Fig plant problems

[growingthings]

Okay, so it's probably not going to supply me with any edible figs for a while, but it was bought for me as a mothers day gift. It produced plenty of growth and even one small fig (which I have removed) but now all the leaves are turning yellow and dropping off. It's on the kitchen windowsill which is relatively cool, and in a reasonably small pot about 8inches across.

I haven't been overwatering, but does it need feeding as it is in a pot?

My only other thoughts are that it a) needs repotting as it is rootbound
b) it need moving away from the window as it is too cold. Although there was an enormous fig growing outside in a garden I visited the other month and that looked incredibly rampant and healthy.

hmmm.... some pearly words of wisdom would be very welcome indeed.

Lorna x

[Clara]

It's winter?

[growingthings]

I had wondered about that one actually, but I just wasn't sure that they did lose their leaves. OH is convinced I'm neglecting it, but with two young children (one ill, one a baby), a larder full of harvested veg to be dealt with, home brew beer for christmas, and about half a tonne of apples to be made into cider, and lets not even mention what wants doing down the allotment I have to admit it has been that high on my list of priorities lol.)

Its a busy ol' time of year this ain't it?

Lorna x

[Shirley]

Not sure re the feeding, but I do know that it is good to restrict their roots otherwise they grow foliage and won't give you figs.

[Odsox]

Perfectly natural.
I have a large fig tree in my greenhouse that's about 15 years old and about 15 feet tall and it is now just about leafless.
As it's a deciduous tree it loses it's leaves every year about this time, so nothing to worry about.
It will grow new leaves fairly early in the year, probably have green shoots on it by February, so not long to wait.
In case you are interested, figs ripen twice a year ... once about June and again in September. The September one is the main fruiting period and will last until the leaves drop off (about now ).

[Odsox]

My only other thoughts are that it a) needs repotting as it is rootbound

Sorry, just re-read your post.
If you want to keep it in a pot then that's fine. The old rule of thumb in the days of terracotta pots was that when the roots broke the pot it was time to re-pot, in other words it needs to be root bound or it will take over your house. As I said, mine is about 15 feet tall and about the same in width and that is only because I keep chopping it back. It was planted in an enclosed bed made from concrete blocks, 2 feet square and about 18 inches deep and has never been fed, and produces literally hundreds of figs every year.
I made a small fortune one year when a local restaurant had fig compote on it's menu as I sold them for 50c each.

[growingthings]

glad to know it's doing what it should. It's potted in readiness for the garden room that (is apperently at some point) going to be built on the back of the house. My 3yo was a little concerned that mummy wasn't looking after it. I await the abundant growth yay

Lorna x

[Ellendra]

Do they need a cold period while dormant? I have a twig planted in a pot that was once a fig tree, I just hadn't had the heart to pull it out yet. Glad to see its supposed to do that!

[Odsox]

Do they need a cold period while dormant?

Mine doesn't really get one, I suppose the lowest temperature it gets is about 5c although several degrees of frost won't hurt.

[Ellendra]

Let me rephrase that. Its sitting in the middle of my bedroom. Does it need some kind of change in its environment (light, temp, water) in order to bring it out of dormancy?

[Odsox]

Let me rephrase that. Its sitting in the middle of my bedroom. Does it need some kind of change in its environment (light, temp, water) in order to bring it out of dormancy?

Putting it in a cooler room for a couple of months would probably do it some good.
Otherwise it might get a bit confused

[Jandra]

I'd think that keeping a fig in a house isn't going to do it a lot of good. I'd think it's too dark. A conservatory should work, though.

Outside, provided you have mild winters, they do well in growth, but (at least over here in the Netherlands) only produce ripe figs in a really nice and long summer.

In my unheated polytunnel the figs seem to LOVE it and are producing even though they're still very young.

The June crop actually comes from the tiny fig buds that survive winter (protect the tips of branches against frost if plant is outside) and ripen early the next season.

Mmmm, love figs...

Jandra

[Cheezy]

Firstly figs are quite OK outside, I live in the N.E and have no problems with ours....BUT you do need a nice South, SW /W facing wall, this is to help ripen them, rather than anything to do with cold. We had 8 figs fully ripen this year, and litterally had 20 or more get to the size of a 50p peice before the frost got em. (the bush is only 3 ft high, fan trained.)

Secondly if you don't restrict the roots they will: a) take over, and b) not produce as many figs.

Also, DO NOT feed them, they will produce green growth rather than figs, treat them mean.

If you have any figs on them any larger than the size of a pea after the leaves have dropped, you should remove these (if your tree is outside), as these will never develop. All the embryo ones pea sized or smaller are next years crop and should be left.

If you are training your tree you should take out shoots in summer, as tey produce figs on last years growth, but not all the shoots in one go as this can kill them

Be careful not to get the white sap on you as it can be an irritant.

Once the figs come back in to leaf, when it has produced 5 leaves on the branch, that branch should have it's tip removed, again so that the plant puts the energy in to friut production rather than growth.

Finally, Bob Flowerdew recommends that towards the end of September when it's less likely that the figs will ripen on their own, rub a little olive oil on the base where the hole is, and this encourages ripening. 'parently this is an old Roman trick.