Fruit:
Figs
1. When – Plant fig trees either in the spring or late fall when the tree is dormant. If planting in the spring, make sure it’s at least a week or two after your spring frost date.
2. Where – Full sun in well draining soil. Do not plant near other trees to prevent overcrowding. Fig tree can grow very wide like a large bush so be sure to give plenty of room around it.
3. How – Dig a hole twice the diameter of the root ball, and around 1 1/2 times as deep as the root ball. Fill up with organic compost until the hole is only as deep as the root ball. Place your tree in the hole and fill with compost, be sure not to cover too much of the trunk bark with compost, or else it could become infected. If the tree is not planted deep enough, the roots can become exposed and damage the tree.
4. Harvesting – To harvest, grip the fig lightly and lift up a bit, if it’s ripe it will come off easy. Try to keep the stem on the fig to keep it fresher longer. Also the figs bruise easily so handle them gently. They are ripe when they turn a dark purple and hang down on the stem.
5. Tips – Be sure to trim the dead branches off your fig tree around mid winter when the tree is dormant. Depending on your climate, possibly half or more of the tree will die back each year and the dead branches will need pruned. Fig roots can be invasive and are very powerful, possibly damaging side walks and structures nearby, so do not plant close to anything susceptible. Lastly, from our experience in southern Indiana, the Chicago hardy species does extremely well.
Type:
Perennial
Time to harvest:
2 – 6 Years
Plant Origin:
Jericho 11,400 years old. One of the oldest known domesticated plants
How to Cultivate 