Fig tree -- healthy but fruitless

[Anonymous]

I've got two fig trees in containers, a Violette de Bordeaux and a Little Miss Figgy. I noticed that our neighbor's fig tree has started to form adorable, tiny figs, so I looked at mine and there are a few starting to form on the Little Miss Figgy, but there's nothing on the VdB. Should I be doing something? Fertilizing? Moving the container so it's getting maximum sun? Pointing out that its sibling isn't causing any trouble and my love is conditional?

[Anonymous]

How old are they and how big is the container? Is this your first year with both? Any problems last year?

[Anonymous]

If they are indoor plants, bring them outside when they it gets warmer or pollinate them yourself.

[Anonymous]

They're outdoor plants (I wheel the containers into the garage in December and back out in February or March).

I've had them both a few years, repotted them both last spring. Figgy was fine, VdB has never produced squat. Are some trees just duds?

[Anonymous]

Are they in full sun? I'm in Los Angeles, and my fig (planted in the ground) didn't produce much. I ran into a neighbor who had so many she couldn't give them all away. She said the trick is full sun.

BTW you can just cut off a branch and stick it in a container or the ground and it will grow (just get some leaf nodes below ground). So you could experiment with your fig.

[Anonymous]

Mines barely leafed out.

[Anonymous]

My outdoor fig has already started forming beautiful leaves - they are soft and fuzzy. I also get tons of figs. However, it gets tons of direct sunlight in front of my south-facing house.

Make sure there's enough sun.

[Anonymous]

I agree with PPs about sun but also, the tree might just still be too young and maybe it doesn't like the way it's being overwintered. The first crop would be from last year's growth. Also, figs are weird and don't pollinate like other fruit. The figs are actually the flowers, or something. There's a wasp involved. I have no idea whether that could be a factor.

[Anonymous]

Ours is outdoor, full sun, and did not produce figs for the first 5-6 years.

[Anonymous]

We have four trees and they're just barely getting leaves at this point. But it also took years for them to start getting fruit. They're maybe too young or it's too early?

[Anonymous]

It might depend on the variety. I have an Italian everbearing fig and a honey fig and they have been fruiting right from the second year.

[Anonymous]

Mine does not develop figs until mid to late summer for a fall harvest.

Also, set them out in the sun.

[Anonymous]

Figs need to be pollinated by wasps (not bees). No wasps? No figs.

[Anonymous]

Most mature fig trees will get two crops, an early spring crop that rarely ripens in this area (breba crop), and then the main crop that won't ripen until late summer/early fall.

So for most fig trees, any fruit you see right now at the initial leaf stage probably will not ripen (or will be not very tasty).

Also, if your trees are new, know that some varieties take up to 6 years to produce the first fruit crop (other may fruit in two years).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Figs need to be pollinated by wasps (not bees). No wasps? No figs.

Specifically, fig wasps, which are 1.2-1.8mm in length, so you won't see them. Other wasps may visit the tree, but they are not able to pollinated it because the flowers are inside the fruit so the wasp has to enter the fruit to pollinate. It then dies inside and is disintegrated by the acids.