Tempus Fig-it, or, my poor confused Brown Turkey fig tree

I brought my very normal Brown Turkey fig tree (because of the usual space problems, I have to grow my fig tree in a pot) in from the garden about three weeks ago thinking that it probably wouldn’t survive a frost. So it’s been happily sitting in the sunlight coming through the French windows for some time now. But lo, I have confused it! For today when I was walking past it I suddenly noticed a sprinkling of tiny figs all over it! Unseasonal figs in potentia, you might say. There are 16 mini figs at the moment, all of which look slightly ridiculous on the bare branches. The RSPB Butterfly attractor seeds that I sowed last year did their job a little too well and I ended up losing all of my gooseberry, raspberry and fig leaves to caterpillars with seemingly insatiable appetites for leaf. So happily I noticed that it’s starting to sprout some leaves too. However, this doesn’t change the fact that I now have a fig that’s happily fruiting away in January (no doubt down to my balmy 20 degree central heating) and I’m unsure what to do with it. Will it die of shock if I put it outside when the cold snap is over? In summary, hurrah, homegrown figs, but also, argh, I think I broke the fig tree! Help!

PS: Actually I’m going to err on the side of “Hurrah, figs!”. I didn’t get any last year so I’m very excited!

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We farm a three acre smallholding in Hampshire, England, having fled London in pursuit of the good life for our little family. We mess about with an assorted menagerie and try to be as self-sufficient as possible in meat and fruit and vegetables whilst enjoying our plot and an outdoors lifestyle with our son. I am the luckiest person that I know.

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