tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post5172928871503770294..comments2024-03-26T17:53:49.471+00:00Comments on Mark's Veg Plot: Fig trees and Olive trees - advice pleaseMark Willishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-47923546795678534702016-01-21T20:34:33.443+00:002016-01-21T20:34:33.443+00:00Wow! 500kgs of olives. I think I'll be lucky i...Wow! 500kgs of olives. I think I'll be lucky if I get 50g!Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-43188110144845410352016-01-21T17:01:05.271+00:002016-01-21T17:01:05.271+00:00I have just moved to Italy and now have fig and ol...I have just moved to Italy and now have fig and olive trees growing in my garden. When in the uk I also like you had olive and fig but grew them outside in the garden and never had any luck with them fruiting despite spending a fortune on feed. The only help I can add is that pruning here on my fig and olives is done with chainsaws and there is no finesse. They respond to hard pruning and you need to get them into a shape you want rather than what we do in the uk is let the plant determine the shape they want.<br /><br />Don't be fooled into thinking preserving olives in a phaff, its really easy and takes no time, its just the books that make it sound difficult. I picked 500kilos of olives this year and preserved some and they taste really good mauricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13994671847486356026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-46257931041032313562016-01-18T18:54:58.364+00:002016-01-18T18:54:58.364+00:00I like the idea of a fig tree that produces olives...I like the idea of a fig tree that produces olives, Roger!!! (I know what you mean really). I think both Fig and Olive need more sun that they would normally get in a typical English summer, if they are going to do well.Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-79343874826925060342016-01-18T15:52:33.013+00:002016-01-18T15:52:33.013+00:00 I agree on cutting back your fig hard, perhaps to... I agree on cutting back your fig hard, perhaps to about a foot. It has a 90% chance - I always hedge my bets<br />I suspect the poor compost advice refers to sandy with sharp drainage but low nutrient. Personally I would use good garden soil for both your plants. I had a fig for several years which when bought was from Italy and in clay! I potted it into my soil straight away. For what its worth it gave me several crops of olives although I did not do anything with them The 2010 Winter killed it but my replacement shows no sign of fruiting. They love sun!<br />I very lightly - about an ounce -top dress mine with yaramila general fertiliser three or four times a yearRoger Brook - No Dig Gardenerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16210160273591839142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-8138230370021325342016-01-18T15:14:26.650+00:002016-01-18T15:14:26.650+00:00The best fig tree that I have ever seen was in Sou...The best fig tree that I have ever seen was in South Australia, it was in the corner of a rural car park and growing out of a pile of rubble. It was massive and dripping with ripe fruit. I have a space earmarked for one in my garden, I will dig a hole out and line it with slabs, back fill with soil and rubble and plant in the middle. There will be 2 choices for the tree, live or die, I have been told not to mollycoddle it at all.Pamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406981075860636289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-30523775263455452402016-01-18T07:52:47.623+00:002016-01-18T07:52:47.623+00:00Interesting about the compost I'm re potting m...Interesting about the compost I'm re potting mine this year though if it doesn't produce any fruit it will end up in the log pile Jo@awholeplotoflovehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03525039817338877634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-18694231492181466932016-01-17T21:12:24.192+00:002016-01-17T21:12:24.192+00:00The tree has produced a few very small olives, but...The tree has produced a few very small olives, but they are definitely not big enough to be worth trying to eat! Brining them is supposedly a bit of a pfaff too, so probably not worth it for half a dozen fruit!Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-70953650937441472442016-01-17T21:03:52.359+00:002016-01-17T21:03:52.359+00:00As I've only a few months experience as a fig ...As I've only a few months experience as a fig tree owner, I've no advice to impart I'm afraid; my trees are in the cold cellar right now getting their winter rest. The "cut back hard" advice sounds right as that's what you would do if you wanted a tree to branch out, which is what a fig is. Does the olive tree actually provide you with olives?Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-85636125285516935122016-01-17T20:04:39.235+00:002016-01-17T20:04:39.235+00:00I cut the leader of my Brown Turkey fig and then o...I cut the leader of my Brown Turkey fig and then over the next couple of years trained it into a fan form to grow up one side of the greenhouse. It worked well and I got it to fruit. There was just one problem: I don't like figs!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-31148110231386531402016-01-17T18:50:33.335+00:002016-01-17T18:50:33.335+00:00Figs are tough - twice we have had plants that hav...Figs are tough - twice we have had plants that have been neglected come back from apparent death. One was cut back to a 15cm (6") twig and it sprouted well.<br />Interesting about poor compost as we are thinking of repotting ours. Still considering where they go it makes sense. I've heard advice to dig a hole on mainly fill it with stones beg=forte planting too.Sue Garretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164518448098182276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-55154819715061319092016-01-17T14:25:12.804+00:002016-01-17T14:25:12.804+00:00Gosh, you don't often see poor quality compost...Gosh, you don't often see poor quality compost recommended for anything! Must drop into Aldi....Mark Willishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04558305122821209520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-23528793696876962802016-01-17T12:54:40.348+00:002016-01-17T12:54:40.348+00:00I'm afraid I can't offer any advice, but m...I'm afraid I can't offer any advice, but my little fig tree which I bought in Morrisons for, I think, £2 has grown horizontally, one branch at ground level growing east and one growing west, nothing growing skywards. My next door neighbours have a huge fig tree in a pot which they get a good crop of figs from each year.Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17436932004631816039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-79462056224721749472016-01-17T12:45:06.829+00:002016-01-17T12:45:06.829+00:00Cut the fig back hard and be mean and nasty to it ...Cut the fig back hard and be mean and nasty to it by re-potting in a poor quality compost with plenty of drainage at the base.<br />Almost the same recommendation for the Olive (save the pruning back)Stephen Shirleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15233939651797422492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3840827850297141825.post-56857450790151363072016-01-17T12:32:16.984+00:002016-01-17T12:32:16.984+00:00I think the fig needs the bigger pot and now is a ...I think the fig needs the bigger pot and now is a good time to re-pot it. It needs replanting every three years. Once you reach the desired size of the pot you only have to change the top soil. You know that already - the pot plants need regular watering and feeding. In Spring, you can fertilize it every week. The general purpose fertilizer is good and you can also use the tomato fertilizer as well (high potassium feed). I would cut off the tip in spring to encourage the side shoot growth. As for the olive, it is already formed as a bush. I am afraid you cannot do much about it. It already branches very low forming that v-shape. But, I like it as it is. Vesna Marichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12265502263728106716noreply@blogger.com