Why People Fail at Growing Fig Trees

Hello everyone this is Jack. Well in this video I'm going to share secrets with you on how to grow fig trees. Now many people fail at growing fig trees and it's because of these doctors. So let me share these secrets with you so you'll never fail at growing fig trees. So let's get started. Now the very first thing you want to consider when growing fig trees is where you can grow them. Now most fig varieties they will grow from zone 8 to zone 12. They do like a little bit of a warmer climate. So if it gets too cold in your area it'll be really hard for you to grow fig trees. It is possible. I'll tell you how. However it can be a little bit challenging to grow fig trees in colder zones. Now fig trees can withstand temperature down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit which is 96 degrees Celsius. Now when they're little they're just in their first or second year of growth they're most susceptible to frost damage. So you must cover them or protect them in first couple of years. After they mature they can withstand temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit and they can take on frost as well. However if you live in a zone such as zone 6 and 7 you can grow a variety called Chicago Hardy variety. It's Hardy down to zone 6. Now if you live in zone 4 or 5 you can grow fig trees in containers. You can grow them in wine barrels. You can keep them outside during the summer and bring them inside during the winter. That way you can still enjoy figs in your zone. Now two of the most common varieties of figs are brown turkey figs and black mission figs and I solely grow black mission figs because they're heavy producers. Now you can grow your own fig trees from cuttings as well. All you have to do is take a cutting from a plant. However do not do it if you're too close to your first frost. Give at least a month before your first frost to make a cutting so there's enough time for the tree to heal before the frost hits. So let's take a cutting and let me show you how you can propagate them and grow them all the way to harvest. So I'm going to take a cutting from this branch right here because this is growing horizontally to the ground so it's not going to be good for the plant. So I'm going to clear it by taking this cutting. Use clean pruning shear and I'm going to cut it just quarter of an inch or half an inch from the main stem so I'm not going too close to the main stem. First remove all the from this stem. There you go. Even the top leaves as well. Make sure not to hurt the main stem that we're going to use the cutting from. You don't want to hurt this new bud that's coming up. This is very important. That's where the new leaves come from. So let me get rid of this as well. There you go. I'm going to make a 45 degree cut so keep about 12 inches to 18 inches of stem. So this is about 14 inches which is pretty good. Now scorch the sides like that. So our cutting is ready. It's already scorched and the roots are going to start growing from these nodes. These leaf nodes right here. To grow fig trees from stem cuttings use tree tubes like this. This gives the stem enough surface area to start growing roots. For growing medium I use 60% potting mix, 20% compost and 20% coconut coir. Coconut coir helps to retain moisture in the soil which is very important for figs. So first make a hole with a stick so that the fig cutting does not face any resistance going into the soil. Then take the fig cutting and insert it in the growing tube. Press the growing medium all around the stem to make the growing medium compact and make it come in contact with the stem. Now this next step is very important to lock in the moisture and humidity to grow fig trees. Put a stick next to the newly planted cutting and then cover the entire pot with some plastic. This will lock in the humidity for the fig stem to start growing. This one step will be a great factor in growing fig trees from cuttings. Leave the plastic on the cutting only for one week and then remove it. So I'm growing lots of fig trees from stems and here a few to show you. Here's the cutting that I started three weeks ago and it's growing beautifully and it's already growing its first leaf. At this stage the cutting is also developing roots. Here's the one I started three months ago. It already has three leaves and it's also making more leaves as well. And you can plant this tree out in your garden in spring. Do not grass plant in fall because fig trees can suffer from frost and die out in winter. So always plant fig trees in spring so that they have enough time to grow leaves and make roots to survive frost and winter. Now if you successfully rooted a fig tree cutting or you have bought a fig tree in a container from a nursery it's time to plant. Now where you plant does matter a lot. Now fig trees can grow huge. They can grow up to 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide. So if you're growing multiple fig trees keep at least 20 feet of distance in between the trees. If you're only planting one just make sure there's enough room for the tree to grow. Now you can keep the tree smaller by pruning them every year. So if you're smaller area let's say you only have 10 by 10 feet it is possible to grow figs just keep pruning them every single year to maintain the shape. Now fig trees love full sun so wherever you plant the fig trees make sure that area receives full sun especially during the summer. Now let's cover how to plant the fig tree. Now once you have your fig tree in the container dig a hole that is at least 18 inches wide and 18 inches deep. Now fig trees love organic matter so use a generous amount of compost all around the hole and inside the hole as well. You can also fertilize at the time of planting but make sure you only apply the fertilizer on the perimeter of the hole not inside the hole because the fertilizer can damage the root and even burn the plant. Now I use an organic fertilizer it's a 4-4-2 NPK ratio chicken manure fertilizer and I use two pounds of fertilizer per tree in the time of planting and I only spread the fertilizer on the perimeter of the Mix the fertilizer and compost with the soil all around the hole. Now when you water them over the period of time the compost and fertilizer will slowly release nutrients and the roots will grow into them providing nourishing to the tree. Now it's time to take the tree out of the container and plant the tree. Make sure when you plant your fig tree the level the soil is in the container is the same level as your ground or lower because fig trees love water. Now you do not want to plant fig trees on higher ground or on berms because fig trees love water and the berms will drain water much faster. So actually keep a little bit of indentation or a little bit of dip around the fig tree when planting the fig tree. Once you've placed your fig tree in the hole where you want it backfill the hole and fill the entire hole with soil. Finally get rid of all the weeds and mix the soil with compost and fertilizer very well all around the tree and your tree has been planted. Next step mulching. Now if you want to mulch any plant or tree fig trees are the top plants you should always mulch because mulch retains some moisture and also prevents weeds from growing as well. Previously I've used wood chip mulch around my trees but now I refrain from using wood chips because I've experienced some disease and pest issues with using wood chip mulch. However I was watching some of the gardeners and farmers that practice no-till growing and they use compost or compost on top of their soil to prevent the weeds from growing. So I thought let's give it a shot. So I started using compost as mulch. I use about two inches of compost about three to four feet diameter around my trees and guess what it does wonders. It's way better than using wood chips in my opinion. It provides organic matter into the soil prevents weeds from growing and also fertilizes your trees as well. Compost also encourages microbial activity in the soil which is very beneficial to your soil and your plants and your trees. So every year in spring I now use about two to three inches of compost all around my fig trees and that does wonders. Next up watering. Now fig trees take a lot more water than any other trees. I actually have three sprinklers around my fig trees but I only have one sprinkler on my cherry trees while they're on the same line. That means my fig trees are getting three times the amount of water as compared to my cherry trees. Now the amount of water you want to give your fig trees depends on your soil, your temperature, your region and the growth stage of the tree as well. So while the trees are smaller they need less water while they are bigger they need more water as well. Now I have clay soil. If you have sandy soil you'll be watering more. So let me tell you how much I'm watering. So in my clay soil when the trees are little one to two years of growth I only water about 20 gallons which is about 75 liters of water every single week. Now this corresponds to about five gallons which is about 80 to 20 liters of water every other day which is about four times a week. Now this is watering during the summer. Now I half as much in spring and fall and no water at all in winter. Now when the trees are about three to four years old more than two years old I provide 60 gallons of water per week which is about 220 liters of water per week. So I water my fig trees three times a week and I provide 20 gallons of water which is 75 liters of water every time I water which is three times a week. Again that's during the summer half as much in spring and fall and no watering in winter. Now it sounds like a lot of watering in summer however if you do provide a lot of water to your fig trees they will grow exponentially. Now they will grow really well if you provide less water. If you have an arid climate or dry climate however the growth will be stunted. They will not grow as fast. However if you provide fig trees with the water requirements that I just mentioned they will grow six to seven feet tall in just two years. Just make sure the moisture level in your ground does not dip below 50 percent. They like moist soil so always keep your soil moist especially in summer. Next up pruning. Now you don't have to excessively prune your fig trees. When growing fig trees prune any suckers that are growing from the bottom of the trunk of the tree. You need to have at least one foot of space clear at the bottom. Also prune any branches that are growing horizontal to the ground or they're dipping towards the ground. So your first plank of fig trees they just look like a twig but look at this this tree is two years old it's already about six feet tall. Well guess what it's three years old now it's over 12 feet tall. Look at the growth. It all has to do with all the factors I mentioned in the video. If you follow that you can have trees like this. Now when your fig trees start producing figs which is just two years after planting they'll start producing just two years into growth you have to know how to pick them as well. So pick them when they have a little bit give to them a little bit soft not too soft. If they're too soft they're overripe. However if they're hard they are not ready. You'll know if you pluck on the fig the fig does not want to come off the tree it's not ready. When you pluck off the fig and it just comes right in your hand you know it's ready. Well look at all of these nice figs and they're all over the tree. Well look at this beauty right here. I hope you found this video very informative and I hope you can grow lots of figs without failing and I'll see you in another video.