Fig trees need almost no management and still bear fruit abundantly

The fig has beautiful foliage and its fruit can be eaten fresh. It grows well even under rough, minimal management, making it especially suitable for growing on a balcony. In addition, unlike many fruit trees, figs do not need advanced pruning and shaping skills to bear fruit; they are a plant that needs hardly any care and, as long as the plant's basic requirements are met, will still be covered in fruit.

Gardeners can place figs on east-facing, south-facing or west-facing balconies for care. Among these, a south-facing balcony gives the best cultivation results. The plant is relatively tall, so it suits growing on a very spacious balcony, and during its vigorous growth stage it is best to place the plant in full sun. If conditions do not allow this, then just make sure it gets at least 4 hours of direct sunlight each day.

For potted figs, choose a well-drained, humus-rich sandy loam as the growing medium. Fig plants are relatively tall and grow quickly, so a large flower pot is usually chosen for planting them out. In addition, figs like a moist soil environment and are also slightly drought-tolerant.

During cultivation, in addition to applying about 100 grams of dried fish heads and the like at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer when planting, during the vigorous growth stage you should also apply a dilute organic nutrient solution specially for fruits and vegetables, rich in phosphorus and potassium, once every 10 days.

In the rainy season, since applying liquid fertilizer is inconvenient, you can switch to applying sesame residue instead, using about 10 grams per pot, scattered on the surface of the potting soil away from the plant's stems. From when the plant begins to drop its leaves until before the plant sprouts, topdressing should be stopped.

Figs like a sunny, well-lit environment; if the environment is shaded, the plant will grow robustly but bear very little fruit. It likes warm conditions and grows well within a temperature range of 16°C~30°C, and is fairly tolerant of high temperatures, which is why it is suitable for growing on a south-facing balcony.

In addition, for potted figs, when the plant reaches a certain height it should be pinched back to encourage branching. The spot where you pinch back depends on the height at which the fig pot is placed. If the plant is placed high, then pinch back at a lower point on the main stem; if the plant is placed low, then pinch back at a higher point on the main stem. It is best to prune it into a natural open-center form, as this gives good light exposure, good air movement and a beautiful plant shape.

To ensure that the fruit the plant has set can ripen fully, all the young fruit that grows after the Start of Autumn should be removed. This not only ensures a sufficient supply of nutrients for the growth of the other fruit, but also reduces the plant's overall nutrient consumption, laying a good foundation for the next year's growth.