Garden Guide: How to grow a fig tree in a small space
Figs are one of the easiest fruits to grow. If you follow these tips, they can thrive in a container or small garden.
More Stories
Figs might be the most important fruit in the world. These trees were the first to be cultivated. Civilization as we know it can be traced back to this fruit! As easy as they are to grow, the fruit don’t last long and rarely appear in the grocery store. That’s why Italian Americans brought these plants to our area. Our climate is barely warm enough to keep them alive, yet they are one of the most common fruit trees you’ll find in some neighborhoods because of their cultural significance and delicious flavors.
Figs are much easier to grow than any other fruit tree. because the fruit develops on both old and new wood. Even during cold winters when branches die back, it’s still possible to get fruit. And speaking of fruit, these trees don’t require any pollination. That’s because figs are not a fruit at all - it’s basically an inside out flower.
Note: Many sources on the internet incorrectly claim that every fig has a “dead fig wasp” inside of it that pollinated the fruit. Some fig varieties are pollinated by a “fig wasp” that enters and dies inside the fruit, but there are no fig wasps inside the fruit growing in our area.
GROW THEM IN A CONTAINER
There are more than 800 recognized fig varieties. Each has a different flavor, growth habit, and fruiting season. Some varieties like “Little Miss Figgy” are compact growers and do particularly well in a container, but any fig can fruit in a container on your patio with these things in mind.
Pruning
Fig fruit grows on old and new growth. Pruning back will delay fruit production, but if you're growing figs in a container and sheltering them from the winter cold, you should prune them for the best results. Many fig growers recommend pruning potted figs so they have one main stem and a healthy number of branches on the top. Prune container grown figs back to 2 feet above the soil every year before bringing them in. This will keep them at a manageable size!
Overwintering
Fig trees require a dormancy period over the wintertime and do not make good houseplants. Inside the house, the growth will be weak and prone to issues from pests. Fig branches can survive temperatures down to 10F before dieback occurs and will sprout from the ground in temperatures down to 0F. This makes them great landscape trees in mild parts of our area. In cooler neighborhoods, container grown fig trees should be brought into a cool spot like a garage, crawl space, or shed where temperatures rarely drop below freezing. Most growers wait until after Thanksgiving to put their container grown trees into storage and bring the trees back out in March.
Fertilizer
Figs begin to sprout new leaves in April and should get a nice dose of nitrogen rich fertilizer to encourage new growth. Over the course of May and June you can switch to a "bloom fertilizer" high in phosphorous. Fig fruit are technically inverted flowers so this fertilizer will encourage healthy fruits. Container grown figs need to be fertilized regularly, but in the ground, no fertilizer is required for healthy fig trees.
WHY YOUR FIGS AREN'T RIPENING?
Are you growing a fig tree and only getting a few fruits? Figs require a long, hot summer to fully ripen. Some varieties will produce ripe figs in a shorter growing season. Selecting early ripening varieties will ensure a good crop of fruit in our northern climate.
Another tip, pinch off the newest leaf off of each fig branch in August. Instead of focusing on new growth, this will encourage your tree to ripen the figs growing on that branch.
If your fig fruit is full sized but still green, take a cotton swap with some olive oil and wet the bottom of the fig (known as the fig's eye). Some fig hobbyists say this has encouraged their fruits to ripen.
WHEN ARE FIGS RIPE?
Fig fruits are ripe when they start to sag on the branches and are soft to touch. It should feel like a bag of jelly! Figs taste their best when picked that day. If figs are picked green, they will not ripen on the countertop. Figs that are "nearly ripe" will get softer after they are picked, but will not get sweeter, which is why figs always taste better fresh off the tree than they do at the store!
