Now is the season for fresh figs. For someone who discovered fresh figs late in life, I love making up for lost time and devour them whenever I get the chance.
So this year, as I was driving along with my fresh figs in the seat next to me (they are delicate so they travel in the passenger seat instead of the back of the car) I thought, “I want to have a fig tree!”
Since I have never grown a fig tree before, I knew I needed to do some research.
Tips For How To Grow A Fig Tree
– Figs like sun and need to be protected from wind – especially for the first few years while they are getting established.
– Young trees cannot handle frost, so they must be protected from frost at this stage.
– Fig trees love limey soil. If your soil’s pH is below 6.5, add some lime.
– Drainage needs to be excellent – Like myself, they don’t like wet feet!
– Add big rocks to the planting hole as figs do well when their roots grow at a shallow level. If they grow too deeply, the tree will put it’s energy into the foliage and not fruit production.
– Fig trees can also be grown in large containers.
How To Give Your Fig Tree Some TLC
Now I read that fig trees are pretty tough. However, by giving your tree some tender loving care, they will reward you with delicious fruit…what could be better?
– Give them a prune during the winter and summer and remove any dead branches.
– Fig trees love a deep thorough watering when they have fruit.
Below is a recipe from an expert fig grower to keep your tree super healthy by keeping away scale. It should be applied August and September to the base of the tree after pruning.
George’s Recipe for White Wash:
– The ratio is 3 cups of lime to 1 cup of Copper Sulphate.
– Mix the three cups of lime with two litres of water and stir to
make a paste
– Mix the one cup of Copper Sulphate with a litre of water and
stir to make a paste.
– This mixture should resemble quite a thick paste. Finally, mix these together and paint on the tree.
How To Manage Pests
– Fruit flies can cause fruit spoilage. There are many products on the market to help protect your trees.
– Birds love figs. Invest in some netting – otherwise there will not be any figs left for you!
Interesting Fig Facts
– Figs produce two crops. The first is called the breba crop and emerges from branches in late autumn or early winter. The breba crop is carried through winter as tiny, immature figlets, maturing around late January. The second crop is the heavier crop and is what is about now.
– Figs flower on the inside!
– Names of the fig varieties are incredibly cool and interesting: Black Genoa, Preston Prolific, White Adriatic…there is also the Brown Turkey, which I guess is cool as well!
Fig Yumminess
Figs are a fantastic snack on their own. However, if you want to try them a different way, drizzle them with maple syrup and bake at 160 degrees for 30 minutes… soooo good.
Or stuff the fig with brie cheese, wrap some prosciutto around it, stick a toothpick through the fig to hold everything together and sit them in a pan and fry gently in some butter. Just enough to let the heat melt the brie!
Tonight I will be trying something I heard today at the fruit shop. I will be putting a small amount of dark chocolate inside a fig and baking it for 15 minutes… Stay tuned on its yumminess factor!
Looking Forward To Planting My Own Fig Tree!
I will be purchasing my fig tree from Daley’s Fruit Nursery. Winter is a good time to plant a fig tree. Daley’s plants will be available from June onwards.
Do you have a fig tree in your garden? Would love to hear your stories or tips!
