Fig
Ficus carica
A fruit, planted March to May.
In September: take the unripe figs off the fig and pick the crop. Wear gloves to prune it: the sap is an irritant, and the plant can harm skin in sunlight.
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Fig, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant a pot-grown fig. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Prune the fig. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none | none | none |
| Pinch out the new shoots on the fig. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | none | none |
| Pick the figs. | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual |
| Take the unripe figs off the fig. | usual | usual | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Handle it with care
Wear gloves to prune it: the sap is an irritant, and the plant can harm skin in sunlight.
Strong sources: RHS and Gardeners’ World.
Planting
Plant a pot-grown fig March to May, 4 to 5m apart. Strong sources: RHS and Blackmoor.
Prune the fig
Usually March to April. Strong source: RHS.
Pinch out the new shoots on the fig
Pinch off each shoot tip once it has five leaves.
Usually June. Strong source: RHS.
Pick the figs
Usually July to September. Strong source: RHS.
Take the unripe figs off the fig
Remove the larger figs that failed to ripen; only the pea-sized figs at the shoot tips crop next year.
Usually August to October. Strong source: RHS.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Fig” comes from.