Fig Growing Tips, Techniques, Ideas, and Secrets

Fig Growing Tips, Techniques, Ideas, and Secrets

Hello gardeners, we are back with a new and helpful topic today and the topic is all about fig growing tips, techniques, ideas, and secrets. Do you want to grow a perfect fig tree and do you want to know all the basic and important tips for growing a fig tree? Well and then you will need to follow this complete article to know all the basic tips, techniques, ideas, and secrets for growing a fig tree.

Introduction to Fig Tree

Ficus carica is an Asian species of angiosperm within the Moraceae, referred to as the fig. The fruit, also called the fig, is a crucial plant in those areas where it’s grown commercially. Figs are a singular fruit resembling a teardrop. They’re about the dimensions of your thumb, crammed with many tiny seeds, and have an edible purple or green peel. The flesh of the fruit is pink and features a mild, sweet taste.

A Guide for Fig Growing Tips, Techniques, Ideas, and Secrets

The Overview Table of Fig Tree is Given Below

Botanical Name	Ficus carica
Common Name	Common fig tree
Plant Type	Deciduous tree and shrub
Size	10 to 35 ft. tall
Sun Exposure	Full sun
Soil Type	Loamy, sandy and well-drained
Soil pH	Neutral to acidic that is 5.0 to 7.0

Figs are popular fruits that are eaten fresh or dried and included in food and preserves. Figs are grown from fig trees and grow well within the southern and western us, also because of the Mediterranean and northern African locations, where climates are temperate and dry. Figs require warm weather and tons of sunshine, and therefore the trees grow large. Fig trees require tons of space to grow and bloom.

Types/Varieties of Figs to Grow

Brown Turkey

This type produces abundant medium to large figs. This type will work best in warm climates, but is fairly tolerant of cooler temperatures, too.

Celeste

This type produces small, sweet, purplish figs and it is one among the more winter-hardy varieties.

Hardy Chicago

This is a winter-hardy variety that produces purple and medium-size figs.

King

It is well adapted for the cooler conditions found within the northwest. It produces medium figs that are sweet and rich in flavour.

Kadota

This vigorously produces small to medium fruit. Its figs are rich and sweet, and it’s the foremost commonly canned fig.

Some Secrets for Growing Fig Tree

Water your young fig trees regularly to assist them to become established. In areas with dry climates, water fig trees deeply a minimum of once every week.
Unless grown in containers, most fig trees don’t require regular fertilization. However, if your tree is not growing much that means less than 12 inches in one growing season, then you’ll need to add ½ to 1 pound of nitrogen supplement. You need to divide up the nitrogen into 3 to 4 feedings. Then start applying the nitrogen in late winter and end in midsummer.
You can also apply a layer of mulch around the tree to assist prevent weeds and keep moisture for the roots.
Fig trees require little pruning. During the dormant season, make certain to get rid of all dead, diseased, or weak branches to encourage growth.
If you’ve got an abundant growth of figs, you’ll thin the fruit to encourage larger figs.
In colder regions, bring container-grown fig trees indoors for the winter. Keep the soil moist.
If your area experiences a very cold winter, fig trees planted outdoors may die down to the bottom. If the tree is of a hardy variety, then the below-ground part of the tree will likely be unaffected. Remove all dead wood while the tree remains dormant and await new growth within the spring.

Soil Preparation Tips for Growing Fig Tree

How to prepare the soil for growing a fig tree?

Figs usually prefer slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5), but soils of moderate alkalinity are tolerated. Now dig a hole about 3x the dimensions of your pot and therefore the same depth because of the root ball. Set the soil you’ve got dug out aside and blend it 50/50 with aged mushroom compost, aged manure, or rotten pine bark.

What is the simplest potting soil for fig trees?

You can use regular organic potting soil or you can make your own mix as long because it is loamy, well-drained, and contains many compost or well-rotted manure. Mix in the soilless media to lighten heavy soil and facilitate aeration and even drainage.

Ideas for Planting Fig Trees

You may also check this: Easy Fruits To Grow In Pots.

Figs are often planted outdoors in warmer climates. In places where the winter temperatures get colder than -12°C for periods of your time, then figs are best grown in containers and kept inside for the winter.

Plant fig trees outdoors within the early spring or late fall, when the tree is dormant.

For container fig trees, grow them in a soil-based potting mix and then add fine bark chips to enhance drainage. Keep the tree fully sun within the summer. Make certain to feature a high-nitrogen fertilizer every 4 weeks within the spring and summer and water the tree moderately. Within the winter, move the tree indoors and keep the soil moist.

For outdoor fig trees, plant the tree within the spring or early fall fully sun. Fig trees can grow in most sorts of soil as long because the soil is well-drained and contains many organic materials.

You need to space fig trees a minimum of 20 feet far away from any buildings or other trees.

Fig trees put down deep roots if given the prospect, so bear that in mind when choosing a planting spot.

To plant container-grown trees within the ground:

Remove the plant from its pot and take away any circling roots by laying the basis ball on its side and using shears to chop through the roots.

Dig a hole that’s a couple of inches deeper and wider than the spread of the roots. Set the tree on top of a little mound of soil within the middle of the opening. Make certain to spread the roots far away from the trunk without excessively bending them.

Plant the tree 2 to 4 inches deeper than it had been originally within the pot (check the colour of the trunk to ascertain the first soil line).

Caring Tips for Potted Fig Trees

A container suitable for planting fig trees in pots should be very large enough. Half whiskey barrels are ideal, but any container large enough to accommodate the basis ball plus some growing space is ok. You’ll always transplant the tree in later years because it outgrows the container. Placing the pot on casters makes for simple movement if the tree must be moved during cool months to a protected area.

Figs crave sun, so choose a site with the maximum amount of exposure as possible, preferably next to a south-facing wall. The soil pH should be from 6.0 to 6.5 for this plant. Plant new fig trees within the spring in any case danger of frost for your area has passed.

You can use regular organic potting soil or make your own mix as long because it is loamy, well-drained, and contains many compost or well-rotted manure. Mix in soilless media to lighten heavy soil and facilitate aeration and even drainage. As you plant the tree, backfill it to 2 inches or 5 cm below the highest of the container; lookout to make sure the purpose where the trunk meets the basis ball is level with the soil.

Water the container fig when the soil is dry to an inch or 2.5 cm below the surface. Confine mind that container-grown trees dry out more quickly than those within the garden. If you let the tree dry out an excessive amount, the strain may cause it to lose its leaves or lessen fruit production.

Use a foliar spray or diluted liquid seaweed mix, compost, or manure tea monthly to market health and encourage a prolific fruit set. When fruit begins to make, make certain to supply the tree with adequate water to market juicy, plump fruit.

Figs are often pruned back to limit size. Suckers also can be removed throughout the season then pass them on to friends or relatives to propagate.

As temperatures begin to drop, it’s an honest idea to guard the tree. Some people wrap the tree, but the simplest thing to try to do is to roll it into an unheated, generally unlit area like a garage. This may be enough to guard the fig against freezes, but allow it to travel into a necessary dormant period.

The planting of fig trees in pots has the additional advantage of improving yields and reducing the harvest date thanks to root restriction. They’re also gorgeous trees that enliven the deck or patio with the promise of sweet figs to return.

Fig Tree Watering Tips

Figs do not like wet feet, so don’t water too often. Allow the tree to dry a touch between watering. Remember to water very slowly and deeply; just don’t overwater. Every 10 days to 2 weeks is sufficient.

Make sure that young plants are well watered, especially during hot and dry periods. A general rule for watering is 2.5 to 4 centimeters of water per week either from rainfall or even irrigation. If you’ve got noticed the leaves of your tree turning yellow and dropping you’re likely overwatering.

Fig Tree Pruning Techniques

In case if you miss this: How To Strawberries In Greenhouse.

Trim the tree back by half. During the primary pruning, you would like to clear off an outsized portion of the wood. This is often a crucial aspect of coaching pruning. By cutting away such a lot of the tree, you force it to specialize in developing strong roots.

As a result, the tree will establish itself better and be stronger at the end of the day.

Doing this will also encourage the tree to grow branches horizontally, creating a bushier tree rather than a lanky one.

Prune for fruiting wood the subsequent winter. At the beginning of the second dormant season after transplanting, you need to choose four to six branches of strong, new wood and prune away the remainder. This process promotes healthier fruit and restricts the peak of the tree.

At the start of the tree’s life, once you transplant it, most of the fruit is grown on old wood or branches that have already produced fruit within the past. These branches have less strength now, so you would like to market the expansion of the latest fruiting wood by trimming the old wood away.

Choose four to six of the strongest branches, but you ought to also confirm that they’re spaced around the main trunk in fairly even intervals. These branches should be spaced apart widely enough so that they will eventually grow to three or four inches or 7.6 to 10 cm in diameter without bumping into one another.

Note that fruiting branches that grow too close are going to be unable to succeed in an adequate thickness, and as a result, they’re going to be unable to support secondary branches or a healthy crop. Such branches also tend to separate under stress or in harsh weather.

Completely remove all other new shoots or even any new branches.

Do most pruning in the winter. Once your tree reaches its third dormant season or third winter, the overwhelming majority of your pruning should happen during the late portion of the season since the tree isn’t actively growing during that point period. You need to wait until after the coldest part of the season has passed, though.

Pruning during the winter reduces the danger of shocking or damaging the tree during its early stages of growth, but doing so also makes the method easier since the shortage of leaves will make the branches more visible.

You could wait to try to do this pruning until early spring if desired, but it should be done before the tree shows signs of the latest growth.

Remove suckers growing on the bottom of the tree. A sucker may be a branch that begins to grow from the bottom or roots of the tree. It can look almost like the tree itself but are often identified by the very fact that it doesn’t stem from the most branch or trunk of the tree.

Suckers result from a tree’s attempt at growing more branches, but if the tree is stressed or spliced, it can put out suckers rather than healthy branches from the most trunk.

Suckers got to be removed. If you are doing not prune these branches, they’re going to drain energy from the most, healthy tree, and your tree will gradually weaken and produce a smaller yield as a result.

Similarly, secondary lateral branches should even be removed if they grow on the brink of the bottom. These plants are going to be unable to adequately support fruit or foliage so that they would only be a drain on the tree’s resources if they remained, even as most suckers are.

Fig Tree Fertilizing Ideas

When to Fertilize Figs?

The first thing you would like to understand is what to feed fig trees. A general-purpose fertilizer with an analysis of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 is ok. It’s easy to overdo it with stronger fertilizers.

It’s best to supply fertilizer for fig trees only the tree shows symptoms of slow growth or pale leaves, but there are a few exceptions where fig trees need regular feedings. Nutrients leach out of sandy soils quickly, so you’ll probably get to fertilize annually if the tree grows in a sandy location. You’ll also get to fertilize fig trees that are surrounded by other plants that compete for nutrients.

You also got to know when to fertilize figs. It’s best to separate the feeding over several months therefore the tree doesn’t get an excessive amount of nitrogen on just one occasion. Feed one and two-year-old trees an oz of fertilizer a month, beginning when the tree starts to place on new leaves and stopping before the top of July. Give older trees one-third pound of fertilizer per foot or 31 cm of bush height 3 times a year in late winter, mid-spring, and midsummer.

How to Fertilize Fig Trees?

If the fruit doesn’t ripen properly, you’ll be over-fertilizing. Reduce the quantity of fertilizer to ascertain if the matter resolves. Drought is another possible explanation for immature fruit that doesn’t ripen. Confirm the tree gets an inch or 2.5 cm of water every week, either as rain or irrigation, so you’ll rule out drought because of the explanation for the matter.

Spread the fertilizer over the tree’s root zone, which is simply beyond the reach of the cover. Leave an area of a minimum of a foot or 31 cm between the bottom of the tree and therefore the fertilizer. Most of the feeder roots are around the tree’s drip zone, so use most of the fertilizer during this area. Water the fertilizer into the soil very slowly so that it doesn’t wash away.

Fig Tree Pests and Diseases Controlling Ideas

Alternaria rot

Rot is often minimized just by picking fruit before it becomes overripe and reducing dust in orchards can also help to scale back the incidence of rot.

Aspergillus rot

You need to avoid stressing trees by providing adequate irrigation and reducing dust within the orchard may help to scale back the incidence of rots.

Botrytis limb blight

Infected areas of trees need to be pruned out beginning slightly below the canker.

Smut

You need to remove all old fruit and crop debris from the orchard; attempt to reduce dust around trees.

Fig mosaic

Do not collect propagation material from any trees showing symptoms of disease; controlling fig mites may help to scale back the incidence of disease.

Fig blister mites

Applications of horticultural oils or sulphur sprays are effective at controlling blister mites and will be applied if the mites were a drag the previous year; chemical treatments should be applied before bloom.

Fig rust

Collect and burn all the fallen leaves and even other plant debris. Avoid overhead application of water and leaf wetting. Provide proper air circulation around the plant. Keep the plant healthy by providing proper mulching and even fertilizers. If the disease is severe, spray suitable fungicides.

June beetle

Remove dead leaves and other crop debris from the orchard floor; allowing the orchard floor to dry out and harden prevents the adults from emerging within the spring; saturating the soil with water for two days will exterminate any eggs and larvae.

Techniques for Harvesting Figs

You should harvest figs only they’re fully ripe, as they’re going to not still ripen off the tree. The figs should be fully coloured and slightly soft to the touch.

When picking your figs, you need to wear gloves or long sleeves because the sap from the tree can irritate your skin.

Usually, figs are very perishable. Store figs within the refrigerator and they’re going to keep them for two to three days.