Fig trees are an often-overlooked backyard tree that produces very tasty, high-nutrition fruits. Â In many parts of the world, figs are a staple food.
Locations Where Figs Can Be Grown
Figs will grow in areas rated Zone 8 or higher. Â That’s a limited area in the U.S., though some indoor dwarf varieties (that are generally low-bearing, but pretty) are also available. Â Figs require very warm weather and lots of sunlight and cannot withstand long winters.
Site Selection for Fig Trees
Most fig varieties are indifferent to soil, though lighter, rich soils will obviously grow stronger trees faster. Â So long as there is enough soil depth (5+ feet) and drainage for floods, figs will do well. Â They prefer a pH of 6.0-6.5 and have no problem with some salinity. Â If the figs are to be dried, soil with a fair amount of lime is often preferred.
Planting Figs
Although figs can be raised from seed, most are propagated by cuttings or greenhouse germination. Â Trees should be about 13 feet apart (though this does vary by variety) and trained to grow upright. Â Shading of young plants for part of the day is usually recommended until they are established. Â Fertilize at a 10-30-10 ratio.
Proper Care of Figs
Fig trees are often cut back severely in the fall/winter in order to create a later harvest the next year. Â Some growers will stagger cuttings in their orchards in order to spread out the harvest. Â Fig trees do not often branch laterally on their own, so many will manually notch branches to promote this. Â Fig trees grow fairly rapidly and produce fruit quickly, but begin to taper off in production after 12-15 years, though they can live to be very old if left alone.
Harvesting Figs
Fig sap contains latex which can irritate the skin or produce allergic reactions, so harvesters should wear gloves and long sleeves to protect themselves during harvest. Â The figs are usually hand-picked and then laid out in the shade to dry for a day. Â Fig trees can bear up to 360 fruits in one year.
Fig Pest Concerns
Fig trees are most prone to nematodes, which go to the base of the tree and dig down into the roots. Â In tropical areas, trees are often planted near walls to prevent this burrowing and in commercial orchards, they are protected by heavy mulch. Â In some areas, a stem-borer is a problem, but not in the Americas.
Leaf rust caused by Cerotelium fici is a common problem worldwide. Â It happens during rainy seasons and causes leaf spots and early leaf fall. Â This can undermine yields. Â Affected trees must be destroyed as this virus is untreatable.
Other Great Resources for Growing Figs:
Home Garden Figs – University of Georgia
Growing Figs Clemson Cooperative Extension
Leaf rust is a fungus not a virus
I live in the Atlanta area which I believe is zone 7 and we have a fig tree. It did die down to the ground once after a late hard freeze caught it budding out, but it came back from the ground the next year..
The wasps always get most of mine. Put up those fake bee hives and it only scared them for a couple of days. Not sure what to do ?
Hanging reflectors have proven successful this year. Used CD’s work pretty well too.
Your figs won’t be pollinated without wasps. http://www.thekitchn.com/strange-symbiosis-the-fig-and-126960
^ ^ Wait until she learns that wasps die in the fig flower and are consumed as food for the figs.
Put an organza bag over each fig. It discourages even birds.
I have a white film on the leaves of my fig that produces fruit The film is hard to wipe off the leaves it’s not under the leave just on top can you help
My figtrees only bears very small figs which falls of before ripe. Brown on the inside and still green. What can I do
Mine did this when it produced it’s first figs in 2015 & i read somewhere to increase watering & to fertilize. After that the figs became bigger & weren’t grainy or mealy.
There are many different varieties of fig trees. Do a little homework to find out which varieties produce the most delicious figs in your area and grow those. Life is too short to waste on fruit trees that produce fruit you don’t like. There are a number of fig forums online with people near your area who can give good advice, suggestions and possibly a few free fig cuttings to root.
I have been growing a Brown Turkey fig tree in zone 8, Texas, for…going on the fourth year, pruned it kind of heavy and used 10-10-10- fertilizer, year before last. Produced some figs last year, but not to many…and late in the year, started showing figs in late September. Not to many got ripe before winter freeze, late Oct. /early Nov.
This year got more figs, which just started coming out late Sept., so far a few have become ripe enough to harvest/pick.
Before I pruned…..there was no fruit production, so pruning and using the fertilizer helped, and changed the outcome.
Check out Back to Eden Garden on you tube, he puts lots of wood chips around the tree.
Had a fig tree in Zone 7 NC. Was huge and did not die back in the winter. I have also seen some rated for zone 6.
We have a bunch of figs and are in zone 6. We store them in a shed or garage over the winter. One particularly hard winter a storm kicked in the garage door. The trees seemed to have died we were sure they died. Once we trimmed away the bulk of the Deadwood that came back. The joke around here is that you know spring has come when the old man pull out there fig trees.
I am in Zone 8–My Brown Turkey Fig bears hundreds of figs that never ripen. It actually bears a second crop each year that also do not ripen.
What can I do?
It might not be a Brown Turkey fig tree. There is a lot of mis-labeling of trees even from reputable nurseries. If the tree is not working for you, get one that does. There are too many delicious and productive fig trees available now for a wide variety of climates to waste your time on ones that don’t ripen.
Add some fertilizer….preferable as explained below…..over fertilizing will drop the fruit…see last paragraph. Hopefully of some help.
Nutrients for Fig Trees
Fig trees typically require little or no fertilization.
Under normal circumstances, fig trees require little or no fertilization. The natural fertility of native soils is often enough for a fig tree to grow and thrive. In fact, over-fertilization can have a negative impact on the fruit production of the tree. However, in soils with unnaturally low fertility, fertilization may be required in order to maintain optimal growth.
Determining Need
Fig trees are fast growing plants that generally reach their mature height of 15 to 30 feet in approximately 5 years. Slow growth in a fig tree is indicative of poor soil nutrition. You can speed up your tree’s growth rate by fertilizing the soil. Alternatively, fig trees grown in an area of your property with many other trees may require fertilization in order to reduce the effects of competition for nutrients.
Young Tree Fertilization
To fertilize your fig tree, you’ll need a 10-10-10 or 8-8-8 fertilizer. Fig trees are sensitive to over-fertilization and require only light applications, so young trees of only one or two years old must not be given more than 1 ounce of fertilizer at any one time. You can fertilize your young fig tree once per month, beginning when the tree shows signs of new growth in the spring and ending in July. This is done by broadcasting the fertilizer over the soil around the tree, avoiding the trunk and watering the tree deeply after each application of fertilizer.
Mature Tree Fertilization
Mature fig trees are fertilized in late winter, early June and mid-July. Applications of fertilizer should range from 2 to 4 pounds with each application, depending on the age and height of the tree. Older and taller trees will require more fertilizer than smaller, younger trees. You’ll do this by broadcasting fertilizer evenly beneath the canopy of the tree, away from the trunk, then watering deeply.
Over-Fertilized Trees
Over-fertilized trees will favor vigorous vegetative growth over fruit production. Some over-fertilized trees will produce fruits, but drop them prematurely. If your tree exhibits these symptoms, cut back or cease your fertilization practices. However, young trees do not produce edible crops in their first years of life and may go three or four years before growing fruits, so if your newly planted tree is showing signs of over-fertilization, this may simply be normal for its age.
My. fig tree is in a Pot take it inside in the winter it’s 3 years old no figs Yet . I hope to get figs this year.Is this Norma’s?
What can I do to improve fig quality of 25 years old tree , or better cut it off.
Hanging moth balls in the tree has saved my fruit from being stung by fruit flies, etc., this year. I am espaliering my tree on a fence so I can pick them more easily. I pick them when they are starting to colour and soften a little to keep ahead of pesky possums, etc.
If you are in a colder climate and have a tall big window you can grow them indoors. That is what I do and mine is growing beautifully!
Colder, not folder…
I have a Chicago Hardy Fig and live in zone 5. This is the second year, the first year I brought it inside but last Fall I left it in the ground since it’s supposed to be hardy. Guess I will find out come Spring.
in colder zones , figs do better if you can train them against a wall .When I was in the U.K. I had a Brown Turkey espaliered on an east facing wall , needed a ladder to pick the fruits , there were so many .I have a cutting of it , in my garden in Greece , but it doesnt like the extreme heat .
Brown turkey , usually per shaped , mauve/brown colour and soft seeded in the U.K. , they only reliable fig , oh and one called Reculver that the Romans bought over that will reliably ripen
Thank you so much for this simple and easy to understand guide. All I needed to know in one concise and professional clip. Weill done you. I live in England in the south so its fairly good weather and the planting conditions you describe are exactly the spot i had chosen, against a wall, and behind the greenhouse so it will get plenty of heat and as its on the old compost heap it will get plenty of nutrient rich, well rotted material to put down those all important roots. The figs are a couple of years old now and have such good roots that new suckers have emerged already producing new stems to tie in once they’ve grown a few feet.
I am in zone 5b ontario. I planted 5 fig trees. My question is when is the best time to winter them? They still have their green leaves
Thanks
I have a 25 foot turkey fig tree and not once have I got a fig on it. Its 5 years old. What am I doing wrong?
What are you planting around the fig tree?
What zone is Arizona and how would figs do here.
I live in Quebec, Canada and grow figs in pots and store over winter in my heated garage. I get figs every summer, but this year was a bumper group due to the hot weather. Supper easy to grow. Fertilizer, sun and water. Late September and still enjoying them. I’ve taken cuttings to make new trees as my first gets older. A wonderful addition to any garden.
Zone 6B grow challenged but it is possible. I use plastic bag to cover the sides of the branches and put dry leaves on top of the main branches around Nov. Harvested around 100-120 figs between July to Oct.
I have a turkey fig tree it was a cutting from my grandmother’s tree which was transplanted to my mom an dads house an I have a tree from my mom. The original tree was 35 years old ( grandmother’s) ( Mom transplanted tree was 65 years old this year) my tree is now 5 years old which makes my tree 105 years old the original tree is still in my mom’s yard about 15 feet tall bears every year last year I canned 65 pint jars of fig preserves off just my mother’s tree and 43 off my tree. We live in zone 7
How can I prevent the ants getting to my figs. I have white figs