A Detailed Guide to Fig Planting Techniques and Management Methods

The fig is a fruit that is very popular with consumers, because the fig's nutritional value is extremely high, containing large amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and other nutrients, and it has very good effects on the human body. So how do you plant a fig tree? And how should it be managed and cared for later on? Let's go find out together below!

Fig Planting Techniques

1. Propagation and planting. Fig branches root very easily, and they also readily produce root suckers, so when propagating nursery stock, methods such as cuttings, layering, and division can all be used. In production, cuttings are used for large-scale propagation of nursery stock, and the survival rate is extremely high. In the Yangtze River basin, hardwood cuttings are carried out in mid-to-late March. Any branch with short internodes and a thickness of 1 cm to 1.5 cm can be used as a cutting, and each cutting should carry 2 to 3 buds. For the specific operating technique, refer to grapes. The cutting site should not be continuously cropped, so as to avoid the spread and damage of nematodes. If plastic greenhouses are used in winter to raise seedlings in nutrient bags, seedlings can be produced earlier.

When establishing an orchard, suitable varieties should be selected according to different requirements and site conditions. For example, for canned processing, yellow varieties should be selected; in places where the winter temperature is low (around minus 15 degrees), cold-resistant varieties should be selected; for tidal flat land, salt-resistant varieties should be selected; and for fresh fruit marketed to the market, large-fruited varieties should be selected, and so on. The orchard site should not be continuously cropped.

The planting spacing is generally 3 m to 4 m. In areas with good soil or a warm climate, the tree canopy is large, so the row spacing can be expanded to 5 m to 7 m. As for planting time in the Yangtze River basin, both autumn planting and spring planting are acceptable. Autumn planting should be earlier, and spring planting is best in mid-to-late March. Coastal tidal flat land is suitable for autumn planting, while the Huaibei region is suitable for spring planting.

2. Training, pruning, and fertilizer and water management. Under normal circumstances, the branches within a fig tree canopy are not dense, so it is suitable to train a tree shape with a central leader and no distinct tiers, or a natural open-center shape with multiple main branches; a shrub-like canopy formed by branching directly from the ground can also be used. When training, the nursery stock is headed at a height of 40 cm to 50 cm, and afterward the whole tree retains 4 to 6 main branches, with or without a central leader. A certain spacing should be maintained between the main branches, and each main branch should be cut and retained at 40 cm to 60 cm each year, with 2 to 3 secondary main branches arranged on it at appropriate intervals to expand the fruiting surface.

Daily Care Tips for Figs

1. Sunlight and water

One was planted in a corner of the balcony, and it could not get enough light all year round, so it bore very little fruit. On the contrary, in a place with direct sunlight, it bore a lot of fruit. Water frequently, especially in summer, to ensure sufficient moisture.

2. Regular pruning and fertilizing

If too many branches have grown, some branches can be pinched off. First, it adjusts the tree shape; second, it supplies nutrition. If you want figs to grow large and strong, fertilizer is very important. If you see that the soil in the flower pot is rather compacted, it is best to loosen the soil while damaging the roots as little as possible, and bury some fertilizer around the edge of the pot.

3. Prevent whiteflies

Whiteflies are a very annoying many-legged insect. They easily cause leaves to drop, so fruit cannot set. Spraying pesticide solves it; ordinary seed shops and flower shops all sell this kind of pesticide.

4. Repot into a larger pot

Figs grow relatively quickly, so if you are worried that its increasingly sturdy roots cannot absorb nutrients, you can repot it into a larger pot.

5. Prevent birds from stealing and eating them

Many netizens report that they are often stolen and eaten by birds. How can this be prevented? You can make a scarecrow out of old clothes, or hang a few colorful bags to scare them off. The best thing is to put a plastic fresh-keeping bag over the figs when they are about to ripen, and then there will be no mishap.

Fig Fertilization Techniques

1. Base fertilizer. For base fertilizer application to figs, it is generally best to apply barnyard manure from mid-November to early December after leaf fall. For adult trees, the required amount is calculated according to supplementing 100 to 120 kg of nitrogen, 80 to 100 kg of phosphorus, and 80 to 100 kg of potassium per hectare, to determine the actual application amount of different types of base fertilizer. As for the fertilization method, a fertilizer trench 30 cm wide and 30 to 50 cm deep can be opened between rows or between plants, and the base fertilizer applied into it.

2. Topdressing. The growth of fig branches and leaves and the development of the fruit proceed simultaneously and complement each other, and the demand for nutrients is balanced. If possible, topdressing should be applied 7 to 8 times each year; generally, 3 to 4 times should also be reached. If the base fertilizer can be applied sufficiently, the first topdressing should be in May when the new shoots are growing vigorously, mainly with nitrogen fertilizer, at an application rate of 200 to 300 kg per hectare. During the fruit ripening period from August to October, topdressing should be applied 2 to 3 times, mainly with compound fertilizer, at 250 to 300 kg per hectare each time. The fertilization method is the same as for base fertilizer. In addition, spraying 0.3% to 0.5% potassium dihydrogen phosphate or a compound fertilizer mainly of nitrogen and potassium can also achieve the effect of enlarging the fruit and reducing cracking.

Fig Planting Prospects

Although fig cultivation has a long history, systematic research work on cultivation techniques started relatively late. Our country began research work on figs in the 1980s. With the progress of fig research in various countries, especially the gradual familiarity with the medicinal and health-care value of figs, as well as research progress used for treating cancer, people have developed a new understanding of the economic value of figs.

At present, the world's annual output of figs is about 2.5 million tons, while our country's annual output is less than 6,000 tons, ranking 22nd in the world. Figs in our country are mostly grown scattered, and the national cultivation area is only equivalent to 1/1220 of the apple cultivation area and 1/420 of the citrus cultivation area, making it one of the fruit tree types with the smallest cultivation area in the country. Therefore, figs have broad market prospects.

Through the above content, we have gained an in-depth understanding of fig planting techniques. The utilization value of figs is extremely high; whether as a fruit rich in vitamins or as a traditional Chinese medicine with particularly good understanding for some ailments, the annual output of figs is also very high. From this point of view, the planting prospects are indeed broad.