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Brown Turkey fig. Should I put it in the ground?

B3B3 Posts: 27,505
I  Have a btf that's doing well in a container but it needs watering at least twice a day, which is a pita.
There's a spot up the dry, sunny end of the garden where there'd be plenty of room for it to grow.
If I watered it until it was well established in the ground, would it be able to fend for itself or would it still need continuous watering?
In London. Keen but lazy.

Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I've never grown one, but I've looked after them for clients in the past. 
    I think they're best planted with some root constraint, like a black dustbin, otherwise they chuck out masses of leaves.
    I'm sure Mr Google will help.
    Devon.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'm not too worried about fruit. I don't like figs  -horrible gritty things!  I bought it as a cheapo in lidl and away it went. It has lots of little fruits on it, but there's not enough time for them to ripen.
     Lots of leaves would be good to cover the fence. I  don't want to have to nurture it too much. I can just as well leave it in the container. But would it survive?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    B3
    Used to grow a large btf in open ground for an ex-client ; agree about the fruits as being 'not very nice' to say the least !

    Plants like these can be useful for screening ; ie:- large leaved and fairly rapid growing in open ground . They're hardier than some might think .

    Also useful for giving a 'sub-tropical' effect .

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Would I have to keep watering it, or would it burrow down for itself?
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I'd say it'll be fine . 
    One client of mine had one in an internal corner in a strip about 0.5m with a path to the side and it romped away.
    I never watered it and most rain fell off the leaves onto the path.
    Devon.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited July 2018
    Thanks hosta and pb3
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • A fully ripe fig, picked straight off the tree is manna from heaven. Soft, juicy, sweet and aromatic. The ones sold in shops should be banned, they are horrible.

    If you do not want fruit the site you have in mind sounds ideal, let someone else worry about it in 20 years time when it has taken over the neighbourhood. I think it would be much harder work to give it enough water if you planted it out now with the weather as it is. Try standing it in a deep bowl for the time being and keep that topped up with water. I have two fig plants, not Brown Turkey waiting to be planted out into an old galvanised water tank as I want fruit. 

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