A Detailed Guide to Fig Planting Techniques and Methods in Pots

Most people have probably eaten figs and know them quite well; the fig has already become a fairly common fruit with particularly high nutritional value. In fact, figs can also be grown in pots, offering ornamental value, and with good care later on they can even flower and bear fruit. If you like, you can come along with the editor and take a look at fig potting techniques!

Potted Fig Planting Techniques

1. Figs have a fairly developed root system and need a larger container for cultivation; generally a large clay jar is mostly used for planting, and they also need a growing environment with more space, so open balconies, terraces, courtyards and similar places are all quite suitable for their growth.

2. Figs are not strict about soil requirements, but if grown in pots it is best to use fertile soil with good air permeability. When planting or repotting, add fully decomposed cake fertilizer, chicken manure fertilizer and other organic fertilizers rich in carbon, phosphorus and potassium to the potting soil; this can make the fig branches and leaves luxuriant and bear fruit early.

3. Watering potted figs can basically be determined by the progress of branch and leaf growth. In spring when branches and leaves sprout, the amount of watering should be somewhat less, and the potting soil just needs to maintain a certain moisture. As the branches and leaves slowly grow larger and the temperature gradually rises, the fig also enters the fruit-bearing stage; at this time the amount of watering should be increased, watering once each morning and evening to keep the potting soil moist. If watering is not timely, phenomena such as wilting branches and leaves and fruit drop easily occur. After entering the autumn fruit-ripening stage, the amount of watering should be reduced, because too much moisture will cause the fruit to crack. On overcast and rainy days, in addition to controlling watering, attention should also be paid to preventing water accumulation in the pot, so as to avoid waterlogging damage.

4. Fig new shoots grow quickly, so attention should usually be paid to pruning and shaping, especially for potted figs; a trunk that is too tall not only affects the appearance but also makes daily care more troublesome. Therefore, potted figs must have the trunk limited to a certain height and must not be allowed to grow freely. The specific method is: when the trunk of the young seedling grows to about 20 cm, the top shoot should be cut off to encourage it to sprout branches. According to your own preferences, prune it into a certain shape to increase its ornamental value.

5. Figs are not cold-tolerant. Potted figs cared for outdoors should be moved indoors in time around the time of frost descent in late autumn. Those cared for indoors should be placed in sunny, well-ventilated places such as a balcony or living room for care. In winter, figs enter the dormant period and growth tends to stagnate; at this time, watering can be flexibly adjusted according to the indoor temperature. If the room temperature is relatively high, water a little more; if placed in a room with a room temperature of about 5°C, then water should be controlled, and the potting soil should be kept as dry as possible, so that it can safely pass through winter.

Main Pests and Diseases and Their Control

Figs have relatively few pests and diseases. Among those commonly causing relatively great damage are the mulberry longhorn beetle, root-knot nematode and fruit anthracnose, etc. For the control of the mulberry longhorn beetle, refer to the apple section and use poisoned sticks to plug the holes. At present, the control of root-knot nematode mainly involves avoiding continuous cropping in old orchards and carrying out quarantine and disinfection of nursery stock; when conditions permit, the soil can also be disinfected. For fruit anthracnose, before the fruit becomes diseased in summer and autumn, spray early with 200 times lime double-strength Bordeaux mixture or 75% chlorothalonil 600-800 times solution for control; the safe interval period for the latter (the number of days from the last application to harvest) is 7-14 days.

Growth and Fruiting Habits of Figs

The fig is a subtropical deciduous shrub or small tree; under suitable conditions, a long-lived one can also grow into a large tree. The fig has a developed root system, is drought-resistant and salt-tolerant, and likes oxygen while avoiding waterlogging. Branches grow quickly with few branches; each year only several buds at the branch tips extend upward and outward. On new shoots, apart from the several nodes at the base, most leaf axils can form 2-3 buds, one of which is round and large and is a flower bud. After entering the fruiting stage, apart from vigorous shoots, almost all new shoots in the crown can become fruiting shoots. Therefore, after planting, it can begin to bear fruit in 2-3 years, and can enter the full fruiting stage in 7-10 years.

The flower buds further differentiate and develop, thus becoming the unique syconium fruit. The syconium fruit is fleshy and sac-like, with a small hole at the top, closed by surrounding scales. On the inner wall of the syconium are arranged thousands of small flowers, forming a hidden inflorescence, so externally only the fruit is seen and not the flowers. The small flowers can set fruit parthenocarpically without pollination. The edible part is actually a multiple fruit formed by the common enlargement of the syconium and the many small fruits enclosed within it.

The fruit development period is 50-60 days. Fruits in the middle and lower parts of new shoots mature in the same year in autumn in the Yangtze River Basin and are called autumn fruits. Fruits on the upper part of new shoots that develop later mostly do not have time to mature and shrink and drop when they encounter cold. The flower buds on the several nodes at the tip of new shoots differentiate in late autumn and are covered with scales; in warm winter areas they can safely overwinter, and after the weather warms in the following spring they continue to differentiate and develop, becoming summer fruits. Normally ripened summer fruits generally have better quality. Varieties belong to different types according to their ability to form summer fruits and autumn fruits.

Precautions for Cultivating Figs

1. Watering. For potted plants, do not water until the surface of the potting soil is dry, and when watering, water thoroughly. For ground planting, it is relatively labor-saving and effort-saving, and generally it is not too late to water after drought appears in the soil.

2. Temperature. Figs are not tolerant of severe cold; for potted plants, temperatures below -5°C in winter will cause freezing damage, and ground-planted ones cannot endure a low temperature of -10°C either, so soil needs to be piled around the roots to protect against cold. The suitable growth temperature is between 20-30°C, and they can still grow normally under a high temperature of 38°C.

3. Fertilizing. Fertilizing can be done from late March to late August. In households it is best to choose organic fertilizers, as the fruit produced this way tastes good and has high sugar content. Chemical fertilizers can also be applied, but note that the amount should not be too large; it is preferable to apply light fertilizer frequently.

From this it seems that growing figs in pots is not particularly difficult. Those who like planting flowers and plants might as well plant one or two figs in your leisure time; with good care, perhaps they will even flower and bear fruit, and fresh figs can be picked and eaten at hand. What a wonderful thing!