How to Grow Fig
Ficus carica
Figs fruit best in the UK when fan-trained against a warm, south-facing wall with their roots restricted in a lined pit or large container. Choose a reliable variety such as 'Brown Turkey', plant in well-drained soil, and feed sparingly with high-potash liquid fertiliser once fruits form. Pinch out growing tips in June to encourage fruiting wood, and protect the tiny embryo figs over winter with fleece in cold areas — these are next summer's crop.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Sparingly — high-potash liquid feed fortnightly once fruits form. Too much nitrogen produces leaves, not fruit.
Watch For
- Birds
- Wasps
- Coral spot
- Root rot in waterlogged soil
Companions
Rue, Mint, Strawberries
Track your Fig care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun on a warm south-facing wall
Full sun against a warm, south-facing wall is ideal in the UK. Figs need maximum heat and light to ripen fruit reliably.
💧 Watering
Water when fruits swell; avoid overwatering
Water regularly once fruits begin to swell, but avoid overwatering which encourages leafy growth at the expense of fruit. Reduce watering after harvest.
🌱 Fertilizing
High-potash feed when fruiting; avoid nitrogen
Feed sparingly with a high-potash liquid fertiliser fortnightly once fruits form. Too much nitrogen produces leaves, not fruit.
✂️ Pruning
Late spring prune; pinch tips in June
Prune in late spring after the last frost. Remove crossing branches and pinch out growing tips in June at five or six leaves to encourage fruiting wood.
❄️ Overwintering
Fleece-wrap in cold areas to protect embryo figs
In cold areas, wrap the tree with fleece or hessian over winter. The tiny pea-sized embryo figs that form in autumn overwinter on branches and ripen the following summer.
🌿 Support
Fan-train on wires against a warm wall
Fan-train against a warm wall using horizontal wires spaced 30-45 cm apart. This maximises warmth and makes management easier.
Growing Tips
Restrict the roots
Line a 60cm planting pit with slabs or grow in a large container. Restricting the roots channels energy into fruit rather than leafy growth.
Pinch tips in early summer
In June, pinch out the tips of young shoots at five or six leaves. This encourages embryo figs to form for next year's crop.
Know when figs are ripe
Ripe figs droop on the stalk, feel soft, and may show a drop of nectar at the eye. Pick gently — they bruise easily.
Protect embryo figs over winter
The tiny pea-sized figs that form in autumn overwinter on the branches and ripen the following summer. Protect them with fleece in cold spells.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Birds
Identification: Pecked and partially eaten fruit; fruit disappearing from the tree as it ripens
- Net the tree with fine bird netting as fruit begins to ripen
- Use reflective bird-scare tape
- No chemical controls — physical exclusion is the only effective method
Pest Fig Mite
Identification: Yellowing and bronzing of leaves; tiny mites visible with a hand lens on leaf undersides
- Remove and destroy badly affected leaves
- Improve air circulation by thinning congested growth
- No specific miticides approved for home gardens; cultural controls are the main approach
Pest Wasps
Identification: Wasps feeding on ripe or overripe fruit; damaged fruit with entry holes
- Pick fruit promptly as it ripens
- Set wasp traps nearby using sweet liquid bait
- No chemical controls appropriate on edible fruit
Disease Coral Spot Nectria cinnabarina
Symptoms: Bright orange-pink raised pustules on dead or dying branches; can spread to live wood through pruning wounds
Treatment: Cut out affected branches well below the visible infection; sterilise tools between cuts
Prevention: Prune only in dry weather; remove dead wood promptly; avoid leaving snags
Disease Fig Rust Cerotelium fici
Symptoms: Yellow spots on upper leaf surfaces with brown pustules underneath; premature leaf drop in severe cases
Treatment: Remove and destroy fallen leaves; improve air circulation
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering; thin congested growth; clear leaf litter in autumn
Popular Varieties
Brown Turkey
A robust variety that produces two crops a year in warm climates; a smaller breba crop in early summer and a main crop in late summer. Has purplish-brown skin and amber flesh.
Black Mission
A high-quality fig with deep black-purple skin and dark strawberry-coloured flesh. Prized for its intense sweetness and richness, often described as jammy.
Bush
Brunswick
A hardy, vigorous fig producing large green-skinned fruit with sweet red flesh. Reliable in cooler climates and one of the best for UK outdoor growing.
Celeste
A small to medium fig with violet-brown skin and rich, honey-sweet flesh. Known as the sugar fig for its intense sweetness when fully ripe.
Kadota
A thick-skinned, yellow-green fig with amber flesh. Excellent for preserving and drying, less prone to splitting than thin-skinned varieties.
Panachee
A striking variegated fig with yellow and green tiger-striped skin. The strawberry-red flesh is sweet with a mild flavour. Also known as Tiger Stripe.
Desert King
Produces a reliable breba crop in cool climates, making it a strong choice for areas with short summers. Large green fruit with sweet strawberry-pink flesh.
White Marseilles
A classic variety with large pale green fruit and translucent, honey-flavoured flesh. One of the oldest cultivated figs, well-suited to cooler climates.
Violette de Bordeaux
A compact fig ideal for containers, producing small dark purple fruit with intensely sweet, deep red flesh. Also known as Negronne.
Petite Negri
A naturally dwarf variety excellent for patio growing. Dark purple-black skin with rich, jammy red flesh. Produces two crops in warm climates.
Dalmatie
A large greenish-yellow fig with sweet pale flesh. Hardy and productive in northern climates, with a good breba crop in sheltered positions.
Rouge de Bordeaux
A French heirloom with small, dark-skinned fruit and exceptionally sweet, deep red flesh. Compact growth habit suits smaller gardens.
Log Fig in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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