Winter care for figs

Protect them from cold and wet

Though you’ve probably chosen a fig variety that’s perfect for our UK climate, such as the ever-popular ‘Brown Turkey’, it’ll still need some help to cope with the worst of the weather at this time of year.

Through the year, figs need a bit of TLC too, given a warm, sunny spot in shelter, a manure mulch in spring and consistent water in dry, hot spells.

But now’s the time to make steps to overwinter fig trees – they’re reasonably hardy through most of the UK, but it would only take a biting frost or a cold, wet period to take the plant unawares and you’ll lose at least some of the vital fruiting stems – or the roots won’t cope. It’s not worth the risk!

As with many plants, the soft, new growth tips of the stems are most exposed and vulnerable to frost. If you want to be sure these fruit next year, cover them with horticultural fleece until spring. The older, woodier stems are more robust and are hardier to colder weather, so it’s just the tips you need to worry about.

At the very least, pop your potted fig in a sheltered spot to keep protected, or bring it indoors. Outside, bubble wrap the pot, protect the stem tips as mentioned, and keep the soil slightly moist.

If you have one in the ground, give it a mulch to protect the roots in lieu of the bubble wrap. You can also take hardwood cuttings from fig plants now – do it before you cover it up.