[Carshay]

I have recently moved and inherited a fig tree which has had a fair few ripe figs and now has lots of little figs on it. I am a complete novice and someone told me that they would ripen next year - is that true? Also my house was a second home before I bought it so the tree had very little care. There are lots of shoots coming from the base which are touching the ground. Should I prune these right back or leave them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated thanks

[Trikidiki]

In their natural habitat (Med) they produce two crops each year but our summers are not long enough to do this. Hence you get left with small unripe figs at the end of the summer.

The small figs will probably not survive the winter, if they do then they will ripen next year.

Some books say it is better to remove any figs bigger than a pea in the winter as they won't survive. Those of pea size are you're next years crop and should be left.

Pruning is basically to shape the plant in Winter and shorten sideshoots in summer. The ones coming from below ground are suckers and should be removed. I don't think figs are ever grafted so I don't see why this would be necessary apart from tidiness.

The prunings can be used as hardwood cuttings to create more plants, if you scrape away the soil around the base you can probably get out the suckers with some root attached which will take readily.

[Dirt Diver]

Hi

I have just purchased a Brown Turkey Fig and on the instructions is says" Remove smallest fruitlets in mid winter,  but does not give a size.
 Prune late autum to early spring.

very much as Trikidika has advised you

[8doubles]

As Trikidiki said take off any figs larger than a pea be careful as the sap will burn sensitive skin.

[evie2]

Would a Fig tree grow up here in the Derbyshire, Yorkshire border?

[Yorkie]

I believe that Brown Turkey variety is fully hardy in the UK

[8doubles]

Would a Fig tree grow up here in the Derbyshire, Yorkshire border?

If you have a sunny sheltered spot they should be fine. I seem to recall one forum member is growing them in Scotland.

[evie2]

Our back garden is South facing and shelter can be sorted out and I'm looking to plant more fruit trees, think I'll give it a try

[realfood]

Yes, I have a fig tree growing outside against a sunny wall in Glasgow. It produces ripe fruits every year and was unaffected by the harsh Winter that we had last year.

[evie2]

Well, if it grows in my home town I'm sure it will grow in Nth Derbyshire