Growing Figs in Pots: Things You Need to Know

Growing Figs in Pots – There’s nothing quite like the taste of a ripe fig that’s been harvested straight from the tree. There is no mistaking it: these delectable treats have nothing in common with Fig Newton cookies; the taste is more robust and infused with natural sugar. In USDA growth zones 8-10, there is a fig tree for you to cultivate on your property.

What if you reside in a location that is north of Zone 7? No need to be concerned; explore growing fig trees in containers. Now, let’s talk about how to care for potted fig trees and other information about figs grown in containers.

Growing Figs in Pots, Is it Possible?

In order to growing figs in pots, the first thing to consider is which types are most suited for container cultivation. The following varieties of fig tree are ideal for container planting: Fig tree cultivars

• Blanche is slow-growing tree, also known as Italian honey fig, Lattarula, and White Marseille, bears medium-sized to large lemon-scented fruits on a thick canopy. It is also known as the Italian honey fig.
• Brown Turkey, also known as Aubique Noire or Negro Largo, is a popular fig tree cultivar for container planting that is also known as Aubique Noire or Negro Largo. Although this cultivar is a small one, the fruit it produces is of medium size and numerous. This variety is particularly well adapted to container growing because of its tolerance for rigorous pruning, which yields greater fruit harvests.

• Celeste figs. Known variously as “Honey fig,” “Malta fig,” “Sugar fig,” or “Violette fig,” Celeste is another little fig tree with abundant fruit output that is most typically cultivated and consumed as a dried fig.
• The Verte, or Green Ischia fig has the advantage of producing fruit over a short period of time due to its short growth season.
• Ventura figs. In milder climes, Ventura figs are particularly well-suited since they produce huge figs that mature late in the season and are compact in nature. Chicago is another cultivar that thrives in chilly conditions.

Plants may be purchased from reputable nurseries, or if a friend has a beautiful fig tree to give, you can reproduce from spring divisions or summer cuttings from mature trees that have been pruned back.

Aside from pulling and propagating root suckers, branches may be tied to the ground and layered or tip-planted in the springtime. Remove the young plant from its mother and transfer it into the container after it has established a root system.

How to Take Care of Fig Trees in Pots

In order to accommodate planting fig trees in pots, a big container is required. In ideal circumstances, half whiskey barrels are used, but any container big enough to fit the root ball as well as some growth room would do.

If the tree outgrows its container, you may easily transfer it at a later date. Placing the pot on casters makes it easier to move the tree if it has to be relocated during the cooler months to a more sheltered location.

Figs need a lot of sunlight, so find a location that gets as much of it as possible, particularly next to a south-facing wall. The pH of the soil should be between 6.0 and 6.5. New fig trees should be planted in the spring, when all risk of frost has passed in your region.

As long as the soil is loamy, well-drained, and has a sufficient amount of compost or well-rotted manure, you may use ordinary organic potting soil or create your own mix. By adding in soil-less media, it will help to lighten heavy soil while also improving aeration and drainage.

In order to properly plant the tree, make sure the soil is 2 inches (5 cm) below the top of the container and that the place where the trunk and root ball meet is level with the earth.

When the soil is dry to an inch (2.5 cm) below the surface of the container fig, it is time to water it. Keep in mind that trees planted in containers will dry out more rapidly than trees grown in the garden. If you allow the tree to dry out too much, the stress it will experience may cause it to lose its leaves or produce fewer fruits.

Utilize a monthly foliage spray or diluted liquid seaweed mix, compost, or manure tea to boost plant health and fruit development while also encouraging prolific fruit set. When fruit starts to grow on the tree, be sure to give the tree enough water to encourage the production of delicious, plump fruit.

Figs may be trimmed to keep their size under control. It is also possible to extract suckers during the growth season and then give them to friends or family members to reproduce.

If temperatures begin to drop, it is a good idea to cover the tree with a blanket. Rather than wrapping the tree, some individuals choose to just move it into an unheated and largely dark space, such as a garage or basement. This will be sufficient to shield the fig from freezing temperatures while also allowing it to enter a crucial dormant phase.

Planting fig trees in pots offers the additional advantage of increasing yields and shortening the harvest period due to the root limitation imposed by the container. They are also beautiful trees that give life to a deck or patio by promising the arrival of tasty figs in the future.