Fig Tree, Ficus Carica - Nursing Guide

• Selection of the right fig tree
• Location
• plant substrate
• The plants
• to water
• Fertilize
• To cut
• overwinter
• proliferation
  • Stecklingsvermehrung

Fig trees are familiar to most Central Europeans only from holidays in warmer areas, such as the Mediterranean, Italy, Asia, where the wood originally comes from, North Africa or South America. There, the trees are grown up to 10 meters high and often in plantations. There are now varieties that survive in our gardens too. Although it is easier to cultivate in the bucket and frost-free in winter, but it works differently. The care of the fig tree is quite simple. Some things should be considered, then there can be a fig harvest in sunny years. We have the necessary tips and the care instructions for you.

We have had a fig for four years and last year (2015) we have been able to reap twice, the first time in late July, big, very ripe fruits and the second time in October, much smaller, not yet mature. Our fig bush is firmly planted, survives with winter protection and has even moved with us. Let's see how he survives the winter.

Selection of the right fig tree

Anyone who plans to cultivate his fig tree as a container plant can actually use any variety for it. Restrictions exist only in growth. For the bucket no strong fig should be selected. They become too big too fast and have to be cut too much. Otherwise, you only have to pay attention to the fruit ripeness and the taste.

However, if you plan to plant the fig tree, you should be looking for a really hardy variety. The most varied types of figs are offered in the trade and most of them are also hardy. "Winter hardy" is but an elastic concept. Only a few of the offered varieties are really hardy.
An important criterion when buying is whether the fig needs a type of fertilizer. Many old varieties do that. So you need at least two plants. New varieties are usually self-fertile and still have a rich fruit set.

Tip: Frequently offered fig prunes. For Kübelhaltung and frost-free hibernation is worth the additional expenditure for the trunk. However, who wants to plant out, can give this issue. High trunks also freeze to the bottom, so they are fully cut back and drift out of the root. The trunk is gone, you have a bush.

When choosing, please pay attention to varietal authenticity. It is better to buy figs from a specialist dealer, at least those that are to be planted out. If they have moved in our climate, the figs are also better at it than those that come from southern countries. At specialist dealers, you can usually rely on the specified winter hardiness, although it still always depends on the location.

Recommended varieties:

• Brown Turkey - RECOGNIZED VARIETY; also known as Bavarian or fruit fig, good beginner, very hardy, small green fruits, one can argue about the taste
• Bornholm fig - Danish variety, very hardy, very early maturity, not too many fruits, also available under Bornholm Diamond, sheltered place is important
• Brooklyn Dark - American variety, very hardy, dark purple fruits, very tasty, very robust
• Brooklyn White - American variety, very hardy, green fruits with red pulp, 2x carrying, very yummy
• Dalmatia - RECOGNIZED VARIETY, tolerates almost any weather, even wind, compact growth, two crops, good taste, big fruits, good variety
• Banana fig / Jerusalem / Longue de Aout - RECOGNIZED VARIETY, comes from France, productive, good fruits, light red / yellow, rich, early harvest, weak growth, dainty leaves
• Ronde de Bordeaux - RECOGNIZED VARIETY, one of the hardest figs, extreme winter hardiness, fruit only once, small but very sweet fruits, fast-growing, wind-prone
• Fehmarn - RECOGNIZED VARIETY, is pulled on Fehmarn, many, small, sweet fruits, yellow overflowed, rich harvest

Many different types of fig can be found at: //www.hortensis.de/pflanzen/obst.html

Location

Fig trees need a lot of light and sun. In principle, they can not get enough of it. Young trees are the exception. They can not stand a bright midday sun. Older plants are so super clear. Container plants should be given a sheltered place, so that the leaves are not so disheveled. They can be quite large and then break in. That is only an optical aspect. Planted figs also get along much better with a sheltered place. Conveniently, a place in front of a warm wall, ideal in a courtyard or a corner protected from two sides. Figs love walls, as a windbreak and as a heat donor. However, it is also important that the tree or bush has enough space to unfold and is not restricted by walls or other plants.

• as a houseplant - directly at a window, if possible south side or in the conservatory
• as a container plant - from the end of May outdoors, from temperatures below 0 to 5 ° C (depending on age and degree of hardness)
• as outdoor plant - sunny and protected, note space requirements

plant substrate

The most important thing about the plant substrate is that it is permeable. For potted and tub plants, good potting soil suffices. The bottom line is drainage in the bottom of the pot. Excess water must be able to drain off and should not collect in the coaster. To make the substrate permeable, Perlite can be mixed in.
The soil in planted specimens must be nutrient-rich and also very permeable. To wet substrate in winter can kill the fig tree. In combination with cold, the wet is worse than deep frost alone when the ground is reasonably dry. Therefore, it is convenient to mix sand or fine gravel. Compost soil makes the whole thing more stable, that also some water and above all nutrients can be stored.

• for potted and tub plants - good pot plant soil, mix in perlite, drainage in the bottom of the pot
• when planted - nutrient-rich and permeable soil, garden soil + compost + sand or gravel

Tip: Instead of sand or gravel Perlite can be used. The volcanic rock has many advantages and is mixed with good potting soil. Perlite is absolutely natural. When you ask Perlite at the hardware store, sellers often do not know. For them, the substance is called Isoself. You can find it in the building materials department, as insulating material.

The plants

There is not much to note about pot or tub plants. It is important to choose a sufficiently large but not too big pot. When setting in the summer in the open air must be considered that the vessel is very stable and can not be blown so quickly by the wind. The large leaves provide a good attack surface for the wind. Important is the drainage on the bottom of the pot. For this purpose, pebbles, gravel, shards of old flowerpots or the like can be used. Use the fig tree as straight as possible. When bush, make sure that it works evenly on all sides. The best time to plant and repot is spring, before the leaves are expelled.

When fig figs are planted, timing is extremely important, sometimes vital. The plants need some time to root in their new place and make enough roots. If you plant them too late, they will not do it until winter, until frost. Therefore, it is important to plant in the spring, as soon as late frost is no longer expected and the soil is already slightly warmed up.

• Pot and container plants - with drainage, just insert, plant and repot best in the spring before leaf release
• Planting - definitely in spring, after late frost, when the soil is warmed up

The planting hole must be big enough. Fill in gravel or sand and distribute compost on it. Place the fig plant in such a way that it stands straight. Fill with a mixture of garden soil, compost and sand or gravel. It is important not to plant too deeply so that moisture does not cause the trunk to rot. Press the earth nicely. Favorable is a casting ring, which ensures that the water does not run away and reaches the root. Especially in summer, when a lot of water is needed and until it grows, that's a good thing. In winter remove the ring, because then the water should rather run away.

to water

The casting rate depends on the season. In summer, the fig tree likes plenty of water, but it should not be allowed to get wet. In winter, it should be kept much drier. Waterlogging is essential to avoid. Therefore, it is important in room and potted plants that they are not in the saucer or planter or that it is emptied about 15 minutes after pouring.

Figs tend to like soft water. So who gets to calcareous water, should rather resort to rainwater. When the figs are in the bucket in full sun, plenty of water must be poured. The soil in the pot dries up very quickly. In high heat, it makes sense to pour morning and evening. For planted specimens, it needs a bit of tact, so that sufficient but not too much is poured. Superficially, the soil should be dried, only dry out is bad.

Water shortages indicate the plants by flabby leaves. These align themselves after a Wassergabe again. Too often you should not forget the pouring, then the fruits are thrown off.

• soft water - rainwater, pond water, stagnant water, filtered water
• water regularly and abundantly in the summer, but no standing wetness
• Pour less at cooler temperatures and never keep wet

Tip: Although freshly-planted fig trees may be abundant, they can be spilled at longer intervals. The purpose is to encourage the roots to stretch in depth to the water rather than to expand in width. In the long term, this helps trees to be supplied with water from deeper layers when dry.

Fertilize

Nutrients are important for the fig tree mainly during the growing season. So it should be fertilized regularly. Most important is the fertilization during the training of the fruits. It should be noted that figs need phosphorus and potassium, but hardly any nitrogen. Nitrogen over-fertilization reduces the winter hardiness, because the trees grow and grow and the shoots do not lignify. In winter, they are extremely frosty. Of course, this does not matter if the plant is wintered frost-free.

• first fertilizer when expelling the leaves, only phosphorus and potassium, not according to package instructions, but only a quarter of the specified amount
• second fertilization in mid-June - low nitrogen levels, high phosphorus and potassium levels
• do not fertilize afterwards
• to use a natural fertilizer !!!

To cut

Actually, a fig does not have to be cut at all. But if the bushes get too big, you can do it, even if you want to raise a tree. If you overwinter your plant outdoors, you may have to cut off frozen and dead shoots in spring. It is important not to cut too late. Mostly only the young, immature shoots are removed, while the old survive the winter well.

• is cut in the months of February / March, when no more frosts are expected
• Shoots that obstruct each other, remove generously
• especially the shrub interior must not be too dense, otherwise too little light comes in
• where new shoot is desired, let stubs stand, from which the new shoots come
• Two-year-old wood needs to be mined because summer fruits are ripening
• on the one-year shoots, the fruits barely ripen (October / November)
• pay attention to the overall shape, it must create a beautiful picture
• even cut out thicker shoots at the neck, if they hinder others
• If the tree is extinct after a few years, a radical cut can also be made

overwinter

When wintering, it must be distinguished whether it is a container plant, or the shrub was planted out. It is possible to hibernate potted plants outside by preventing the bale from freezing during frost. Otherwise, it is better to look for a frost-free room. Since the fig throws off all leaves, it does not have to be light. A garage, a cellar, a cold house, everything is suitable, as long as it is not too warm or frosty.

• cool at temperatures between 2 and 5 ° C
• light or dark
• pour very little, just do not let dry out completely
• without cold phase no fruiting

Planted figs need protection in the first few winters. The young woody plants are still sensitive to frost and the shoots often freeze completely. From the root of the bushes drive but mostly reliable again. However, the biennial wood that bears the summer figs is missing.

In winter, the permeable substrate is particularly important. The soil must not be too wet, especially at minus temperatures. The combination of wet and freezing is dangerous. Frost alone can kill the plants quite well, at least the underground part.

• Pack up young plants. Helpful are three or four piles that are wrapped around the plant. That is why thick fleece is wrapped. The structure can remain open at the top. All around, everything has to be tied up well, so that the fleece does not fly away in strong winds. For quite small fig trees, the fleece can be filled inside with leaves or straw.
• Cover the root disk thickly with mulch or, even better, brushwood, which additionally protects against excessive moisture.

Older fig shrubs are too complicated to pack in the winter as they are just too big. In addition, these plants are much frost-tolerant. Young shoots freeze more often, but that does not matter, they are simply cut out. The older shoots can already tolerate -15 ° C and more. When figs survive the winter for several years in a row, they weaken it. This is especially noticeable in the amount of fruit.

proliferation

In Southern Europe, the reproduction of the fig is child's play. You put a shoot into the ground and wait for it to develop into a new shrub. This happens within a half to a whole year. It's not that easy with us, but not difficult. Again, the propagation of cuttings is possible, as well as by sowing.

Stecklingsvermehrung

Cuttings are cut in the spring. Choose a branch that is neither too thick nor too thin and about 20 cm long. It can be used green and lignified cuttings, but the best is not a greener, but not yet fully woody shoot. You can let it rooted in a water glass or you put it in plant substrate. The water in the glass must be changed regularly every few days. The roots form within a few weeks. If they are big enough, the young plantlet can be potted, in soil without fertilizer however.

If the cuttings are set in soil immediately, use seed soil, which is fertilizer- and pest-free. Do not keep the substrate too moist. It also takes a few weeks for roots to form. The fact that the rooting has succeeded can be recognized by the fact that leaves are showing. Both types of rooting require temperatures above 20 ° C.

• Cut cuttings in spring, 20 cm long shoot, neither completely green nor fully woody
• either rooted in water glass and then planted, or
• put in seed soil, keep slightly moist
• both succeed at temperatures around 20 ° C

For sowing seeds of purchased figs can be used. These should be really mature. Dissolve it from the pulp and let it dry a bit. Then lay the seeds on seed soil and press only, do not cover with soil (light germinator). Since a high humidity is necessary for germination, it makes sense to place a glass plate over the vessel or alternatively to pull a transparent bag over the pot. It is important to air daily, so that no mold can form. Keep the soil moist, not wet. At temperatures between 20 and 25 ° C, the germination time is about 10 days. The seedlings need a lot of light, but no sun.

• Place seeds on soil, press only, do not cover
• Keep the soil slightly damp and cover with high humidity
• air daily, set bright, no sun

Who likes figs, no longer has to dream of the delicious fruits. You can harvest them in your own garden today, provided that you choose the right variety (according to the location and the main weather conditions). In the first years, the shrubs need some support in winter, later they usually come alone. If you cultivate the fig in the tub, you need a suitable winter quarters. It must not be too warm, but it must be frost-free. What figs do not like is wind and wet. Otherwise, they love sun, warmth, space and sometimes a few pats.