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How to Grow Fig Trees

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As fig trees are native to the Mediterranean, where summers tend towards being hot and dry with cold wet winters – they will grow quite happily in a lot of different climates. Figs are large trees when mature but can be maintained small enough for practical culture or even grown in a container on the patio. You will have to grow them in a large container or raised bed if you do not. Your location does not allow waterlogged soils.

About Figs

Figs grow in zones 8 and warmer so they do well for us, though you can grow them further north with some special protection during the winter months or grown in pots then taken indoors.  The edible fruit of the common fig tree (Ficus carica). Pollination is not needed for Common Fig fruits to ripen. This large tree comes in many varieties, some of which are hardy enough to be grown outdoors as far north as Zone 6 or even possibly Zone 5. The flesh of a fig is versatile: fresh and dried, used whole in baking or cooked. Calorie Wise and compared to most fruits, nuts or vegetables also a better source of minerals fiber.

Figs absorb cholesterol, promote smooth stool departures from the body, diminish heart illness and more diseases. Regulating kidney plus liver work as healthy to tone blood pressure furthermore Even stop certain cancers! And figs also contain a lot of calcium which can lower the chances of having osteoporosis. It is also said that it has phosphorus, the bone regrower.

Types of Fig Trees

Fig flowers are small and not really showy but the fruit that comes from it can be found in many different colors depending on the variety. The majority of home garden types produce fruit without fertilization, as they bear the female flowers that produce vegetables. These are a few particular varieties that you could indeed grow in your garden:

  • Celeste: A relatively tall tree with medium, rose-brown or purple fruit that is cold-hardy. Sweet fruit of sugar fig has a closed eye which is wasp resistant.
  • Alma: This grape released from Texas A&M is cold hardy but not frost tolerant. Sweet, yellow or tan late season fruit. Alma – A smaller tree.
  • Sweet, tender brownish-purple figs: fast-growing tree It is a 2-crop producing variety.
  • From the Southern Living Plant Collection, ‘Little Miss Figgy’ can be grown in a container. The tree is diminutive yet produces large, reddish-brown fruit.
  • LSU Purple: This fig tree is heat-tolerant, resistant to nematodes and bears sweet fruit that ripens a deep purple color.
  • Chicago Hardy: Also known for cold tolerance, this dwarf tree produces small purple-brown fruit with a pink interior.
  • Caprifigs (Ficus carica sylvestris): Caprifig manifest the two sexes from its tree. The fig species is of no commercial value, and is actually threatened with extinction.  It produces only male flowers that cannot set seed or grow into an edible fruit themselves but are needed to fertilize female flowers.

Growing Figs in the Garden

If you then decide to buy plants, make sure they are from a reliable nursery that does not have nematode problems with its figs. You can also grow fig trees from root suckers of other trees or obtain divisions and cuttings (which are harder than rooting) of a mature plant. New fig trees should be planted outside during dormant season. Your best bet is probably late fall  or early spring. Although there are some that will survive in cooler temperatures, fig trees do best when grown within zone 8 USDA plant hardiness growing zones. If you are in a cooler zone, plant figs in half-barrels or moveable containers that can be enveloped for winter insulation. It is crucial to shelter them from the cold wind and frost, so in most zones you have to make your pots container-dependent. Like all plants that have been trained to grow as a shrub or bush, the fig is easier to protect from cold. Conversely, and even though it is a warm-weather fruit too, the fig tree plant needs about a hundred hours of chilling to turn out crops. From late fall to early spring, unpack and place dormant, bare-rooted fig trees. Besides, these trees love sunlight to the fullest from above. When planting more than just one tree, there should be 15-20 feet (5-6 m.) spacing among individual trees. For dwarf, bushy growth and lower trees, space 10 feet (3 m.) apart when planting. A loamy, fertile and well-drained soil with pH 6.0 – 6. Expanded clay soil can kill your tree, so make sure to add organic material to it before you put the plant on the ground.

Fig Tree Care

Figs grow on self-pollinating trees requiring just one plant to bear fruits. An adult fig tree stands between 10 and 30 feet in height. Plant more if you have space. So the cycle of harvesting will be later instead of summer, choose early,middle,and late-fruiting choices. A few figs will also yield a breba crop, which is an added bonus fruit off the same plant in early season alongside its main harvest. Figs come in a variety of figures, flavors and textures and are black, green or brown-violet-blackish-yellow with pink flesh. In areas like Florida, they have even become invasive due to the fact that fig trees can grow under such optimal conditions their root systems are capable of spreading far and wide.

Light

The cause of this is the necessary sun for harvest and sugar in fruit. Fig plants prefer at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day for optimal growth. But if you plant there with not as much light, the tree will produce less figs compared to one planted in an ample lit position.

Soil

Although fig trees are versatile in terms of soil types, it is best to plant them on slightly acidic, well-draining soils. Rich organic matter helps to promote growth so it makes the soil correct. Any conventional potting mix should do as long it holds moisture well and is properly aerated for fig trees in pots. These plants are well-suited to coastal growing but also can withstand loamy, clay or sandy soils as long as the soil is cool and retains some moisture.

Water

Water regularly while fruit is developing. Pick them only when daily and choose just the natures of the crop. Water young plants weekly during the first year of growth, and increase water while spreading mulch. Once figs are established they can get very drought tolerant.

Temperature and Humidity

Figs are happiest in warm conditions and subtropical climates, but can take a little winter cold as long it doesn’t dip below 15°F. Some areas with harsh winters aren’t suited to growing them at all. However, figs do well in large containers overwintered by storing them in a cool garage or basement. It is a perennial plant, with the exception of course that where fig trees grow near frosty winters they are deciduous and bare for half the year. The problem can also be observed during mature fruit splitting (too much rain, the water-logged environment will prevent proper development of fruits), and even rot.

The heat of the Lower, Coastal and Tropical South is optimal for fig trees. Middle South-Plant near a wall with southern exposure so they can benefit from reflected heat. Read Winterize Your Fig Tree to Help Protect your fig tree through the cold season and you might want to plant these Cold-hardy Figs, Like ‘Brown Turkey’ And ”Celeste,’ If You’re Planting Into Zone 6 Or So.

Fertilizer

Apply a balanced fertilizer to your fig plant in early spring as it begins new growth, or at the time of planting if you purchased an actively-growing tree. Especially low fertility soil will benefit from fertilizing fig trees annually. If you have 1- or 2-year-old plants, feed them for a second time in late spring.

Pruning

Most of the year fig trees need only a bit of thinning treatment but when pruned during their dormancy (ideally late winter or early spring), they will produce new growth and improved fruit on your tree. Unpruned fig trees will very tend to become bushy.

To keep a tree-form, create one trunk and eliminate suckers down low. Or choose three or more far spaced leaders instead. Remove crossing branches, and also branches that are running too parallel to the ground as they will not hold up with a lot of fruit. In the dormant season after the first year, lightly prune (remove dead or diseased wood and weak side shoots). Branches that are too long and weighty should also be cut up to the point of evaporation.

Harvesting figs

The majority of fall outdoor raised figs are ripe at the end of summer. You can harvest the fruit as they ripen through September. When the stem buckles and they hang down it is time to harvest (they might leak a drop of sugar at cuts on top). When squeezed gently, it will almost feel mushy and the skin may crack open. Certain cultivars, like ‘Madeleine des Deux Saisons’, produce fruit on two occasions a year – in June and September. The small embryo fruit remaining at the ends of the shoots will survive over winter and ripen in autumn.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Nematodes which will attack fig roots until tree growth and fruiting are severely stunted thereby reducing the life of a fig forever. Peel again some roots and check for mounds. There is no treatment for infected trees; it must be removed. Do not replant in the same place and check your soil for nematodes before replacing with another fig.

Insects such as the carpenter worm, sap beetle and fig tree borer can slow or stop a full growth process in your fig tree. You have to put a net on the fig tree, otherwise the female of this pest will lay eggs very near to your fig. Overripe fruit compact the quality of new harvest from your garden, resulting in pest infestations and fungal diseases occurring that may also affect ripe fruits. In addition to the above natural beneficial things, it might be helpful immediately after harvesting some mature fruit on fire so that pests too do not move over branches and leaves of trees.

Hang reflective tape to keep birds away from your fruit, or try planting green-ripening fig varieties including ‘Marseilles’ and ‘Green Ischia. Additionally, picking up fallen and fruit helps prevent insect infestations in the fall.

Common Problems With Fig Trees

Curling Leaves

Here, we will discuss a few reasons why fig tree leaves are curling in your garden. The first is that under watering may scorch or burn the leaves. You should only water if the first 2 inches (5 cm) of soil are dry, or have gone over a week without rain and p.s. never stop watering for up to 10 days from new planting! Leaves can also become curled due to fig rust, as stated below.

Leaf Spots

Fungus Leaf spot, stem canker, wilting and dead stems. Trim out damaged foliage and twigs, as well as pickup all the fallen leaves to keep your tree healthy. When fig rust defoliates new leaves can be sprayed with copper fungicide every three to four weeks or more often if it is raining. First appearing as small yellowish-green spots, eventually areas of fig rust turn brown, followed by leaves turning yellow or curling and dropping off the tree.

Damaged Fruit

If you see sunken and discolored spots on fruit, this is almost certainly anthracnose. The infected figs will fall to the ground. Pick up any infected fruit from the tree and on the ground.

Late freezes or hot dry weather can inhibit fruit set and some types of fruits might drop before they have enough time on the vine to ripen! Water deeply when your tree is fruiting, and even more so during long dry spells. For mature trees, once a fortnight should suffice.

Sour Fruit

Yeasts, fungi and bacteria can ferment figs sour. Pick the fruit as it ripens. If you have had a long wet patch it may be amphibious souring. If so – there is not much to do but hurl the fruit.

FAQ

Q- What size does a common fig tree grow to?

Common fig trees will grow to 30 feet or more in their native range. Trees will typically stay between 15 and 25 feet tall, a little larger in the front-most strands. Cold temperatures on our shores keep them from getting much bigger here in North America – Smaller versions such as ‘Little Figgy’ grow just 4-8 feet tall and wide.

Q- Do all figs contain wasps?

Most homegrown figs are self-pollinating, although many species of the fruit require their flowers to be pollinated by a tiny insect known as a fig wasp that crawls into the fruit. If necessary, select smaller or closed openings of popular varieties to hinder the wasps crossover

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