Image Credit:
Katrin Shine
Botanical Name
Ficus carica
Grown as
Toxicity
Sun Exposure
Water Needs
Height
Spread
Bloom Time
Flower Color
Special Features
Resilience
Plant Type
Planting
Figs can be planted outdoors without much trouble in Zone 8 and warmer. In zones where winter temperatures get colder than 10°F (-12 °C) for periods of time, be sure to choose a hardy fig variety.
When to Plant Fig Trees
Plant fig trees outdoors in the early spring or late fall when they are dormant. Alternatively, figs can be grown in large containers and brought inside for the winter.
How to Plant Fig Trees
- For container fig trees, grow them in a soil-based potting mix and add fine bark chips to improve drainage. Keep the tree in full sun in the summer. In the spring and summer, be sure to add a high-nitrogen fertilizer every 4 weeks and water the tree moderately. In the winter, move the tree indoors and keep the soil moist.
- For outdoor fig trees, plant the tree in the spring or early fall in full sun. Fig trees can grow in most types of soil as long as the soil is well-draining and contains plenty of organic material. (Learn more about organic soil amendments.)
- Space fig trees at least 20 feet away from buildings or other trees.
- If given the chance, fig trees put down deep roots, so bear that in mind when choosing a planting spot.
- To plant container-grown trees in the ground:
- Remove the plant from its pot and remove any circling roots by laying the root ball on its side and using shears to cut through the roots.
- Dig a hole that is a few inches deeper and wider than the spread of the roots. Set the tree on top of a small mound of soil in the middle of the hole. Be sure to spread the roots away from the trunk without excessively bending them.
- Plant the tree 2 to 4 inches deeper than it was originally in the pot (check the color of the trunk to see the original soil line).
Harvesting
Harvesting Figs
- You should harvest figs only when they are fully ripe, as they will not continue to ripen off the tree. The figs should be fully colored and slightly soft to the touch.
- You may need to invest in netting to protect your crop; figs are a favorite of birds and squirrels.
- When picking figs, wear gloves or long sleeves because the sap from the fig tree can irritate your skin.
- Figs are very perishable. Store figs in the refrigerator; they will keep for 2 to 3 days.
- For long-term storage, you can freeze figs whole for later use. Another storage method is to dry the figs. You can also can your own figs.
Types
- ‘Brown Turkey’ produces abundant medium to large figs. This type works best in warm climates but is fairly tolerant of cooler temperatures, too.
- ‘Celeste’ produces small, sweet, purplish figs. It is one of the more winter-hardy varieties.
- ‘Hardy Chicago’ is a winter-hardy variety that produces purple, medium-size figs.
- ‘King’ is well adapted for the cooler conditions found in the Northwest. It produces medium figs that are sweet and rich in flavor.
- ‘Kadota’ vigorously produces small to medium fruit. Its figs are rich and sweet, and it is the most commonly canned fig.
Comments
Additionally, to help reduce shock, you can make cuts in the soil with your spade around the rootball, now, in order to prepare the tree for the more disruptive cutting later. Here's what you do: You determine the necessary size of the rootball. Then, you cut one spade width into the root zone; then skip a space. Repeat this all the way around the desired rootball. The tree, having just had some of its roots severed will begin to form new roots at the cuts, while still having the support from its existing, uncut, roots. When you move it, the new roots that it has formed at the cut locations will be ready to support the tree while the freshly-cut roots recover (Just make sure you don't re-cut the previously cut roots.) As with any transplant, water fully and deeply at transplanting and once a week thereafter until it becomes established. Cheers!
I live in New Mexico have a beautiful fig tree full of fruit. The problem is the figs are not ripe and it is October. Is there anything I can do to shelter them until they get ripe?
Bought a house and kept cutting back this "bush" for about five years until someone said it was a fig tree. Let it go this year and it is full of green fruit. How do we know what kind of fig, and what to look for for ripening. I read that some can be green and still ripe. This is all new to us.
You are lucky to have a fig tree. Squeeze the fruit gently. Fully mature figs feel soft and may have small cracks in the skin. Ripe figs start dropping and are easy to separate from the tree.
I was gifted with a black mission fig tree in norther New England. The tree, obviously, must stay in a pot indoors. What kind of care does it need, and how and when do I go about transplanting to a larger pot? When should I fertilize it? I have it in a southern exposure window. I tried to move it once and all of the leaves dropped!
I have a fig tree that is 8 years and full of fruit but the figs fall off before they ripen
Some fig varieties will drop fruit prematurely in hot weather, regardless of the quality of plant care. Or, there are certain fig plants that requires cross-pollination by a special wasp or they don't set a good crop. You may want to bring a sample to your local cooperative extension or local nursery specialist.
what color should the figs be when they are ready for picking?
Figs are harvested when they're almost fully ripe. The ripeness really depends on the variety of fig that you are growing. For example: ‘Black Mission’ figs should be light to dark purple rather than black and should yield to slight pressure. ‘Calimyrna’ figs should be yellowish-white to light yellow and firm.
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It's best to transplant the tree when it is dormant in early spring. The root ball that you move needs to be able to support the tree. Measure the diameter of the trunk. For every inch you need a foot of root ball. If the trunk is 4 inches the root ball needs to be at least 4 feet wide. You can prune the tree before transplanting so that it's easier to move. Make sure to keep the root ball moist during the move and water the tree often after you have planted it in the new spot.