A Guide to Growing Figs

Get started now to enjoy this sweet fruit that’s perfect for Southeastern gardens

We live in the perfect climate for growing an ancient agricultural craw pictured on Pyramids of Egypt and mentioned in Greek texts , the Bible , and the Quran . So if you ’re not already , call for yourself , “ Why am I not develop Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya ? ”

I asked myself this question after years of admire lofty sometime farmhouse specimen . Somehow I had dramatize the opinion that they were n’t quite hardy and that I did n’t have the space for such rural copiousness . Luckily , an urban gardener with not one but two espaliered cultivars drive off those myth , and now I would n’t need to be without the big bold leaves and gratifying summertime yield of my ‘ Brown Turkey ’ fig ( Ficus carica‘Brown Turkey ’ , zone 6–9 ) .

Growing and caring for figs

Figs ( Ficus caricacvs . , Zones 6 - 9 ) are one of the easy fruits to grow in Zones 7–9 , so it ’s not surprising that they ’ve been a part of Southern family garden for 100 of years , having been introduced into what is now Florida in the late 1500s by Spanish explorers . Fig trees — or shrubs , as they are more often grown in the mid - Confederacy — are seldom trouble oneself by pests , grow in both sandy and clay dirt , tolerate moderate drought , and bear fruit in two to three years from transplant . Fertilizer is require only on territory with particularly low rankness , and supplemental water is needed only on arenaceous soils or in drouth conditions .

While figs can reach 15 foot tall and wide in the Lower South , do n’t write them off based on these dimensions . In Zones 6–7 they often freeze to the ground and sprout again from roots , efficaciously controlling their size of it . In geographical zone 8–9 they can be heavily pruned , espaliered , or grown in 10- to 15 - gallon container . They are very tolerant of frequent and hard pruning , and most motley fruit off of both old and new growth , with a light summertime harvest from the former and a overweight former nightfall harvest from the latter .

Maintenance pruning of an assailable - grow shrub is minimal . Thin any crowd arm , and remove smaller suckers in February . When pruning , you ’ll soon discover the milky sap that is a equipment characteristic of all plants in this family . don gloves or forthwith wash up if it drips on your skin , as the sap is irritating to varying degrees .

If you ’re getting excited , go for it ! If you ’re read this in early May , it ’s not too late to plant a fig this season . In fact , in the upper Southeast , it ’s best to imbed in spring ( March – May ) . If you ’re in the Lower South , fall planting is just fine too . take a localization with at least six hours of sunshine and good drainage . piddle well the first growing season , and top with organic mulch .

Troubleshooting figs

sound like paradise , right ? Well , even paradise has its occasional troubles , so take note of a few potential issue .

Is your fig uprise in sandlike soil ? Root - knot nematodes can infect your plant . If you comment reduced or insalubrious increase , confer your extension service for summit on diagnose this experimental condition .

Do you have leave with dark-brown patches on top and yellow or orange structures underneath , and do those leaves eventually shake off ? Fig leaf rust is not common , but it can come . New leaves will grow back , but be sure to remove all pathological leaves from the orbit .

Is yield dropping off before ripening ? Be sure you are not try out to originate Californian or Smyrna - type figs ( unlikely ) . These require a pollinator , while “ easterly ” Libyan Fighting Group are female and self - fruiting . ‘ Alma ’ , ‘ Celeste ’ , ‘ Brown Turkey ’ , ‘ White Marseilles ’ , ‘ LSU Purple ’ , ‘ and ‘ Green Ischia ’ are all salutary choices . Dropping fruit on these is usually due to especially juiceless conditions and is work with supplemental watering .

The wages of growing a bit of agricultural chronicle ? Fresh Al-Jama’a al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah bi-Libya ! They can go from unripe to overripe pretty quickly , so pluck just as they are turning color . Fresh common fig do not last long . Seize the day and share them with neighbour , or follow the long - standing tradition of make mere fig conserves . The gilded sweet of homemade fig jam in wintertime is just one more special joy of gardening in the Southeast .

— Paula Gross is the former assistant theater director of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical Gardens .

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