How many fig propagation methods are there? Planting and ripeness-picking determination tips
Humans have a long history of cultivating figs, and it is also one of my favorite fruits. So how do we grow fig trees now?
If you are going to grow fruit trees, of course you should grow some that are not seen or uncommon on the market, so figs became one of the entry-level fruit trees on my list. After buying a small seedling, I planted it in a flowerpot. Unexpectedly, as it grew, the pot became too small, so I transplanted it to a mound of soil beside the field. As a result, I was eating fruit within half a year. From then on, I felt this was a good fruit tree that is easy to grow, does not need much management, and bears fruit quickly. Over these years, many fruit trees failed to adapt and died on me, but figs have never disappointed me. Every year I can eat fruit, and the more I grow, the more I get. It is said that there are more than 800 kinds of figs in the world, and over the years I have collected about 10 kinds.
Figs are generally hard to buy on the market. Most of what you see are dried figs imported from Iran or Turkey (the second from the left in the picture above is one I grew, yellow-skin fig plus Penglai persimmon fig). As for fresh fruit, in recent years people in Taiwan, China have begun growing them on a scale one after another. Figs come in many colors, and the fruit size, taste, and sweetness are all somewhat different. The cost of growing figs is high (if growing commercially, you must build a greenhouse or screen house to prevent birds from pecking, and when a typhoon comes or it rains heavily, you cannot harvest). After the fruit is harvested, it will rot after being left at room temperature for 2-3 days. Therefore low-temperature refrigerated transport is needed, so the price per Taiwan catty is about 350-500 yuan, which is why they are very uncommon on the market. If you want to eat them, I would suggest growing them yourself. Plant them in a pot. After half a year of growing, you can harvest. No matter the variety, when a fig is fully ripe it is super sweet, super soft, and super delicious. If you think it is not sweet, then it was picked before it was ripe enough or it was watered too much, and it will taste grassy. (Generally, fruit farmers pick them at about 80% ripe to increase storage time. They are not sweet enough.)
Fig propagation methods: Basically there are three methods, cutting, air layering, and grafting
How do you grow figs?
Do not overthink it. Go buy a sapling (about 70-350 yuan each; do not buy it if it is too expensive), along with a pot, fill it with soil (field soil is best), dig a hole and plant it. Or plant it directly in the field. Go buy a 40 kg bag of fertilizer (probably around 400 yuan) and fertilize according to the ratio. When a cold wave comes in winter, figs will drop their leaves; this is not death. For the first half year, water about once every 2-3 days. If planted in the field, once it is large you do not need to water it. For pot planting, a large pot of 1.5 chi or more is recommended. In an environment with sufficient sunlight, you can get a small harvest in as fast as half a year
Ripeness-picking determination method:From fruit set to ripening takes about 80 days (depending on the variety, it turns yellow, red, purple-black, or light green). It feels soft like a persimmon, and the skin splits slightly. At this time it is at its most delicious! A ripe fig is very sweet and can be eaten with the skin. The texture is like a peach. If picked too early and not ripe enough, it will have a grassy taste, and if a fig is picked unripe and left sitting, it will not ripen afterward. The taste will not change. So you can refer to this picture for picking.
