Hi, Avril Figs are hard to grow in the u.k because of the short summers we have, but it doesn't mean it's not possible. Breba crop (fruit on last years wood) seem to work the best here. I would say desert king is the best producing/ tasting fig tree in the uk planted out in ground. Also a greenhouse can extend are growing season by about 1-2 months. By the way am down the road from you in leicester. Best regards Luke

I know what you mean. I have two Brown Turkey trees and I like the fruit. There are others I like better but the fruit is of good size. The taste is good and has a nice texture and the trees produce lots of fruit. I'm happy with mine. The fruit on mine is not watery though. That would more likely be do to over watering or do to rain at the wrong time.

Your plants' issues, relative to the spoiled foliage, are most likely related to over-watering, a high level of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil solution, or an ammonium toxicity that develops when roots are asked to live in saturated soils. I'd suggest that you start using a 'tell' to determine when your plants actually NEED water, and only then supply it. A 5/16" wooden dowel rod, ends sharpened in a pencil sharpener, makes a good 'tell. Read more below, and please forgive the formatting. It's from something I wrote and saved. The leaf shedding can be from a decrease in light during the last 6 weeks or so, from nutritional issues; it can be a drought response to a high level of dissolved solids in the soil solution, under-watering, or over-watering. It also appears there might be some mechanical damage (like a bruise would be to a human or animal) and some oedema symptoms on the calathea. Using a 'tell' Over-watering saps vitality and is one of the most common plant assassins, so learning to avoid it is worth the small effort. Plants make and store their own energy source – photosynthate - (sugar/glucose). Functioning roots need energy to drive their metabolic processes, and in order to get it, they use oxygen to burn (oxidize) their food. From this, we can see that terrestrial plants need air (oxygen) in the soil to drive root function. Many off-the-shelf soils hold too much water and not enough air to support good root health, which is a prerequisite to a healthy plant. Watering in small sips leads to a build-up of dissolved solids (salts) in the soil, which limits a plant's ability to absorb water – so watering in sips simply moves us to the other horn of a dilemma. It creates another problem that requires resolution. Better, would be to simply adopt a soil that drains well enough to allow watering to beyond the saturation point, so we're flushing the soil of accumulating dissolved solids whenever we water; this, w/o the plant being forced to pay a tax in the form of reduced vitality, due to prolong periods of soil saturation. Sometimes, though, that's not a course we can immediately steer, which makes controlling how often we water a very important factor. In many cases, we can judge whether or not a planting needs watering by hefting the pot. This is especially true if the pot is made from light material, like plastic, but doesn't work (as) well when the pot is made from heavier material, like clay, or when the size/weight of the pot precludes grabbing it with one hand to judge its weight and gauge the need for water. Fingers stuck an inch or two into the soil work ok for shallow pots, but not for deep pots. Deep pots might have 3 or more inches of soil that feels totally dry, while the lower several inches of the soil is 100% saturated. Obviously, the lack of oxygen in the root zone situation can wreak havoc with root health and cause the loss of a very notable measure of your plant's potential. Inexpensive watering meters don't even measure moisture levels, they measure electrical conductivity. Clean the tip and insert it into a cup of distilled water and witness the fact it reads 'DRY'. One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell'. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16” (75-85mm) would work better. They usually come 48” (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half and serve as a pair. Sharpen all 4 ends in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell comes out dry or nearly so. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue. You might find this helpful. Al

If these symptoms are manifest in only one or two leaves, I'd feel fairly confident that you're looking at mechanical injury. Waxing anthropomorphic for just a moment - mechanical injury would be the rough equivalent of bruising in a human. What look like scabs along the midrib appear to be callus tissue that forms after wounding. It looks like the leaf was accidentally scraped across an object or an object across the leaf to create the wounds. If it only occurs in one or two spots, keep an eye on it, but don't obsess over it. Without the support of the midrib and subordinate venation, the leaf of a Ficus lyrata would be about as strong as 20 lb bond typing paper. So they play a part similar to the metal ribs that support an opened umbrella - they add strength that helps leaves keep their shape. When subjected to deflection (bending) the leaf isn't able to tolerate, the midrib and/or veins can crack - like a piece of celery, e.g.. My guess is that's what happened to cause the other injury in your 2nd & 3rd images. It's really difficult to diagnose something from a distance, especially w/o seeing an image that better helps to assess your plant's o/a level of vitality. I should probably say that I reserve the right to change my mind re what's going on if an image showing the entire were to reveal anything that can't be seen in the tight shots. If you have interest, you might gain from looking at something I wrote about Growing Ficus in Pots. It was originally written when Ficus benjamina, the weeping fig, was garnering the lions share of the attention; but the cultural preferences of lyrata are so like benjamina that I could simply change the title and no one would ever notice. On the off chance that you find what you find at the link to be of value, I've written a more in depth piece about growing trees in pots that I think you'll find very helpful if you think that by becoming a more proficient nurturer, you increase the personal rewards you get from your growing experience. Let me know .... Al