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Fig_Ficus_Carica
Ficus Carica
May
Specially selected for the UK climate as Brown Turkey is fully hardy and can be grown very successfully outdoors, producing large crops of sweet and juicy figs with a deep red flesh under their brown skins.

May

Lawns; Mow at least once a week. Apply weed killer if necessary. Feed poorly growing grass with sulphate of ammonia and water copiously afterwards. Spike badly drained areas.

Shrubs; Prune early flowering shrubs such as Kerria japonica and Prunus triloba.

Roses; Spray roses against pets and diseases, and apply a general rose fertiliser.

Perennials; Support tall perennials. Weed borders. Pinch out he growing tips of michaelmas daisis, golden rod, heleniums and other vigorous plants to form bushy, self supporting plants.

Chrysanthemums; Plant outdoor flowering plants early in the month. Stop the plants about the middle of the month.

Dahlias; Plant out young dahlias from cuttings after danger of frost is over.

Annuals; Plant out half hardy annuals after risk of frost has passed. Sow biennials, Canteburry bells, foxgloves, sweet williams and wallflowers.

Bulbs; To make room for bedding plants, lift bulbs that have finished flowering and heelthem into spare ground.

 Irises, Rock plants, Heathers; Remove faded flowers from irises, spring flowering rock plants such as gentians and saxifrages, and winter flowering heathers. Top dress heathers with peat.

House Plants:  Water more freely; give weekly liquid feed to older plants.

Fruit: Feed fig with liquid manure, and mulch. Start de-shooting fan peaches and nectarines, and thin when fruits are the size of marbles. Water well in dry spells. Put straw round strawberry plants.

 

House plants from pips of citrus fruit.

 

Plants can be grown from the pips of grapefruit, lemons and oranges. The plants may flower but are unlike to fruit. Fill a 10cm pot within 2,5cm of the top with a seed compost, or a compost made of 1 part loam 1 part peat. Water the compost thoroughly and bury the pips, four to six to each pot2.5cm deep. Cover the pot loosely with a small sheet of polythene and secure with a rubber band. Germinate at a temperature of 18oC; rooting should occur within few weeks, and leaf bearing shoots will appear though the compost.

Remove the polythene and leave the pot at the same temperature. When the seedlings are well established, plant them singly in 7.5-10cm pots of John Innes No.1 compost. They will eventually grow into 1-1.5m short stemmed bushy plants.