Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Plant Profile: Figs (Ficus carica)

Figs are easy to grow and are a great choice as both an edible and ornamental plant in your garden.

Figs need full sun and can grow in Zones 6 to 11. Though in zones 6 and 7, they will need some extra winter protection and you will want to select the more winter-hardy varieties like ‘Celeste’, ‘Chicago Hardy’, and ‘Brown Turkey‘. Even with added protection, if we have a very cold winter, they can die back to the ground, but will usually regenerate from the roots.
They are ideal for small space gardens as they can be grown in containers or planted and pruned as shrubs instead of trees. Fig varieties sold in the US are all self-pollinating, so you only need one plant to produce fruit.
Keep them well-watered, especially if they are growing in containers. Figs hate root competition, so make sure there are no weeds or other plantings in their root zone. You can mulch lightly in that area to retain the soil moisture.
You can prune figs trees in late winter before new spring growth begins. Be sure to remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches. Then, thin them back to control their size and snip off any ground suckers. Fig trees are easy to propagate from cuttings, so you can share those healthy, pruned twigs that have at least two buds on them.
You may find yourself competing with the birds for the delicious figs. You can place bags or netting over the fruit to prevent wildlife from getting them before you do. Harvest figs when they begin to soften. Figs - You Can Grow That! The video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine. Visuals by Nicole Noechel Audio by Kathy Jentz ➤ If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe to our Youtube channel (thank you!) ➤Remember to TURN ON notifications to know when our new videos are out ➤ FIND Washington Gardener Magazine ONLINE ~ WashingtonGardener.blogspot.com ~ http://twitter.com/WDCGardener ~ https://www.instagram.com/wdcgardener/ ~ Facebook.com/WashingtonGardenerMagazine ~ Podcast: GardenDC on Spotify, Apple, etc.

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