There’s a lot of value in growing your own fig trees. Buying figs at the supermarket can be expensive, and they aren’t always the best quality. Luckily, growing fig trees is an easy and rewarding endeavour.
There’s something wonderfully old-fashioned – and even grounding – about growing a fig tree. Maybe it’s because I remember one in my nanna’s garden. They’re a wonderful addition to the home orchard. Figs are also soft and delicate – all the more reason to grow them in the backyard.
You might be surprised to know that figs don’t display their flowers on branches like most fruit trees. Cut a fig open, and you’ll see the blossoms inside the fruit. That’s why they look so beautiful sliced and displayed on the plate. Beyond the fruit, figs are attractive, deciduous trees with big leaves (large enough to make a loincloth). Around the home, they provide summer shade and bring a bit of Mediterranean flair to your backyard.
Fig tree varieties
‘Brown Turkey’ has a long history of cultivation, so you know it’s a good variety. Grown for its large brownish-purple fruit, rose-pink flesh and mild, sweet flavour, it produces a bumper crop of fruit in early summer and late autumn, but the second crop is generally the heaviest.
‘Black Genoa’ has stood the test of time, with an abundance of fruit in early summer and late autumn. As the name suggests, it’s traditionally linked to the Genoa region in Italy, and the ripe figs have deep purple, almost black skin with pretty strawberry-red flesh. It makes a delicious dark, glossy jam with an earthy fig flavour.
For a sticky, golden jam, try growing ‘White Genoa’. The figs are lighter in colour, but sweet and honeyed, with green to yellow skin and amber flesh. It generally produces fruit from late summer to early autumn, but can also bear a lighter, earlier crop.
‘Celeste’ is a favourite for sumptuous fig desserts, grown for its small, brownish-purple fruit that is deliciously sweet. The flavour is almost caramel-like, so they’re perfect for snacking straight from the tree or made into jams, chutneys and baked desserts. It’s also a compact grower, perfect for big pots or small gardens.
The best time to plant fig trees
The perfect time to plant is during the autumn and winter, so the trees can establish themselves while it’s cold. If planting in summer, keep the soil as moist as possible while the tree is establishing.
You can buy figs as bare-rooted stock or in pots at the nursery.
The best growing conditions for fig trees in Australia
Given their Mediterranean origins, they thrive in temperate climates with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Once they have settled in, figs can handle a bit of frost, but really cold snaps or very humid summers can stress them out and affect fruiting. And while they are drought-tolerant once established, it’s best to keep the water up when they’re producing fruit.
Fig trees like having full sun and well-drained soil, although they are remarkably adaptable and will grow in most soil types – even poor soils.
Planting fig trees
You don’t need a large garden to grow figs. They’ll happily grow in small spaces, such as a pot or a small, contained garden bed. This restricts the spread of their roots, which most plants don’t like, but it also encourages fig trees to be more fruitful and limits their size. Fig trees are small, reaching a height of 6 metres with a 5- to 6-metre spread.
Dig a generous-sized planting hole for the tree, twice as wide as the root ball and a little deeper. If your soil is strongly acidic (below pH 6), add a little lime to the soil as you backfill. Water the new tree thoroughly, spread a layer of organic mulch over the surface and water again.
To ensure your crops survive, you can cover the tree with netting, as birds are quick to swoop in on the sweet fruit.
How to water fig trees
Make sure young plants are well watered, especially during hot, dry periods. A general rule is 2.5 to 4 centimetres of water per week, either from rainfall or irrigation. If you have noticed the leaves of your fig tree turning yellow and dropping, you’re likely overwatering.
Fig tree maintenance
Caring for fig trees is fairly simple with little work required. In spring, apply a complete slow-release fertiliser. During the growing season, you can also feed with a high-potassium fertiliser.
Harvesting from your fig trees
A ripe fig should melt in your mouth. Most figs don’t get any sweeter or softer after picking, so harvest them at peak ripeness when the fruit is fragrant, soft to the touch and drooping slightly at the stem. Just remember that birds enjoy ripe figs just as much as we do and can easily devour the whole lot, so be sure to protect your precious crop.
You can expect to start harvesting your figs around 2–3 years after planting and most varieties produce two crops a year.
Fig tree pests and problems
Fig rust, leaf blight, mosaic virus and endosepsis are the main diseases seen in figs. Stem borer, mealy bugs, fruit fly, aphids and scale can also affect fig trees.
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