Delicious figs

One of the delights of late summer is the fig crop - such a distinctive and delicious fruit. Its´ no surprise then that they feature largely in my post box. Here are some of your questions about them.

Daniella asks: We have a lovely fig tree, however the lower branches are laying on the ground and I'm wondering if I can remove those branches safely without hurting the tree. If branches are chopped off trees I'm sure you should paint the wounds with something?? Also we have lots of ants crawling up the tree, how can I stop them?

Lorraine replies: Firstly, yes, you can prune the lower branches, though it would be better to do it during the auyour tumn/winter when the tree is bare. If this doesn't suit you and it's only one or two branches, you could do it now but any major pruning is best left for the colder months. Fig trees tend to bleed a lot so are best pruned when sap levels are low. Recent thinking on sealing pruning cuts is that it isn't really necessary - especially in our dryer climate. But if you want to play safe, then you can paint on neem oil which is organic and contains a natural fungicide.

The best way to stop ants crawling up is to use sticky bands on the trunk of the tree and, of course, by cutting back those low lying branches where they can gain access.

Christine writes:

I have two fig trees, planted by my husband about seven years ago but have never had any success with them. The fruit goes rotten every year and one of the trees has got smaller and smaller. I found this bug (see photo) on one of the trees two days ago and as you can see the fruit isn't any good, I don't know whether it's that bug that's doing it or something else. Its´ so aggravating because there are loads of fig trees around us as wild as you can get, and they thrive. Please, what can I do for future years?

Lorraine replies: Firstly, although that big fella may look fearsome, the stag beetle is not causing the problem. Hes´ drinking the juice from the fig - something they will do in long hot summers - but is not affecting the tree in any way.

Likewise the ants are moving in for the honeydew exuded by aphids but are unlikely to damage the tree unless they have a nest at its roots - check that out as they can undermine the root system and cause weak growth.

Are you watering your figs? Are they, maybe, on an automatic irrigation system? They shouldn´t be watered, certainly not if theyve´ been in the ground for so long, it makes them grow very weakly. If this is the case, cut watering in the autumn and leave them to get on with it.

In any case, it sounds like fruits are being attacked by the Mediterranean fruit fly - an extremely common fly here that lays its eggs inside the fruit and the larvae eat and spoil the fruit. These can attack most varieties of fruit, especially softer skinned ones, and can even go for things like melon, tomatoes etc. There is an organic trap for the flies; otherwise you could spray weekly with neem oil as a preventative. You are, obviously, too late now for this year´s crop but try either of these measures starting next spring.

In late autumn, give the trees a hard prune to encourage strong new growth, feed in early springtime and, hopefully, next year things will improve!

Keep sending me your gardening queries.