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Expertly Grown in the UK
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autumn-sale

'Chelsea' Fig Tree

From the banks of the Thames

Grown by John

South Downs National Park

Premium Plant in a 3L Pot

50-70cm on arrival

£25

In stock

Perfectly happy plants, or your money back

Specialist overnight plant delivery

The highlights

  • Incredibly moreish sweetness
  • A prolific cropper
  • Pick and eat fresh, or roast with honey
  • Harvest in September

Description

  • A variety purported to have originated from a fig tree found near Chelsea Bridge, in London, 'Chelsea' is a truly excellent variety, producing an abundance of delicious fruit at the end of summer
  • Particularly flavourful, the tree's figs are brown when ripe and display exceptional sweetness - our favourite thing to do? Dry the fruit out and have them as healthy little "pick-me-ups" to get through those mid-afternoon slumps
  • The tree is wreathed in lovely, lobed deep green foliage, ensuring great ornamental value alongside its fabulous fruit
  • Growing to only a couple of metres tall, this tree makes a great option for smaller gardens, and is particularly well-suited to container planting in a Mediterranean-style courtyard garden
  • When planting fig trees in the ground, it's recommended that you restrict the spread of their roots, as this encourages greater fruiting. To do this, you can use a purpose-designed root bag or use some paving slabs and rubble when planting

What To Expect

Supplied as:

Potted plant
Premium plant in a 3L pot

Height on arrival:

50-70cm

Eventual height:

1.5-2m

Eventual spread:

0.75-1m
Spreads approximately 0.75-1m.

Tasting notes:

Honey-ish sweetness with a slight earthy quality

Time to first crop:

2-3 years
Many fig trees will start producing fruit after two or three years, though it sometimes takes an additional year or two beyond that to really start fruiting well.

Habit:

Bushy
A highly attractive tree with a naturally bushy habit.

Hardiness:

Hardy
H4 - Hardy down to temperatures of -10°C. Using insulation and a horticultural fleece or hessian sack can help protect the tree from the worst winter temperatures.

Self fertile:

Self fertile

Uses:

Pies, tarts, jams and dried

Rootstock:

Spacing:

2.5m
Plant 2.5m apart to allow for spreading.

How To Grow

Good pest and disease resistance

Not often impacted by disease, but can experience minor problems with scale insects, thrips and spider mites.

Water regularly

Unlike some other plants, which require little to no additional watering once established, fig trees like 'Chelsea' appreciate routine watering even when mature. It's particularly important you don't let your tree dry out in hot weather or if it's grown in a pot.

Full sun

For best growth and fruiting, plant your fig tree where it will receive at least 6 hours of direct sunshine per day.

Any moist, well-drained soil

Fig trees grow best in soil that drains well, but that retains some moisture. They like fertile soil that's rich in organic matter.

Feed every spring

Figs benefit from a feed in spring with fertiliser that's high in potassium. If you're growing a container fig tree, then a liquid feed during the spring and summer is also beneficial.

Planting Calendar

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  • Best time to plant
  • Harvest
  • Flower

South Downs National Park

Meet John

110 years' expertise free with every tree

John’s family have been growing trees in the South Downs National Park for over a century, and it shows. Dug up and sent straight to your garden at between 18-36 months old, their quality rootstocks, expert pruning and natural pest control mean that these traditionally field-grown trees are the hardiest you can get.

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Growing with Roots

Good to know

Our plants are grown 
in the UK

Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.

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Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 
24 hours.

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We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team 
of experts.

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We’re confident that you’ll be delighted 
with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re 
perfectly happy.

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We deliver to anywhere in Mainland UK for our standard delivery cost. We are able to deliver most plants to Highlands and non UK mainland however this will be at an additional cost. This will be calculated at the checkout. Please note, deliveries to these locations will take longer. Unfortunately, we are not able to deliver to Northern Ireland at present.

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