Grow to eat: make this the year to give a delicious fig

If the fiddle-leaf fig, Ficus lyrata, was the houseplant sensation of 2018, I’m hoping this year is the turn of its edible outdoor cousin, Ficus carica. Delicious natural sweets high in fibre, carbs and vitamins, figs are native to the Middle East and Western Asia. Give them sun, free-draining soil and warmth; that said, a gargantuan specimen near me on the Thames proves they also thrive in soggy Britain.

Plant against a south-facing wall in a 1ft 6in (45cm) pot using soil-based John Innes No3 compost; in summer, feed weekly with liquid seaweed fertiliser. Alternatively, plant in the ground but restrict roots (to aid fruit production) using four 2ft (60cm) slabs buried vertically to form a bottomless box. Grow as a small tree or trained into a fan shape. Despite their spreading form, fig trees are also happy in a small space.

The most popular variety is ‘Brown Turkey’, but for a compact tree look to ‘Doree’, ‘Goutte d’Or’ (pomonafruits.co.uk) or ‘Dalmatie’ (thompson-morgan.com). ‘Madeleine de Deux Saisons’ can, as the name suggests, crop twice, while ‘Sultane’ is an excellent choice for colder parts of the UK because fruit forms in July after frosts, ready in autumn. I grow ‘Ice Crystal’ on our patio for its quirky, angular leaves.

Although hardy, in late autumn figs start developing next year’s baby fruit, which are vulnerable to frost. Protect the tree if you are north of London or in exposed areas. Move pots into a shed or garage when leaves drop in winter. If grown in the ground, cover plants with straw or bracken secured under horticultural fleece. Remove this in April and in spring, cut back last year’s fruited wood to a new replacement shoot to restrict size.

With hot, dry summers predicted, I’ve decided to give a fig to my allotment – ‘Panachée’, with tiger-striped fruit.

• Find Jack’s blog at jackwallington.com. Follow him on Twitter @jackwallington and Instagram @jackjjw