Watch This Before You Plant a Fig Tree In Ground

Figs are one of the easiest fruits to grow and they're tough to find fresh in stores, so they make a great candidate to plant in your garden. Today I'll be showing you my existing fig and how I planted a new one. I'll go over everything you need to know, including choosing varieties, when, where, and how to plant, soil amendments and pH, fertilizer, spacing, and more. Hi guys, I'm April from resprout. Like and subscribe for more garden tips and tutorials from my suburban front yard garden where I help you garden like a boss. Figs were one of the first crops cultivated by people over 11,000 years ago. That's at least 1,000 years before even barley, wheat, and legumes. Like we are talking the OG of human agriculture here. Figs are so ancient that they figure predominantly in Babylonian mythology, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Beyond flavor and general self-sufficiency, just to get a slice of agricultural and human history, I'd recommend planting figs. The fig tree, or ficus carica, should not be confused with the popular houseplant, the fiddle leaf fig tree, which is in the same ficus plant family. Figs are small deciduous trees, meaning they lose their leaves every year. Yo, but when I say small trees, that is relative to the whole realm of trees. Because depending on the variety, when they're planted in ground, they can grow between 6 to 33 feet high, even up to 60 feet in some parts of the world. Figs also make great patio plants since you can grow them in a container and bring them indoors. If you do that, the figs will, thankfully, grow to the size of their containers the same way bonsai works. Fig fruits start green and, depending on the variety, will ripen to black, brown, violet or purple, yellow, or green, which is called white. Turns out that this fig fruit is technically not a fruit at all, but a false fruit called a cyconium. This fleshy pod has tons of tiny hidden flowers growing inside of it, called inflorescence. I didn't know this when I first got a fig, and I was a little concerned when I didn't see flowers forming like regular fruit trees. Figs just started magically appearing out of nowhere. Figs usually have two crops, one in midsummer called braba, and the main crop at the end of summer and early fall. You can eat the leaves, too. If you know someone with a fig, you can take a cutting from their tree and propagate it. You can also technically start figs by seed, but they'll take years to get to the fruit-bearing stage. Buying a new fig from a local or online nursery, either bare root or potted, is usually the best way to go. You probably won't be able to find a full-grown one, but don't worry, they grow super fast. So fast, in fact, that they're considered invasive in warmer areas, like the U.S. states of Florida and California. Mine went from this to that in less than two years. While today figs are grown throughout the world, they're a subtropical plant native to the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and South and West Asia. That means they like warmth. If figs endure long periods below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, their above-ground wood will become permanently damaged. Mature figs that are dormant may be able to go as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit without damage. In the U.S., depending on your variety, that means you can plant figs outdoors in zones 5 through 10. In zones 5 through 7, you'll probably need winter protection of some kind. Wrapping trees in burlap or burying them in trenches over the winter are some of the most popular methods. I'm in zone 7a and I haven't needed to protect my fig tree yet, but we'll see how this winter goes. I think it helps too that this is a south-facing wall and the fence and shrubs around my garden protect it from harsh winds. If you plan to do a potted fig that you bring indoors in the winter, you can push your zone as low as zone 2 in the U.S. Seriously, when I first heard this, I did not believe this at all. If you have ever heard that wasps crawl inside the figs, pollinate them, lay their eggs in there, and then die in there, this is absolutely true. This is not an urban legend. A female wasp will crawl inside this tiny hole and, in the process, lose her wings. Once the tiny interior inflorescence flowers are pollinated by the fig wasp, seeds develop on the inside of the zirconium, which becomes miniature fruits, real fruits in the botanical sense. For those of you who are just a little queasy about eating dead wasps and eggs, there is some good news. There are four types of figs, capri figs, smyrna, san pedro, and common. Home gardeners typically plant the common type, and that's the type that develops without wasp intervention. You'll know a variety is a common type if it's labeled self-pollinated, though that's technically incorrect. There is actually no pollination happening at all in a common fig. And that's fine because we are mainly eating the fleshy outer pod, the zirconium, not the real botanical fruit on the inside. Now that we've gotten that crazy botany lesson out of the way... Some popular common fig varieties include mission, brown turkey, cadota, and celeste. If you're looking for cold hardy varieties, check out Chicago hardy, which grows down to zone 5 when planted outdoors and zone 2 when planted indoors. If you're like me and you don't have a ton of extra space and you want a small fig tree, check out the little miss figgy variety, which grows 3 to 4 feet wide, and the fig nominal fig, which is only 28 inches high. Myself, I'm going to be planting the little ruby fig variety from Stark Brothers, which grows only 4 to 6 feet wide. This is the variety I already have in my garden and it's doing great. Check out my website or the description for links to all the top fig varieties so you can find the one that's perfect for you. Like almost practically every other fruit tree, figs need full sun to thrive. So that's a minimum 8 hours daily of direct sunlight during the growing season. This is especially true if you're in a colder area. In the winter, you want to pick a spot that gets sunlight in the early morning and late in the day. This will help prevent winter injury. This is the spot I'll be planting mine on the other side of the gate from my other fig tree. There were a lot of roots. I definitely made it harder for myself putting the fig tree at the base of the street. If you have a sheltered area like the fence I planted mine against, or even better, a masonry wall that will radiate warmth, that will help protect your fig even more. During the growing season, morning sun exposure is also important because it dries dew from the trees, which reduces disease. Speaking of disease, if you can, plant your fig away from old garden sites and other fruit trees and orchards. Figs are prone to root-knot nematode, which is common in those areas. Fig roots can spread quite far. While they won't damage concrete foundations or steel pipes, avoid planting figs over septic drain fields or clay sewer pipes. You'll also want to avoid locating them near plants and shrubs that are highly competitive and fast-growing. This includes grass. If you do plant them in your lawn, just make sure to clear out an area two to three feet in diameter around your fig the first few years. I planted strawberries under my fig last year and everyone produced fruit. I also fertilized, so that was probably a factor. If you guys have successfully interplanted another edible with figs, let us all know your combination in the comments. I am definitely on board with the fig and strawberry combo though. After we've picked a spot, let's talk soil. This soil is super compacted and needs compost. If you have some seriously compacted soil, you might need a broad fork. Figs like well-drained soil, not too heavy, not too light. Heavy soil like clay prevents drainage. Sandy, light soil allows too much water to pass through and harbors root-knot nematodes to boot. So if your soil is either of these, you'll want to add organic matter to improve the drainage. Heck, even if your soil has great drainage, you can always use more compost. It's like cheese. Everything is better with more cheese. If you're not ready to plant yet, you can add uncomposted matter like vegetable scraps, straw, mulch, bark, fresh animal manure, leaves, wood chips, or crop residue to the existing soil. You can wait 6-18 months for that to decompose. If you're planting now, add already fully composted material. I try to keep my compost bin full and ready to go, but you can also purchase compost from local nurseries or farms or use one of my quick tricks, a bag of potting mix. Once our soil is draining right, we'll want to nail down the soil pH. Figs will tolerate a pH of 5.5 to 8.0, but they'll do best when it's slightly acidic, between 6.0 and 6.5. While you can send it off to be tested, one of the easiest ways to figure out your soil pH is to use a soil testing kit. I've used liquid tests in the past, but I'm currently in love with my new digital meter. For perennials like figs, it's easiest to get the soil right before you plant. So if your pH is outside this range, it's time to amend. I tested my soil in a few spots and it came up anywhere between 6.8 to 7.1. If your soil pH is below the 6.0 to 6.5 range, add dolomitic limestone or dolomitic lime. This is slightly different from regular lime since it has a magnesium boost. Application amounts will be different depending on the brand, how much you need to change your pH, and how big your area is. So just follow the directions on the package. You'll want to spread this in a 6 by 6 foot area around and including the planting area, and then work it into the soil at least 8 inches deep. If your soil pH was above the 6.0 to 6.5 range, you'll want to add either elemental sulfur or aluminum sulfate. You can purchase any of these at a local nursery or online. These can take a while to act, from 3 to 12 months, so plan ahead. One thing you do not want to apply when you plant is fertilizer. That can burn the roots and make the tree focus on growing leaves instead of roots. Once the fig is established, after a year, you can start fertilizing 1 to 3 times per year. If you research plant spacing for figs, you are going to find some wildly different numbers. The reason why is because there are so many varieties, all with different sizes, and there's multiple shapes to prune them in, which also affects the spacing. My advice is, don't get caught up in the pruning style, because that is a whole nother complicated video. And let me know if you guys want me to make that video, because I do need to prune this guy this winter. The easiest and best way to figure out the spacing is to check the variety's width, and then plan for that. My variety, the little ruby fig, grows 4 to 6 feet wide, so I figured 2 to 3 feet on all sides. My first one looked pretty lonely when I planted it, but now I'm pruning the backside to keep it off the fence. I'm really happy with how I spaced this one, so I'm going to be spacing the new one the same way. Another option if your garden is super tiny is to espalier your figs, which is to grow them flat on a trellis, fence, or wall. While I'm not doing that with these figs, I will be espaliering some pears on these brick walls on the front of my house. The process is similar for both fruits, so stay tuned for that if espalier is how you want to go. The best time to plant your fig is going to depend on what form it is and your climate. Bare root, dormant figs with no leaves are best planted in the fall, early winter, or early spring, basically when the plant would normally be dormant anyways. If you're planting a hardened off potted plant like I am, it's best to plant in temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Warmer areas will want to do fall or winter planting, and colder areas will want to do spring planting. Prime time for both potted and bare root planting is mid-spring after the danger of hard frost has passed, and cloudy days are best since that taxes the plant less. How you plant is going to depend on how you bought your fig. If your fig is potted in soil, harden it off before planting by gradually moving it into a sunnier location. If your fig is bare root, soak roots for an hour or two before planting. You also want to cut off the top one third of the plant, unless the nursery already did that. If it came potted like mine and not bare root, you'll want it about four inches deeper than it was planted in the container. Cover the roots and pout the soil down. Once your fig is in the ground, water it well to settle the soil around the roots. During the growing season, figs need one to one and a half inches of water per week, either from rain or irrigation. If it's hot or there's competing plants nearby like grass, you'll need more. You can track how much water your garden is getting with an old school rain gauge. And it's always good to know too, how much rain in general your region gets. Where I live, I get about three and a half to four inches of rain per month during the growing season. So I know for the most part, the rain will take care of everything, but I'll need to supplement here and there during the dry spells. My rule is, if it hasn't rained all week, I need to pull out the hose. Good news is that once established, the huge root systems of mature figs make them quite tolerant to drought. So they're pretty low maintenance long-term. The last step for planting is to apply a good mulch. Mulching prevents additional moisture loss, and it has the added benefit of reducing the effects of root-knot nematodes. Mulch with whatever coarse organic matter you have on hand. Some of my favorite mulching materials are shredded leaves, wood chips, and coarse compost. Just avoid plastic and bagged mulch with artificial colors or chemicals. And that is hopefully everything you need to know to get your figs off to a great start. Stay tuned for more info on these awesome fruit trees, and let me know down in the comments what other videos you guys would like to see on figs. I hope this video helped you out. Remember to sign up for my email newsletter for more garden resources. And keep gardening like a boss, and I'll see you guys soon.