A fig tree in full fruit. But is it the first or second crop? Photograph: david.nikonvscanon/Flickr/Some rights reserved
A couple of years ago I answered a Stumped? question about fig pruning. In the prelude to my advice I believe I said something along the lines that in the UK we can only get one crop of figs, unlike in the Mediterranean, where trees crop twice. Well, was I put in my place. Many readers wrote in to inform me that their trees actually cropped twice, reliably, each year.
Once I had recovered from the strength of feeling conveyed in the letters (fig growers seem to be a particularly cruel lot), I realised that most had come from London and the south east. There may even, honestly, have been one from Tunbridge Wells. Which leads me to the conclusion that this is a fluid time for the fig crop, and that it would be an interesting indicator of our changing climate to find out who, out there, is getting one crop, and who two. Obviously I need to know your location too, to make it vaguely scientific. I will kick off my saying that here in Bristol all the trees I know just get one crop, but would like to state that I cannot vouch for those in warmer, more sheltered corners, or for trees whose fruits are protected in some way over winter. See how jumpy this makes me?
Please tell me about your own experiences below. And be nice.
