no figs on fig tree - Ask Extension
I have a Brown Turkey fig tree which is quite large and produced loads of figs for the first time last year. This year it looks very healthy and it h...
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no figs on fig tree #871258
Asked June 03, 2024, 10:18 AM EDT
I have a Brown Turkey fig tree which is quite large and produced loads of figs for the first time last year. This year it looks very healthy and it had a number of unripe figs in early May. Then we left town for 2 weeks and when we returned, the figs were gone. They have always taken a long time to ripen so I can't imagine they were eaten by animals because they wouldn't have ripened in that time. Do you have any idea what might have happened to them and if I might still get a crop this year? My neighbor suggested pruning the tree. Would you recommend that? Thanks!
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
Hi- we're not sure why it has taken your fig tree so long to produce figs. A large tree that has not suffered yearly dieback of top growth due to cold injury during the winter should be producing many figs if it's receiving more than 6 hrs. of direct sun/day.
The May/June figs are the breba crop. This is followed by the main crop that ripens late summer. Some cultivars reliably produce both crops but most that are adapted to the mid-Atlantic produce a single main crop. Brown Turkey often produces a light breba crop. The breba crop is lower quality and can reduce the main crop so it's best to strip them off before they enlarge. Your spring crop may have been eaten by wildlife.
Figs can be pruned anytime of the year and maintained to any size that works for the site and the gardener. It's best to keep the height to <8 ft. to allow for easy harvesting. If growing it as a shrub you can select 3-8 main stems spaced out a bit to avoid crowding of branches. If you prune during the growing season- the white sap contains latex and can cause a contact dermatitis in sensitive people.
More detailed information on our fig page:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-figs-maryland/
Jon
The May/June figs are the breba crop. This is followed by the main crop that ripens late summer. Some cultivars reliably produce both crops but most that are adapted to the mid-Atlantic produce a single main crop. Brown Turkey often produces a light breba crop. The breba crop is lower quality and can reduce the main crop so it's best to strip them off before they enlarge. Your spring crop may have been eaten by wildlife.
Figs can be pruned anytime of the year and maintained to any size that works for the site and the gardener. It's best to keep the height to <8 ft. to allow for easy harvesting. If growing it as a shrub you can select 3-8 main stems spaced out a bit to avoid crowding of branches. If you prune during the growing season- the white sap contains latex and can cause a contact dermatitis in sensitive people.
More detailed information on our fig page:
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/growing-figs-maryland/
Jon
Thank you so much for this helpful info. I was pruning the tree today and think I may have discovered the problem - there are Spotted Lantern Flies on it! Any suggestions about how to deal with them?
Karen
Hi- they seem to like to congregate on fig plants perhaps because of their height or smell. They have not been reported feeding on or injuring fig trees. You can ignore them. Send us photos if you can capture them with their mouthparts inserted in leaves or stems.
Jon
Jon
