How to Grow Figs: The Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial
The fig, also known as the milk fig or honey fig, is a relatively rare fruit with extremely high nutritional value, rich in amino acids and multiple vitamins, offering great benefits to the human body, and is quite popular with consumers. So do you know how it is grown? Below, join Qinnong Network to take a look at its cultivation techniques.
1. Propagation Methods
The fig mainly has three propagation methods: cuttings, layering and division. Fig branches root very easily, so in production the cutting propagation method is mainly used; this method is fast, simpler to carry out, and has a relatively high survival rate.
Cutting propagation is carried out in spring, when the temperature and climate are both favorable for branches to root. Select branches from strong-growing, disease-free plants as cuttings; the cutting branches are best taken as current-year hardwood with short internodes, inserted directly into the seedbed, watered, and the soil kept moist, at a temperature between 20-25 degrees, and they will root in about 3-4 days.
2. Planting
When the new plant's root system has also developed fully and it begins to sprout and grow new leaves, it can be planted. The planting distance is generally 3-4 m, with a plant spacing of about 2 m. If planted in a warm climate and in soil of good quality, the row and plant spacing can be appropriately widened by 1-2 m. Planting can be done in spring or winter; spring planting is in early spring in March, while winter planting is done in November-December before the wind and frost.
3. Training and Pruning
Fig training and pruning is relatively simple. It is suitable for being pruned into a natural open-center shape with multiple main branches; keeping 3—5 main branches on the whole plant is enough, without retaining any side branches, and the whole tree crown is formed by multiple main branches. Therefore, cultivation during the seedling stage is extremely important; pinching and pruning should be carried out in time to promote more branching and achieve the goal of rapidly expanding the crown.
4. Field Management
After the plants survive planting, loosen the soil and remove weeds. To promote more branching, fertilizer should be applied in time after pruning. The fig is a fruit tree that is relatively tolerant of fertilizer, so fertilizer should be applied heavily, mainly phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, which can quickly promote the growth of its branches and leaves. The fig tree is a fruit tree that is cold-tolerant but not waterlogging-tolerant. Apart from the fruit enlargement period, when its water demand is extremely high, it does not need much watering at other times. If its root system remains in a heavily waterlogged environment for a long time, it will cause root rot and lead to the plant dropping flowers, fruit and leaves, or even dying, so drainage measures should be well done, with even more attention paid on rainy days.
The above is the fig cultivation technique brought to you by Qinnong Network. Figs have wide uses, extremely high value and high yield, and indeed have broad prospects for cultivation, but all cultivation carries risks, and investment requires caution.