Brown Turkey Fig Tree

Question

Brown Turkey fig tree, about 8 years old, has prpoduced very well beginning in August until frost, which sometimes is not until near Christmas. This year, which has been very warm, I see the small figs forming and some are turning brown before they are mature and it is way too early for them to ripen. What could be wrong and what could I do about it? The only thing I do other than the normal watering by sprinkler system is to put fertilizer stakes around the tree line once in the spring.

Answer 1

What likely happened, was due to the warm winter, the figs started forming too early. I would bet that you had warm weather alternating with a light frost. A light frost would not be enough to kill the leaves and the branches, but would harm the fruit. The fruit was killed by the frost. It is unavoidable and is a downside of a warm winter. The tree should try to develop a second crop shortly though, so you may still get a harvest this year, though it will likely be smaller than it has been in the past few years.