Care Instructions for Fig Trees
Feeding
Do not apply fertilizer at planting time. When new growth begins to
emerge, and rain or irrigation settles the soil, apply a granulated
organic fertilizer or ammonium sulphate. Generally, two cups of
fertilizer a year split into 3 to 4 applications should be sufficient,
or follow rates recommended on label. Spread the fertilizer evenly over a
circle 18" in diameter with the plant in the center. Repeat this same
fertilization process in March and July of the second year spreading
twice as much fertilizer as the year before over a circle 24" in
diameter with the plant in the center. Continue to increase the amount
of fertilizer applied yearly until the bushes are 8-10 feet tall. Spread
the fertilizer evenly under and around the branches. Water the plants
throughout the growing season when rainfall is not adequate. Irrigation
of young plants is especially important during the first season or two.
Always keep a sufficient layer of much around your fig trees to control
competition from weeds and help retain moisture.
Pruning
Brown Turkey Fig can be grown naturally as a very large shrub or
limbed up into a mid-size tree. Where winters are mild, you can train
your figs to grow as a tree. To develop a single or 2 to 3-stem trunk(s)
tree, the process must be started soon after planting. Choose 1 to 3
trunks you would like to keep and remove the rest. remove lower branches
as needed to maintain a desired height and form. If you're lucky, you
might find a 1 to 3-trunk already established at a local nursery and
garden center.
Otherwise, figs are pruned very little. Do not heavily prune mature
trees because this reduces the crop size. To stimulate new growth, thin
out older trees which grow very little each year. Thinning also
increases fruit size. Prune the trees enough to stimulate approximately 1
foot of growth each year. Remove all weak, diseased or dead limbs each
dormant season.
Pests
Figs are relatively pest and disease free, but they do have problems.
The most serious problem for Southern growers who have light sandy
soils is root knot nematodes. This type of infestation is easy to
diagnose. Just uncover some roots and inspect them. If you see tiny
galls or swellings on the roots you have root knot nematodes. The best
control is to destroy infected plants and not use that site for figs
again.
In some regions, Fig trees and fruit are sometimes attacked by a
variety of borers, mealybugs and scale insects. Dried-fruit beetles will
sometimes enter figs through the eye of the fruit and cause them to
sour. Varieties with open eyes are particularly susceptible to this
problem. The best remedy for these problems is sanitation. Prune and
burn infested wood and fruit. Don't allow piles of leaves and fruit to
accumulate and offer breeding sites for insects.
Fig Rust is a fairly serious fungal disease. It attacks young leaves,
causing defoliation. It is also easy to recognize from the small
yellow-green spots that appear on leaves. The spots will get bigger and
turn yellowish brown. The leaf will soon yellow and fall. You can
control fig rust by sanitation measures. Extension services also
recommend spraying the new leaves with a 4-4-50 Bordeaux spray at three
to four week intervals (more often in rainy weather). This will also
protect your plants against other leaf and twig blights.
Mosaic is a viral disease to which figs are more or less susceptible.
The plainest symptom is mottled leaves. Some varieties are
dwarfed-leaves and fruit by mosaic; others are scarcely effected. Mosaic
is incurable, but rarely a reason to discard plants.
