Expert: nick mccann - 8/23/2009

Question
Hello Nick.
Last year I acquired a small brown turkey fig from a local garden shop.  I did get a small amount of fruit last summer.  My fig is in a pot because I think it is too cold for the fig in winter.  (we live about 30 miles north of NY City).  The fig spent the winter in the basement.  It started sprouting in mid-April before I put it back outside.
It started off gangbusters, with a lot of new growth and nice green leaves.  However as the summer has progressed I noticed no fruit developing and over the last few weeks many of the leaves have turned a decided shade of yellow.
What does this mean and what should I do?  I presume it is too late to correct the problem this year but what can I do to make sure the tree is healthy for next year.
NB We have had a particularly wet and relatively cool summer here in the northeast.
Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

Answer
Hi Roddy, Figs need at least 8 hours of Sunlight to thrive and when first planted need to be kept moist in a rich soil base; once they are established , the watering can be pretty much left to Mother Nature, but like anything else, too much water will cause yellowing and leaf drop. Rust Fungus is another problem in a moist environment which will cause leaf yellowing and drop. I think your problem is the fact that the North has gotten an inordinate amount of rain this year and not very much Sun. Just try to keep it going into the Winter, and hopefully your next Summer will be more conducive to it developing a crop for you. Nick