When do Fig Trees Produce Fruit – UK?

If you have a fig tree in your garden, you’ll know they can be a little mysterious. One year, you might spot small fruits forming and dream of home-grown figs by late summer… and the next year, nothing but big leafy growth. Fig trees don’t behave quite like other fruit trees, and in the UK climate, timing, warmth, and even how much space the roots have can all affect whether you see a crop or not.

The good news is that figs can grow and fruit very successfully in the UK once you understand how they work. From knowing when figs are meant to ripen, to why your tree might not be producing fruit, and the simple tricks that encourage better crops, here’s everything you need to know about growing figs in a British garden.

What month do fig trees bear fruit?

In the UK, fresh Figs (Ficus carica) are typically in season from late summer to early autumn, roughly August to September. When grown outside, fig trees usually only ripen one crop a year because of the cooler, shorter growing season.

If it has been a super warm summer, some fig trees growing outside may produce a small early crop that ripens over late summer. Main crops on new wood often mature later in the season, but in many UK gardens, they don’t fully ripen before colder weather arrives. It might take a young fig tree two to three years to establish and produce fruit.

Do Fig Trees Fruit Twice a Year in the UK?

Fig trees have two crops for fruit production. In some cases, there will be an early production of fruit – this is called a Breba crop, and it’s where fruit begins to form on the trees at the end of the previous growing season and ripens over the next summer.

Then there’s the main crop, which starts growing fresh in spring and ripens by the late summer of the same year.

However, in the UK, we don’t have a long, hot summer. Which means it’s usually only the Breba crop that manages to form before the cold of autumn arrives. So, unless grown in a greenhouse, fig trees only crop reliably once in the UK climate.

Can you eat fig fruit straight from the tree?

Yes, fresh figs are perfect straight off the trees once they are fully ripe. Once picked, they don’t continue to ripen, so make sure you wait until they are soft, slightly dropping, and sweet before picking and eating. Always rinse before eating! You can also make dried figs, so that they last longer.

Why is my fig tree growing but not producing fruit?

Too Much Pruning

Unlike many other fruit trees, like apples and pears, small figs begin forming the year before they ripen. So, if you are pruning and cutting back hard in spring or summer, you can accidentally remove parts of the tree that were going to produce this year’s fruit.

Heavy pruning also signals to the tree to focus on growing fig leaves and shoots instead of putting energy into the fruit. It’s best to only lightly prune fig trees in the late winter when the tree is dormant.

Not Enough Sunlight

Fig trees are Mediterranean plants – so they love heat and the sun. If your tree is in partial shade or planted in an open, windy spot, it may grow, but not get warm enough to trigger the production of fruit.

A sunny, sheltered south-facing wall is one of the best places you can grow a fig tree in the UK.

Too Young

For the first couple of years of their life, your fig tree will spend time establishing root systems and leafy growth before it begins to fruit. So if you have a newly planted tree, be patient and give it two to three years to begin cropping reliably.

Water & Soil

Fig trees like soil that is well-drained and watered steadily. If you overwater and the soil is always soggy, it can stress the root growth and stop the tree from forming fruit. If it’s too dry, it can cause the tree to drop any developing figs.

This is especially important for fig trees in their first few years of life. Once roots are established, they are drought-tolerant and will only need to be watered in hot, dry weather. (If you have a potted fig tree, you’ll need to water more frequently to stop the soil from drying out)

The Roots have too much space

If a fig tree has lots of room to spread its roots, it will put all of its energy into growing bigger rather than producing fruit, and you’ll get a large tree with excessive leafy growth.

Top tips for growing fig fruit trees

1. Plant it in the warmest, sunniest spot you have. For fig trees like ‘brown turkey‘, a south-facing wall is ideal, bricks store heat during the day and release it at night, as well as sheltering the tree from the wind.
2. Restrict the roots. Figs grow and crop better when the roots are confined. To keep the roots restricted, you can grow in a large pot, a raised bed, or line a planting hole with paving slabs to limit the spread. Varieties like ‘little miss figgy‘ are perfect for container planting.
3. Prune lightly in late winter, whilst the tree is dormant, and avoid heavy cutting.
4. Regular feeding with a balanced fertiliser (avoid high nitrogen feeds). Only do this when the fig tree shows signs of needing some help.
5. In cold areas, wrap your tree with a horticultural fleece during hard frosts and mulch the base to protect roots.