How to Grow Figs UK

Regional Planting Calendar

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Free-draining, avoiding poorly-drained conditions (RHS)
Lifecycle	Deciduous shrub or small tree. Begins fruiting in the second or third year after planting (UMD Extension).
Edible parts	fruit

At a Glance

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: Steady supply of moisture throughout the growing season, checked daily during hot weather (RHS)

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Planting and root restriction	0	Plant in spring, at least 20cm from a warm south/south-west wall (RHS). To control vigour and improve fruiting, restrict roots: line a 60cm hole with paving slabs (a 2.5cm rim above soil level) over a 10-20cm rubble base (RHS); UMD Extension confirms root pruning has the same effect, shocking overly vegetative plants into heavier fruiting.
Vegetative growth and pruning	3	Prune twice a year, in spring and early summer, wearing gloves against the irritant sap and working from the base upwards (RHS). UMD Extension adds pinching the terminal buds of first-year shoots in late spring to force laterals and increase production.
Embryonic fruit formation and overwintering	6	Tiny embryonic fruitlets ("breba" crop, per UMD Extension) form at the branch tips in late summer and must survive winter to ripen the following year -- protect fan-trained plants by packing straw or bracken around the branches after leaf fall and covering with hessian or netting; move container trees under cover until after the last spring frost (RHS).
Ripening and harvest	8	Ripens end of summer; fruit is ready when the skin is soft and hangs limply, sometimes splitting or producing a droplet of sugary liquid from the "eye" (RHS). Pick by holding the stalk and tearing it away from the branch. UMD Extension notes the main crop runs August through first frost.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Skin soft, fruit hangs limply from the branch, may split when squeezed or weep a sugary droplet from the eye (RHS). UMD Extension records the main harvest window as August through first frost, with some cultivars giving an earlier, lower-quality breba crop in June-July.

Storage

Best eaten soon after picking, though can be frozen or made into preserves (RHS).

Diseases

Honey fungus

low

Armillaria spp.

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Pests

Mealybugs

low

Pseudococcidae

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page.

Glasshouse red spider mite (two-spotted spider mite)

low

Tetranychus urticae

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page for greenhouse-grown plants.

Fig leaf skeletoniser

low

Choreutis nemorana

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page; established in the UK only since 2014.

Spotted wing drosophila

low

Drosophila suzukii

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as an occasional pest.

Birds (fruit)

moderate

Aves

Named directly by both RHS and UMD Extension.

Scale insects

low

Diaspididae / Coccidae

Named directly on RHS's own growing-guide page as "scale insects".

Squirrels

moderate

Sciurus spp.

Named directly by both RHS and UMD Extension.

Fig Photo Gallery

Healthy fig bush

A healthy fig bush with broad lobed leaves.

Immature fruit

A small immature green fig forming on the branch -- this is the embryonic fruit that must survive winter to ripen the following year.

Mature tree

A large mature fig tree.

Leaf canopy

Fig tree leaf canopy.

Fan-trained against a wall

A fig branch trained on wires against a wall, the classic RHS-recommended UK growing method.

Young tree

A young fig tree planted against a wall.

Basal shoots

Fig basal shoots regrowing near the base.

Container-grown

Several fig trees grown in large pots.

Leaves and fruit

Fig leaves with small fruit forming.

References

1. Royal Horticultural Society - How to grow figs

   Warm sunny sheltered spot, south/south-west wall, at least 20cm from wall base. Free-draining soil. Root restriction: 60cm hole lined with paving slabs (2.5cm rim above soil), 10-20cm rubble base. Plant spring. Container 30cm wide/deep, peat-free soil-based compost. Fan-trained ~1.8m tall x 3.5m wide. Prune twice yearly (spring, early summer), wear gloves (irritant sap), base upwards. Water steadily, check daily in heat; container fed fortnightly high-potassium liquid until figs start ripening late summer; ground plants mulched annually + yearly granular high-potassium feed if root-restricted. Two crops/year in UK, usually only first (formed as embryonic fruitlets at shoot tips in late summer) ripens; protect overwintering fruitlets with straw/bracken + hessian/netting on fan-trained, or move containers under cover until after last frost. Harvest end of summer: skin soft, hangs limply, may split/weep sugary droplet from eye; pick by tearing stalk from branch; eat soon or freeze/preserve. Pests: scale insects, red spider mites (greenhouse), grey squirrels, birds, mealybug, spotted wing drosophila (occasional). Diseases: honey fungus, fig leaf skeletoniser (UK since 2014). Propagation: hardwood cuttings ~20cm autumn (root over months), layering spring/autumn, suckers potted spring.

2. University of Maryland Extension - Growing Figs in Maryland

   Sustained winter temps below 20°F can injure/kill aboveground wood; Eastern Shore/Southern Maryland/Baltimore City overwinter easiest, elsewhere needs protection. Min 8hrs direct summer sun, adapts to wide soil range, space 10ft apart each direction. Plant fall (root establishment before freeze); cut back branch tips after planting for lateral growth. Pruning: remove suckers/dead/crowded wood March-April; pinch first-year shoot tips late spring to boost production; root pruning March-April can shock into heavier fruiting if excessively vegetative. Fertilise: container figs monthly May-July. Winter protection: cut stems to 4-5ft, pin branches to ground under burlap/tarp, surround with bagged leaves, or wire-fence enclosure filled with leaves/straw. Pests/diseases: few insect pests/diseases; spotted lanternfly observed, minimal injury; birds/squirrels need exclusion netting. Harvest: main crop August-first frost; some cultivars give an earlier, lower-quality "breba crop" June-July from overwintered fruit. Propagation: spring root-sucker division or tip layering; mid-late summer 8-10in cuttings, humid for 4-6 weeks before planting. Fruiting begins year 2-3 after planting.

2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.