What Do You Need to Grow Figs?

Sunlight

• Figs trees need full sunlight to produce fruit. The more hours of light, the more fruit it produces and the more vigorous the plant. Find a spot that stays sunny for most of the day, especially in the morning to help dry out the plant and reduce moisture problems from the cool dew.

Drainage

• Drainage is more important to a fig than fertile soil. If the roots of the tree are sitting in soggy soil they rot and the tree slowly dies. By amending the soil with peat moss, or sand or vermiculite, you increase the amount of air available to the roots as the water drains, keeping them growing and healthy.

Winter Protection

• Winter protection is an important part of growing figs in temperate areas where the freezing temperatures can burst the plant cells in the tender stems, killing the branches. As the plant grows, the stems harden and become less susceptible to the cold. Wrapping the tree with several layers of canvas or burlap, then a waterproof barrier holds heat close to the plant and reduce frost damage. Instead of pulling the insulation in tight around the stem, drape it to the ground so the tent-effect collects more ground heat.

Nematode-Free Soil

• Fig trees are not fussy about the types of soil they live in, as long as it is not soggy or infested with nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic worms that feed on the smaller surface roots of the fig plant, reducing water-uptake. Reduce nematode occurrence by keeping the soil under the fig plant mulched to hold in moisture and cut the amount of water needed to keep the plant healthy.