
Think of figs, or better still taste one, and you will immediately be transported to sunnier climes where the sun beats down all day, ripening this exotic-looking fruit to a deep, rich brown.
However, you don’t need to live in the Med to enjoy the fig’s wonderful, sweet flesh since they will grow very well in many areas of the UK.
Fig plants are surprisingly hardy – in most seasons only some shoot tips or young fruits, which form in leaf joints at the end of the branches as they grow, are killed by frost, causing the plant no long-term damage.
Enjoy more Kitchen Garden reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.
Fruit specialists sell a number of varieties the hardiest and most freely available of which is ‘Brown Turkey’ but most are easy to grow and well worth a try.
Varieties
Over the many centuries that figs have been cultivated, lots of varieties have been bred, but not all are suitable for our climate or readily available from nurseries, although if you have a greenhouse the choice is much greater.
Try the old favourites ‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘White Marseilles’, both of which are reliable and easy to get from garden centres or fruit specialists. For the greenhouse there is ‘Rouge de Bordeaux’, and for the patio compact ‘Panachee’ with variegated fruit.

Growing Tips
Over the many centuries that figs have been cultivated, lots of varieties have been bred, but not all are suitable for our climate or readily available from nurseries, although if you have a greenhouse the choice is much greater.
Try the old favourites ‘Brown Turkey’ and ‘White Marseilles’, both of which are reliable and easy to get from garden centres or fruit specialists. For the greenhouse there is ‘Rouge de Bordeaux’, and for the patio compact ‘Panachee’ with variegated fruit.

Sign-up to the Kitchen Garden Magazine Newsletter
Enter your e-mail address below to see a free digital back issue of Kitchen Garden Magazine and get regular updates straight to your inbox…
You can unsubscribe at any time.
About the Author
- Mortons Media Group Acquires Four New Titles - 8th April 2022
- TV show seeks sheds with star quality - 8th March 2022
- Kitchen Garden Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2022! - 16th February 2022