Maybe the Romans were right—the fig tree was a gift from the God of Wine.
A fig tree, 6’ to 8’ feet tall and wide, with cool leaves to screen the view yet open enough to admit the breeze, is a delight to behold.
Edible Ficus Carica
The edible fruited fig (Ficus Carica) is quite decorative. At two years old, it is a conversation piece.
At three, a focal point in any landscaping plan includes a terrace or patio.
Eliminating Winter Protection
The secret to eliminating unsightly winterizing protection of the fig is tub culture. Simply winter it over in the cellar or basement of your house or the corner of an attached garage.
If you use an unattached, unheated garage or shed, place a burlap bag over it.
Wintering of Figs
Figs have wintered successfully this way in the New York City area when temperatures dropped to a shivery 15° degrees Fahrenheit below zero.
Fig Tree From Seed or Cuttings
Start the fig tree in a sunny garden location. It can be grown from seed (which will not breed true) or cuttings taken in fall or spring.
An 8 to 10-inch cutting is the best and easiest to start in the spring.
Fig Trees For Different Regions
Find a friend with a fig tree, white or black. It doesn’t matter, or order one or more from your favorite catalog.
Adriatic and Beall varieties are good. Brown Turkey and Brunswick (Magnolia) are fine for the East Coast and Celeste for the Southeast section.
Planting and Care For Fig Cuttings
Take your cuttings when new growth is just showing from any less than three-year-old shoot. Use thinner shoots, and avoid the thick, pointed ones.
Make a clean cut at the top, just above a node, and at the bottom, just below a node. Mark it with a grease pencil or crayon to know the top from the bottom. Remove all side buds from the bottom half, as this prevents sucker shoots from developing.
Make several cuttings (you can always lose one through no fault of your own) and plant them 3″ to 4″ inches apart, leaving only one inch of their tops above ground.
A mulch of manure or compost, and removal of all suckers, is all the attention they require as they are remarkably free of insect pests and diseases.
When autumn comes, transplant each tree (they will be tree-like by then) into large pots or tubs.
Providing Good Drainage and Potting Mixture
Provide good drainage at the bottom (several inches of coarse gravel is fine) and a mixture of good topsoil, manure, and bone meal atop the gravel within one inch of the rim.
Firm the potting soil well, but use common sense; don’t make the soil so firm that drainage is impaired.
When all leaves have fallen off, put the tub and tree in the basement for the winter and ignore it unless the soil gets “dusty.” Then, a light sprinkling of water is called for.
Moving Fig Trees in Spring
When growth starts in the spring, move the tub to the sun porch or greenhouse and water it regularly.
You may move it outdoors about the same time you plant your tomatoes. You need not worry much about this.
One year, I placed mine outdoors about one-half hour before an unexpected, unseasonal snowstorm, and no damage occurred. I believe the fruit tasted better that year.
The fig docs get hit badly by frost, but don’t be too disappointed as, in most cases, it grows again from the roots.
Watering and Feeding
Because fig trees are in tubs, regular watering and a once-a-month feeding with dilute liquid fertilizer are important during summer.
Any strong growths should be pinched out after making four or five leaves, and all misplaced shoots should be removed during the spring and summer.
After that, the fig will thrive without any undue attention, making an attractive and delicious specimen.
44659 by Gene Utz