Before
planting a bare-root tree, prune about one-third of its top,
unless it was topped by the nursery, spread their roots, and
set them in the planting hole.
Set
trees in the planting hole 4 inches deeper than they were in
the nursery to encourage low branching for bush form. Fill the
hole with soil; water heavily enough to settle the soil around
the roots. Do not apply fertilizer in the hole at planting.
Training
and Pruning
Bush
form is generally recommended for most areas. In the bush form,
more of the fruit will be closer to ground level and easier
to pick.
Begin
training to bush form at the time of planting by cutting off
one-third of the young plant. This forces shoots to grow from
the base of the plant. Let these shoots grow through the first
season. Then, late during the winter after the first growing
season, select three to eight vigorous, widely spaced shoots
to serve as leaders. Remove all other shoots.
Be
sure the leaders you select are far enough apart to grow to
3 to 4 inches in diameter without crowding each other. If they
are too close together, the leaders cannot grow thick enough
to support themselves and their crop, and they tend to fall
over or split off under stress of high winds. If this happens,
remove the damaged leader and select a new one late the next
winter by choosing one of the many suckers that arise annually.
If
more branching is desired, head back the bush each spring beginning
the second year after planting, after danger of frost is past
but before growth has started. Do this by removing about one-third
to one-half the length of the last year’s growth.
Also, prune all dead wood and remove branches that interfere
with the leaders’ growth. Cut off low-growing lateral
branches and all sucker growth that is not needed to replace
broken leaders.
Fertilization
and Watering
Fertilizing:
Fig trees grow satisfactorily in moderately fertile soils with
limited fertilizer. But fertilizer is needed in soils of low
fertility or where competition from other plants is heavy.
Although nitrogen is usually the only needed plant nutrient,
other nutrients may be lacking in some areas. If your soil is
not very fertile, follow these general guidelines:
-
Use a fertilizer with an analysis of 8-8-8 or 10-10-10.
-
Apply
fertilizer three times a year to bushes you are trying to
bring into full production: early spring, mid-May, and mid-July.
Mature bushes can be fertilized just once a year in the early
spring.
-
Fertilize
newly set bushes with about 1½ ounce of fertilizer
at each application. Spread the fertilizer evenly over a circle
18" in diameter with the bush in the center. On second-year
bushes, increase the amount of fertilizer to 3 ounces at each
application and the diameter of the circle to 24".
-
On
bushes 3 to 5 years old you are trying to bring into full
production, apply 1/3 pound per foot of bush height per application.
If the fruit are not reaching maturity and ripening properly,
excess fertilizer or drought may be the problem; fertilization
should be reduced.
-
Mature bushes 6 years and older should be fertilized once
a year in early spring. On bushes spaced 10 feet apart, apply
½ pound of fertilizer per foot of height, up to 5 pounds
per year. On bushes spaced 20 feet apart, apply 1 pound of
fertilizer per foot height, up to 10 pounds per year. Scatter
the fertilizer evenly under and around the bush. A satisfactory
amount of shoot growth for mature plants is about 1 foot per
year.
Watering:
For highest yields, figs need watering throughout the summer.
The frequency and the amount of water depends to a large extent
on the soil. As a rule of thumb, 1 to 1½ inches of water
per week from rain or irrigation is adequate. Yellowing and
dropping of leaves may indicate drought.
In
lawns, the grass beneath fig plants may wilt in the heat while
the rest of the lawn does not. This indicates the figs need
water. Figs grown with lawn grasses may require one or more
waterings a week during hot, dry periods.
Mulching:
Figs respond well to mulching with organic materials. Mulch
may reduce the effects of nematode problems.
If
you are attempting to grow figs near the mountains, limited
fertilizer should be applied to make the plants as cold hardy
as possible.
