Hot tips for ‘Med’ success
Figs grown in greenhouses can produce two harvests of figs each year. Outdoor figs produce one harvest.
Grapevines are deciduous; their leaves turn rather brilliant and fiery tones of red during autumn. Figs are self-fertile – they don’t need another fig for pollination.
In cooler areas of the country container plants can be grown outside in summer and moved to a warmer area during winter.
Sweet dessert grapes need warmer growing conditions than grapes used to make wine.
If you’re growing grapes outdoors, choose grape varieties that are listed as being suited to outside cultivation.
Select grape varieties that will ripen in your area during mid-October, so you can avoid the problem of pesky wasps eating your fruit.
If you want to prune your olive, prune during June or July, to allow the plant time to heal before the season changes.
Olives are wind-pollinated, selffertile plants, so shaking the branches when your trees are flowering may help ensure pollination.
Olives like a period of cooler temperatures over winter to induce flowering, consequently they won’t always fruit inside a warm conservatory.
You don’t have to have a vast amount of space to grow grapes; you could plant a mini vineyard on an allotment.