I like to select and eat figs straight from my tree, and I’m pleasantly shocked at how straightforward they’re to develop. Figs embody a candy, delicate style of summer time. These scrumptious fruits are native to the Mediterranean and central Asia and hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 by way of 10. These small to medium-sized timber thrive in scorching summers and tolerate delicate to average winter climate.
The widespread fig (Ficus carica), also referred to as the edible fig, is a member of the mulberry household (Moraceae). You may incorporate these engaging timber into your edible panorama or use one as a small accent tree in a sunny panorama. Mature timber are able to producing lots of of tasty fruits every summer time. Get pleasure from them contemporary or dried. Make them last more by freezing or preserving them. In the event you like to eat figs, you’ll like to develop your individual!
These timber are low upkeep and simple to develop in your house panorama. Chances are you’ll be fairly shocked to find what number of completely different styles of figs you may select from. With dozens of attention-grabbing cultivars obtainable, it could be arduous to decide on one!
Maintain studying to be taught extra concerning the fabulous fig tree and how one can develop your individual sweetly scrumptious, delicate fruits.
Overview
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Pure Historical past
Edible figs are native to central and southeastern Europe, the Center East, and western Asia. Of their pure habitat, they’ll grow to be fairly giant, reaching 30 ft or extra, and develop in quite a lot of sunny habitats.
This is among the earliest cultivated fruit timber and has been grown as a human meals supply for hundreds of years. Over this time, breeders have produced many attention-grabbing fig cultivars with slight variations in fruit traits, tree measurement, and chilly hardiness.
Traits
Fig timber are small to medium-sized timber or giant shrubs. They’ve a rounded, many-branched type. The leaves are broad and deeply lobed, with a considerably tough feeling from the tiny stiff hairs that cowl every leaf.
When damaged, the leaves and stems exude a sticky, white latex materials that may trigger contact dermatitis and pores and skin irritation in delicate folks. Wash uncovered pores and skin after dealing with uncooked figs and their white, sticky sap. To keep away from getting the sap in your pores and skin, put on gloves and lengthy sleeves when harvesting fruits and in any other case working with these timber.
Blooms seem within the spring, though you gained’t see something that appears like a flower. The flowering elements are literally inverted, showing as an alternative as small, agency, inexperienced fruits. Wild figs are internally pollinated by a fig wasp, however most cultivated figs don’t want a pollinator as a result of they’re self-fertile. The fruit then develops as these inverted fruit-like flowers develop into the candy and attractive fruits that we eat.
Many sorts produce two crops. The primary is called a “breba” crop as a result of it’s transient and light-weight, generally with only a few figs, generally with just a few handfuls of fruits. The following second crop is the principle crop of fruits and this crop may be fairly giant. Fig fruits vary in measurement from about one to a few inches throughout.
Propagation
If you have already got entry to a mature fig tree, the simplest approach to propagate it’s by taking stem cuttings.
Stem Cuttings
In late winter, take an 8 to 10-inch slicing from a mature fig tree. Not all cuttings will root efficiently, so that you may need to take just a few stem cuttings on the similar time, even should you in the end simply need one. Set the stem cuttings roughly ⅔ deep, with one wholesome bud above the soil floor.
Use a big pot full of high-quality, well-drained soil, and hold the soil moist till your cuttings root and begin to develop new leaves. If profitable, your cuttings ought to develop rapidly by way of the summer time and be able to transplant right into a everlasting location by fall.
Transplanting
In the event you purchased a tree from a nursery, you most likely have a small, potted fig tree. In the event you bought on-line, you most likely have a bare-root tree. You already know your tree wants loads of house, daylight, and wealthy, moist, well-drained soil. So, the very first thing to do is put together the location the place you need to plant it.
Put together a gap just a few inches bigger than the basis mass of your plant. Fastidiously take away your plant from its pot and unfold the roots into the outlet. Refill the outlet across the plant with high-quality soil. Then, instantly water the soil throughout the plant, permitting the soil to settle and totally moisten the roots, not simply the highest layer of soil. Maintain your fig properly watered for the primary few weeks to assist be sure that it begins rising properly in its new location.
Develop
So long as you reside in a favorably heat local weather, fig timber are remarkably straightforward to develop in a sunny location. They like nutrient-rich soil that’s moist but well-drained. A longtime tree is straightforward to take care of and produces an incredible quantity of fruit annually.
Daylight
Fig timber require full solar with at the very least six to eight hours of direct daylight every day. These grown in mild shade (4 to 6 hours of daylight) will nonetheless develop properly however gained’t be as compact or produce as many fruits as timber rising in full solar.
Water
Fig timber like moist soil. They are going to be considerably drought tolerant after they’re properly established, however of their early years, give them some further watering to assist hold the soil moist throughout dry spells.
Soil
Figs profit from wealthy soil that’s excessive in natural matter. The natural matter not solely provides vitamins but in addition helps maintain soil moisture. Soil pH must be impartial to barely acidic.
Local weather and Temperature
All edible fig varieties ought to carry out properly in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 – 9 though there are just a few fig cultivars that exhibit wider temperature tolerance, together with chilly hardiness in zone 6 or summers in zone 10.
Fertilizing
If in case you have naturally fertile soil, your tree ought to develop properly with out supplemental fertilizer. Your tree will respect some added soil vitamins whether it is rising in common or low-fertility soil. If wanted, fertilize yearly with a balanced fertilizer, and you’ll want to comply with the applying instructions on the product you’re utilizing.
Upkeep
Figs are medium-maintenance timber. One of the crucial satisfying issues about sustaining your fig tree is harvesting the fruits. It’ll carry out completely properly with none further pruning, though there are occasions when pruning is desired.
Prune your timber to take away any useless and diseased branches, and prune to keep up desired measurement and form. Add mulch across the base of your tree to assist protect the soil moisture, enrich the soil, and hold weeds at bay.
Backyard Design
Irrespective of the way you need to incorporate a fig tree into your panorama, you’ll have to discover a full-sun location with loads of house round it. Massive fig timber are inclined to have a well-rounded and considerably sprawling look, and you will have loads of house to stroll round your tree while you’re harvesting fruits.
These timber additionally develop a broad, shallow root system, so don’t plant them too near a home or different construction the place the roots may cause interference.
A fig tree is a perfect alternative in your edible panorama. You may simply develop it (mid-summer harvest) in the identical panorama as different edible shrubs, corresponding to blueberries (early summer time harvest) or persimmons (fall harvest), for an extended season of scrumptious, home-grown fruits.
Are you quick on house? Develop a fig tree in a container! This can be a fabulous approach to develop a complete fruit tree in a really small house and nonetheless get loads of contemporary, native, home-grown fruits. All you want is a big container with good drainage holes, high-quality potting soil, and a sunny location. In case you are in a cooler local weather, container-grown figs may be introduced inside to a cool location for the winter and changed exterior the next spring. Some smaller cultivars are perfect for containers.
Varieties
There are an enormous variety of fig cultivars obtainable within the nursery commerce. Totally different varieties will show fruits with various sizes, colours, and flavors. Select bigger varieties to fill bigger areas and smaller varieties for extra restricted areas and container gardens.
Brown Turkey, Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’
The ‘Brown Turkey’ fig is a very fashionable cultivar bred to be hardy and simple to develop. This huge, bushy plant can develop 20 to 30 ft tall and equally as extensive. You may prune your fig tree, nonetheless, to assist preserve a extra engaging and manageable measurement. ‘Brown Turkey’ figs are giant and comparatively agency, making a splendidly easy-to-eat snack.
‘Chicago Hardy,’ Ficus carica ‘Chicago Hardy’
The ‘Chicago Hardy’ fig is finest identified for being extra cold-tolerant than many different figs. If supplied some heavy winter mulching, it may possibly overwinter as little as Zone 5. If rising in a container in a cooler local weather, usher in your ‘Chicago Hardy’ for the winter to offer it further safety from the chilly. The darkish purple fruits have engaging darkish purple flesh.
‘Celeste,’ Ficus carica ‘Celeste’
‘Celeste’ is a extensively obtainable cultivar that produces an abundance of small fruits. These fruits are exceptionally candy, with a purplish-green pores and skin and light-weight pink flesh. ‘Celeste’ is cold-tolerant all the way down to Zone 6 and makes a good-looking tree for any panorama.
‘Brooklyn White,’ Ficus carica ‘Brooklyn White’
The ‘Brooklyn White’ fig is one other pretty cold-hardy selection, at the very least all the way down to Zone 7. This green-skinned fig has amber-yellow flesh and ripens in late summer time. ‘Brooklyn White’ produces two crops of scrumptious fruits, one mild crop early within the season and a heavier, extra prolific fundamental crop later within the season. The fruit taste is claimed to resemble strawberries.
‘Little Miss Figgy,’ Ficus carica ‘Little Miss Figgy’
‘Little Miss Figgy’ is among the smallest varieties, rising to solely six ft tall. This tiny tree can nonetheless produce a super-abundance of fruits for its measurement. The fruits are pretty agency, with a reddish-brown pores and skin and darkish purple flesh. If you wish to develop a fig tree in a container, this little fruit tree is a perfect alternative.
Wildlife Worth
Folks aren’t the one ones who prefer to eat figs! In the event you develop a fig tree, you may be sharing your crop with the native fruit-eating birds and possibly just a few mammals as properly.
Most animals will look forward to the fruits to begin to ripen earlier than digging in for his or her share of the bounty. Deer and rabbits gained’t eat the leaves, however deer might sometimes take a chew of fruit, although it doesn’t appear to be a favourite meals for deer.
Frequent Issues
Figs are sometimes very trouble-free crops to develop. The most important problem you may face is that, should you don’t harvest all of the fruits promptly, these timber can get a bit messy. Even should you can’t eat all of the fruits without delay, it’s finest to go forward and harvest all ripe fruits as a result of they ripen rapidly and shortly ferment, attracting bugs and falling to the bottom.
Rust
Rust is a fungal an infection that impacts the leaves, primarily in late summer time or early fall. The leaves will develop rusty-colored spots on the undersides and ultimately flip brown and fall prematurely from the tree.
In case your tree exhibits indicators of rust, take away and eliminate fallen leaves and severely contaminated leaves to assist forestall additional unfold. Rust is often not deadly, however repeated publicity can weaken crops.
Leaf Spot
Leaf spot is a reasonably widespread incidence however usually gained’t kill your timber. Leaf spots could also be brought on by both a bacterial or fungal an infection.
Chances are you’ll discover dry yellow and brown spots in your timber, and severely contaminated leaves will die and fall off. Most leaf spot illnesses gained’t kill your crops, however you may assist forestall additional unfold by eradicating and destroying contaminated leaves.
Nematodes
Root-knot nematodes are one of the vital problematic illnesses. The nematodes will weaken the roots and ultimately kill the tree. Root-knot nematodes may be recognized by digging up some smaller roots of your tree and inspecting them carefully.
If contaminated with these nematodes, you will notice that the roots have patches which can be bulging and galling somewhat than uniformly skinny roots. If in case you have had root-knot nematodes at one website in your yard, don’t try and plant one other fig tree in the identical location. You may deal with areas which were infested in temperate seasons with useful nematodes.
Fruit Fermentation
Any fig fruits left on the tree previous peak ripeness will rapidly start to ferment. Fruit fermentation, also referred to as fruit souring, will trigger any overripe fruits to odor and style unpleasantly fermented.
The easiest way to stop fermentation and souring is to select all of the fruits as quickly as they’re ripe, even should you can’t eat them unexpectedly. Fermented fruits may even appeal to many undesirable bugs to your timber.
Insect Pests
You may additionally discover aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs in your tree. More often than not, these pests may be eliminated with an occasional blast of water from a hose. Nevertheless, should you discover they aren’t eliminated after a few water blasts, you should use neem at daybreak or nightfall to deal with them. A lightweight misting is all you want.
Incessantly Requested Questions
Many fruit varieties require cross-pollination to set fruits, however figs don’t. Most fig species and cultivars are self-fertile and can produce loads of tasty fruits as a single tree. You may, in fact, develop two timber and luxuriate in twice as many fruits.
Figs are completely scrumptious when eaten contemporary from the tree, however there’s a restrict to what number of figs an individual can eat unexpectedly. Recent-picked figs will retailer properly within the fruit drawer of a fridge for just a few days. If in case you have a meals dehydrator, dried figs which can be saved in an hermetic container will final for a number of months. Retailer some figs in your freezer and use them to make smoothies. For a zesty-sweet deal with, make a batch of fig pickles. For candy summer time preserves, make a batch of complete canned figs or fig jam. In the event you nonetheless have extra figs than you may eat, provide them to your folks and neighbors!
There are just a few fruit-eating birds that can hand around in your tree and pattern the fruits. Fortuitously, fig timber are extremely productive and you’ll nonetheless have sufficient for you and the birds. You may attempt to deter the birds by hanging reflective ribbons or pie plates on the branches. As these shiny objects twirl and transfer within the breeze, they might be helpful to assist hold a few of the hungry wildlife away.
Closing Ideas
Anybody who loves figs ought to contemplate whether or not planting a fig tree is an possibility for his or her panorama. In the event you can develop a fig tree in your yard, you may be richly rewarded with an abundance of those tasty little fruits.
These productive timber have an extended historical past of human cultivation, and for good cause. They’re straightforward to develop, require minimal upkeep, and produce giant portions of candy and juicy fruits. What’s to not like about that?