs in late autumn.
• Feed with potash in summer.
• Wrap in fleece for winter.
• Pinch out shoot tips in summer.

Watch out for

Frost damageCoral spot on dead woodRed spider mite under glassWasps and birdsFruit drop from irregular watering

Figs are ripe in August to October when the fruit droops on its stalk, the skin is soft, slightly wrinkled and coloured, and a drop of nectar may appear at the base. Gently twist or cut the stalk to pick. An unripe fig will not continue to ripen after picking.

Pick figs when you are ready to eat them, as they bruise easily and keep poorly. Wear gloves, since the sap can irritate skin. Cover trees with netting to keep birds and wasps from ripe fruit.

Top tips

• Pick when drooping and soft.
• Wear gloves for the sap.
• Net against birds.
• Eat soon after picking.

Eat figs fresh, on their own or with cheese such as goat’s cheese, blue cheese or mozzarella, with ham, honey or yoghurt. Roast or grill halved figs with honey, make jam, chutney, or bake them in tarts and cakes. Dried figs, made in a low oven, keep well.

Ripe figs keep only 2–3 days in the fridge, so eat or process them quickly. They freeze whole or halved on a tray, then bagged, for up to a year, for use in baking or sauces. Fig jam keeps for a year.

Top tips

• Roast with honey and thyme.
• Pair with goat’s cheese.
• Freeze whole on a tray.
• Make jam from a glut.