Fig rust is a fairly common fig tree disease. It attacks the leaves and shows up as light orange spots which increase in size and spread to other leaves as the season progresses. After a while the leaves will start to drop and if this happens too early and new growth appears then the tree is susceptible to injury from any cold weather.

There are no chemicals available for the control of  this disease. In the early stages and if only a small number of leaves are affected these should be removed and destroyed. Any fallen leaves should also be collected and destroyed to prevent the disease spreading. In winter prune the tree to maintain an open centre to improve air movement which will help to reduce the risk of attack.