Stumped? My Killarney strawberry tree's struggling. So's my Turkish fig

Will they survive?
Stumped: Arbutus unedo
Don't fade away: Why is the lovely Arbutus unedo in my garden suffering? Photograph: Gap

I have a lovely Arbutus unedo in my garden which is suffering. It was in fine shape up to about last summer, when it was struck by rapidly yellowing leaves. This has happened before in heat and I rescued it with lots of water and phostrogen. Any ideas?
Lovely arbutus, commonly known as the Killarney strawberry tree (its fruits look a bit like strawberries; it grows well in Killarney). It likes moist, rich, preferably acidic soils, although it can cope with less acidic ones. It makes sense that it fades when the heat kicks in, especially if the soil is not what it should be. Now is the perfect time to remedy this, ahead of any warm weather. Watering is good: give it a really long, deep watering first, perhaps with a dose of an ericaceous fertiliser, which will help nudge the pH acid-wards. Then apply a rich, moisture-retaining mulch such as composted bark or leaf mould. The worms will work it down into the soil for you. Do this every winter or spring, and you will improve the plant's ability to withstand drought and heat.

A Turkish fig in a large outdoor pot has gone leggy and lost its leaves over winter, and nothing has appeared. There are tiny figs on the tips of the stems. Is it beyond help?
Figs do lose their leaves in winter, so that in itself isn't cause for concern, but I would certainly have expected some growth by now. Figs are most at home in Mediterranean climates, and they can be killed by very low temperatures. This year's winter was very cold indeed. But you must never panic where cold damage is concerned; the shock can cause things to emerge later than you would expect, or top growth can be entirely killed then surprise shoots emerge from the roots. Do nothing yet, except perhaps watering a little, and wait. Those little figs will mature and ripen if the stems live.

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