Turkey Fig Bushes

Identification

• Fig trees or shrubs usually grow between 10 and 30 feet tall, with a greater spread than height. They have twisting branches and alternate, single bright green leaves. The deciduous leaves, which usually have between three and seven lobes, have soft hairs on their lower surfaces and a rough texture. Brown Turkey figs, also called Texas Everbearing, Everbearing or Eastern Brown Turkey figs, produce an almost seedless, medium-sized fruit with brownish-purple skin and yellowish-pink pulp.

Care and Cultivation

• Brown Turkey figs grow well in warm climates such as California or Texas. They can tolerate a wide range of soils, including limestone and clay, as long as the soil is deep and well-drained. They grow best in soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5, and require a minimum of eight hours of sunlight each day during the growing period to bear fruit. Brown Turkey fig bushes will usually produce a sizable crop if they are severely pruned during the winter, according to Calvin G. Lyons and George Ray McEachern from the Texas AgriLife Extension. Figs need at least an inch of water a week, but rarely require fertilization.

Planting Turkey Figs

• You can purchase Brown Turkey figs as either container-grown or bare-root plants. If you purchase bareroot plants, remove the top half, but do not remove any growth from plants that grow in containers. Plant the new figs during the spring while they are still dormant. Dig a hole that is several inches deeper and wider than the root system, and place the tree upright in the hole at a depth of approximately three to four inches deeper than the original soil line. Fill the soil around the hole and water the plant deeply. Allow it to grow unpruned during the first growing season.

Problems and Pests

• Take care not to overwater or underwater fig trees. Brown Turkey figs that receive too much water or that grow in sites with poor drainage can die from a lack of oxygen, while figs that do not get enough water may not grow properly. Water-stressed fig leaves turn yellow and fall from the plant, and severely stressed plants often die. Birds cause significant crop losses by feeding on fig fruit, and root-knot nematodes damage the roots. Other problems include fig souring, fig rust and mosaic virus.