RHS Growing Guides

How to grow figs

Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing Figs.

  1. Getting Started
  2. Choosing
  3. Planting
  4. Plant Care
  5. Pruning and Training
  6. Harvesting
  7. Problems
1

Getting Started

Getting Started
Choosing
Section 1 of 7

Sweet, succulent figs may sound like exotic treats for warmer climes, but if you choose the right variety, you can enjoy home-grown figs in the UK, in a mild, sunny site. In cooler locations, figs can be grown in containers and brought indoors over winter to protect the young fruitlets, or outdoor plants can be covered or wrapped. And with our warming climate, the range of suitable outdoor growing sites is continually expanding.

Planted in a warm, sunny site, figs should produce plenty of delicious fruits that ripen by late summer
Left to their own devices, figs (Ficus carica) can grow into large bushy trees, with big hand-shaped leaves that are highly ornamental, bringing a tropical look to gardens. But if you want to maximise cropping, figs are best trained as a fan against a sunny wall and their roots restricted in a large container or with paving slabs inserted vertically around the rootball. Limiting their root-spread reduces their vigorous leafy growth and helps them focus on fruit production. Twice-yearly pruning also keeps these vigorous plants at a manageable size and improves fruiting. The seedless fruits develop without fertilisation (parthenocarpic fruit), so pollination is not need.

Figs crop well in containers, either trained as a fan or as a small free-standing bush or tree, so can be grown in even the smallest garden in a warm, sunny spot. Keeping them in a pot is also useful in cooler regions, so they can be moved indoors over winter.

In the cool UK climate, figs produce two crops a year, but only the first one usually ripens:

  • The first crop is produced from embryonic figs that start to form in late summer at the branch tips. They stay as pea-size fruitlets until spring, then start into growth and ripen over summer. As the fruitlets form at the shoot tips, they are prone to frost damage, so winter protection is beneficial 

  • The second crop forms on the current season’s shoots later in spring and early summer. These fruit rarely have time to ripen outdoors. They may reach a reasonable size, but will remain hard and green, so are best removed at the end of summer

Fig trees can also be grown in a greenhouse all year round, where they may possibly ripen both crops in a good summer.

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2

Choosing

Getting Started
Planting
Guide Start
Section 2 of 7

There are several varieties of fig suitable for cropping in the UK – the best known and most widely available is ‘Brown Turkey’, which has an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). You can also see many fruit trees, including figs, in the fruit and veg plots in the RHS gardens, so do visit to see how they are grown and pick up useful tips.

What and where to buy

Figs are sold as young potted plants in spring and summer. They are available in most garden centres, but for the widest choice of varieties go to specialist fruit nurseries and online fruit tree suppliers.

Recommended Varieties

3

Planting

Choosing
Plant Care
Guide Start
Section 3 of 7

Figs need a warm, sunny, sheltered spot to crop well. Spring is the ideal time to plant, so they have a full growing season to get established. Restricting their roots encourages fruiting, so either plant into a hole lined with paving slabs or into a large container sunk into the ground or free-standing. 

When planting in the ground, choose a spot with free-draining soil, against a south- or south-west-facing wall or fence, where the branches can be trained into a fan. Allow plenty of space either side – a fan-trained fig should be allowed to reach at least 1.8m (6ft) wide, and will readily grow further if you have room. Also make sure the fig is positioned at least 20cm (8in) away from the base of the wall, and attach horizontal wires or trellis to support the branches of the fan – see our guide to training figs.

To restrict the roots, dig a hole 60cm (2ft) deep and wide, then line the sides with vertical paving slabs. They should form a rim 2.5cm (1in) above the soil level, to stop roots escaping over the top. Leave the base of the hole unlined, but add a 10–20cm (4–8in) layer of rubble or stones to prevent the roots going downwards while ensuring good drainage. Then refill the hole with soil.

For full planting details, see our guides below.

Related RHS Guides
Planting shrubs step by stepVideo: planting shrubsWhere to position fruit


Planting in a container

Initially, plant in a pot that’s 30cm (1ft) wide. Use free-draining, peat-free, soil-based compost, and make sure the surface is at least 2.5cm (1in) below the rim, to allow space for watering. Position the pot in a warm, sunny spot, ideally against a south-facing wall. Figs in containers will need repotting every few years.


Figs grow well in pots, and restricting their roots keeps them smaller yet productive

4

Plant Care

Planting
Pruning and Training
Guide Start
Section 4 of 7

To get the best crop, figs need regular maintenance, including watering, feeding and winter protection. Repot containerised figs every couple of years, and check those planted inside vertical paving slabs to ensure they haven’t made a bid for freedom. Dig around the outside of the slabs and sever any roots that have escaped, then block up any gaps.

Watering and mulching

Fig trees should be watered regularly through spring and summer, especially those in pots or with their roots restricted. They may shed their leaves and/or fruits if they dry out too much. Newly planted figs need particular attention, but even established plants may need ongoing watering, especially in hot weather. Those growing at the base of a wall or fence may be sheltered from the rain, so give them additional water whenever the soil is dry. Applying a thick layer of mulch, such as well-rotted manure or garden compost, will help to hold moisture in the soil, but leave a small gap around the base of the trunk.

Too much water can also be harmful, so avoid growing figs in damp or poorly drained locations, and make sure plants in containers are never left standing in trays of water, especially in winter. Raise pots onto bricks to keep the drainage holes clear.

Related RHS Guides
Guide to mulchingMulching fruit

Feeding

In early spring, feed plants growing in the ground with a high potassium general fertiliser, such as Vitax Q4 or blood, fish and bonemeal – scatter one handful per square metre/yard around the base. With plants in containers, apply liquid tomato fertiliser every two to three weeks throughout the growing season, until the figs start to ripen in late summer.

Related RHS Guides
Using fertiliserLooking after plants in potsFeeding fruit

Repotting

Figs grown in containers should be repotted every couple of years in March, into a pot that’s about 5cm (2in) larger each time. Use peat-free, soil-based compost. See our video guide to repotting. Figs fruit best when their roots are restricted, so avoid moving plants into a much larger container. ​

Once you reach a pot size of 45cm (18in) wide, there’s no need to increase the size further. Instead, every few years, take the plant out of its pot, remove as much old compost as possible from among the roots, then repot it back into the same container using fresh compost. Alternatively, just scrape off the top 2.5cm (1in) of old compost every spring and replace with new.

Looking after fruits

Fig trees produce fruitlets twice a year, in late summer and late spring:

  • Late-summer fruitlets (pea-size embryos) form on the branch tips – these will form your crop. They will stay on the leafless tree over winter, then start growing in spring and ripen over the summer. Protect them from frost in winter (see below) and take care not to remove them when pruning in spring

  • Late-spring fruitlets, which form on the current season’s growth, don’t generally have time to ripen in the UK outdoors – our summers are usually too short and cool. So at the end of summer, remove any fruits that are larger than a pea, as they will never ripen and will usually shrivel and rot. On plants grown under cover all year round, this second crop may manage to ripen by late summer

Protect ripening fruits from birds and squirrels by covering the tree with netting, held away from the fruits with canes.

Winter protection

In all but the warmest sites, it’s best to protect fig trees over winter, so the tiny fruitlets that form in late summer don’t get damaged by frost, which would ruin the following year’s crop:

  • Fan-trained figs – once the leaves fall in autumn, pack straw or bracken around the branches, then secure with netting or cover with hessian or plastic-free fleece. Remove the insulation gradually in spring once growth starts  

  • Free-standing fig trees in containers – in autumn, move into an unheated greenhouse, shed or porch until after the last frost in late spring. Alternatively, wrap as described above

Related RHS Guides
Wrapping tender plants

Propagating

You can grow new plants from an existing fig tree by:

5

Pruning and Training

Plant Care
Harvesting
Guide Start
Section 5 of 7

For the best crop, train your fig tree as a fan against a warm sunny wall and prune twice a year (in spring and early summer) to control the plant’s size and encourage fruiting. To support the fan, attach trellis or horizontal wires, spaced 30cm (1ft) apart, to the wall or fence. Fan-trained figs can be kept to about 1.8m (6ft) tall and 3.5m (11½ft) wide, but can grow bigger if you have more space. In colder locations, figs can be fan trained in a greenhouse, with the horizontal wires positioned 30cm (1ft) away from the glass. Figs can also be pruned to keep them as small bushes, or as standards (shaped like a lollipop) – both need pruning twice a year. When pruning figs, bear in mind that the sap is an irritant, so wear gloves, and start pruning from the base and work upwards, to avoid any drips. 

Untrained fig trees may still produce fruit, but the plants can grow very large, fruiting may not be as prolific, and the crop will be less easy to protect and harvest.

For step-by-step advice on fan and bush training, see our guide below. 

Related RHS Guides
Pruning and training figs

6

Harvesting

Pruning and Training
Problems
Guide Start
Section 6 of 7

Figs are ready to harvest when their skin is soft and they hang limply from the branch. They may split when gently squeezed. Occasionally they produce a droplet of sugary liquid from the ‘eye’ at the base. Most fig trees only ripen one crop per year, at the end of summer. However, in very warm sites or in a greenhouse, they may produce two crops over the summer.

7

Problems

Harvesting
Guide Start
Section 7 of 7

Figs are usually hardy, healthy, vigorous plants that are not prone to diseases. They may sometimes be affected by scale insects or red spider mites when grown in a greenhouse.

Fruit ripening can sometimes be a problem, especially in cooler locations or poor summers. Fig trees need a warm, sheltered, sunny site, ideally against a south-facing wall, and the fruitlets need protection from frost over winter. As soon as the fruits start to ripen, cover the plant with netting, held away from the fruits with canes, to protect them from birds and squirrels.

Related RHS Guides
Controlling problems without chemicalsPreventing problems

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