Fig Cultivation Methods and Key Management Techniques
Cultivation and management of figs. Figs love abundant sunlight, water and fertilizer, and thrive in fertile, moist soil. For potted figs, it is best to repot each year before buds break in early spring, and after moving them outdoors, keep them in a sunny spot. During the growing period, apply sesame-paste residue water about once every half month, and stop fertilizing after the end of September. From the time the plant recovers after repotting until early summer, water once a day;
In the hot summer climate, water twice a day; after the beginning of autumn, gradually reduce the frequency of watering. After Frost's Descent, move the plant indoors, and give one thorough watering before bringing it in; from then until it is moved back outside, generally no further watering is needed. During this period, if the potting soil becomes too dry, give 1-2 light waterings. In winter, maintaining a room temperature of 3-5°C is sufficient.
For potted figs, the goal is short branches and dense fruit. Generally, it is best to keep a short, low trunk, with a height of about 30 cm. On the trunk, select and keep 3-5 main branches, and on each main branch select and keep another 2-3 side branches, leaving about 10 branches in total for the whole plant, with the branches evenly distributed, pruned into a rounded shape to form a beautiful crown. To achieve this, 3-4 years of continuous pruning and shaping are needed to form a tree shape with a single trunk and with main and side branches. Pruning should be done before the sap starts flowing, otherwise it easily causes sap bleeding and affects growth. The above is an introduction to fig cultivation and management.
Cultivation and Management of Figs
How should figs be grown? Today the editor will share with you some knowledge about fig cultivation and management. Let's take a look.
Potting Soil
For the potting soil used to cultivate figs, use 6-7 parts garden soil mixed with 3-4 parts compost soil, or you can prepare it with 8 parts garden soil and 2 parts dried manure.
Potting Up Figs
After 1 year of cultivation, the seedlings can be potted into 5-3 inch pots in autumn. It is best to place some hoof and horn shavings or cake powder at the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer. After potting, first place it in a spot sheltered from wind and frost, and when Minor Snow (late November) arrives, move it indoors to overwinter. After Qingming Festival the following year, it can be moved back outdoors; after watering once, wait for it to sprout and grow.
Watering Figs
Watering should be increased or decreased according to plant growth and weather conditions, from once a day to once each morning and evening; the potting soil should not be too wet. During July-August when the fruit ripens and after entering autumn, the amount of water should be appropriately controlled to improve fruit quality and make the branches sturdy. When moving the plant indoors for winter, water once, and water thoroughly; afterwards no further watering is needed.
Fertilizing Figs
During the growing period, apply liquid fertilizer once a month. Liquid fertilizer should be dilute rather than concentrated, as concentrated fertilizer damages the roots. After the rainy season begins, dry fertilizer or compound chemical fertilizer can be applied on the surface of the potting soil to replace liquid fertilizer.
Repotting Figs
Figs grow vigorously and have well-developed root systems. After 1-2 years of pot culture, fibrous roots fill the entire pot, so repotting is needed once. At the same time, the above-ground part must be pruned every year. Pruning should be done before the sap starts flowing, that is, in early to mid-March. If pruned after the sap starts flowing, the wounds tend to drip water, causing sap bleeding and affecting plant growth. For pruning potted plants, it is generally best to keep a short, low trunk, with a trunk height of about 30 cm; keep 3-5 main branches on the trunk, and on each main branch keep another 2-3 side branches, training them into a rounded crown with evenly distributed branches. Training such a crown usually takes 3-4 years. When the seedling grows to 40-50 cm tall, head it back. Leave the trunk height and cut off the branch tips; after new shoots emerge, select and keep 3-5 evenly distributed buds near the cut as main branches. In late July of that year, pinch the tips once to prevent leggy growth and promote plumpness of the basal buds. The following spring, prune the main branches at 15-20 cm; after sprouting, keep 2-3 buds on each main branch and remove the rest, training them to bear fruit on the lower branches. In this way the tree shape is basically formed, and in each following year pruning consists of removing weak twigs, overly dense branches, and branches sprouting from the base that disrupt the tree shape.
Pest and Disease Control Methods for Figs
Figs have relatively few pests and diseases. A common disease is anthracnose, which damages fruit and leaves; small brown spots appear on the fruit surface, and leaf edges curl. The control method is to spray Bordeaux mixture. A common pest is the mulberry longhorn beetle, which damages the trunk. When holes are found in the branches and trunk with wood shavings (frass) expelled, inject benzene hexachloride, DDT or dichlorvos solution into the fresh frass holes, and after injection seal the frass holes with mud. In addition, during the peak emergence period of adults in mid-July, capture and kill the adults and spray 200-fold benzene hexachloride solution to prevent the adults from laying eggs on the tree again.
Fig Cultivation and Management Methods
The fig is a deciduous shrub native to the warm regions of the Mediterranean and Central Asia. It may have been introduced into China from Iran during the Jin Dynasty; it was already recorded in the Tang Dynasty, and later it was also introduced by sea route into Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian for cultivation. There are as many as more than six hundred species in the same group as it: the tropical banyan, the Huangge tree of Sichuan, the Di Gua of the Yangtze River basin, the Indian rubber tree and the Bodhi tree are all like it in that the flowers bloom inside the receptacle and cannot be seen from outside. They are all species of the mulberry family, and are also related to the mulberry and the paper mulberry, except that the receptacles of the mulberry and paper mulberry are not as well developed as its, and their flowers are not enclosed inside.Figs prefer fertile, moist soil and can tolerate dry air, but fear waterlogging. In the courtyards of the Beijing area, a sunny, wind-sheltered spot can be chosen for cultivation; otherwise they should be grown in pots and placed indoors to overwinter. From Shijiazhuang and Cangxian southward, they can be planted directly in courtyards. They are widely cultivated in the towns and rural courtyards of the Yantai area of Shandong and in various parts of southern Xinjiang, where the fruit is harvested and sun-dried into dried figs, which taste sweet and pleasant.
Figs are mostly propagated by cuttings. Before sprouting in spring, cut off one-year-old branches and insert them into the soil, keeping it moist; they will take root in about a month and bear fruit the following year. Water appropriately in spring or during drought, apply some miscellaneous manure after leaf fall, and they will bear fruit every year. Old trees also need renewal, and tangled crossing branches should be pruned. Pruning should be done before the sap starts flowing or after the leaves have fully grown; do not prune in the short period before sprouting, otherwise sap bleeding easily occurs, and excessive loss of the white sap will affect growth.
For figs grown in the open ground, do not apply too much fertilizer or water, to avoid leggy growth, which affects the tree shape and reduces fruiting. Just water appropriately during dry seasons and apply fertilizer once during the fruit-swelling period. For potted plants in the north, in early winter, after leaf fall, carry out relatively heavy pruning, then move them indoors to overwinter; during overwintering, a temperature of about 0°C is sufficient. Too high a temperature easily causes sprouting. Also pay attention to controlling watering, because once the leaves have fallen the plant does not need much water; otherwise the roots may suffocate, rot and die.