Why Figs Fail

It’s just about time for figs! Figs are an attractive and tasty component of many of our southern landscapes. This week we delve into the world of figs as we discuss the various aspects of growing these delectable garden delights.

Sometimes our fig trees fail to produce fruit for us. Why? Well, a little background is in order. Although commonly referred to as a fruit, the fig is actually the flower of the tree. The flower is not visible, as it blooms inside the fruit. The flowers and seeds grow together to form a single mass.

Two crops of figs are potentially produced each year. The first, or breva crop, develops in the spring on the previous year’s shoot growth. The main fig crop develops on the current year’s growth and ripens in the late summer or early fall and is generally superior to the breva crop.

Several conditions may cause the fruit to drop prematurely or fail to ripen.

1. Young, fast-growing, and over-fertilized plants will often produce fruit that drops off before maturing. In fact, it may take three or four years before a young fig plant matures a crop because most figs have a long juvenile period before producing edible quality fruit. If your plants are excessively vigorous, stop fertilizing them. How to know? If the distance between the leaves on the current season’s branches is greater than three inches, the plant is probably excessively vigorous and is producing leaves and stems at the expense of fruit.

2. Dry, hot periods can cause poor fruit quality. Mulching and supplemental irrigation will correct this problem.

3. The variety Celeste will sometimes drop fruit prematurely in hot weather, regardless of care.

4. The presence of root-knot nematodes can aggravate the problem when conditions are dry.

Figs can be trained as either tree or bush form. Bush form is generally recommended, since more of the fruit will be accessible. Begin training to bush form at the time of planting by cutting off one third of the young plant. This forces shoots to form at the base of the plant. These shoots should be allowed to grow through the first season. Then, sometime during late winter after the first growing season, select three to eight vigorous, widely spaced shoots to serve as leaders. All other shoots should be removed.

The leaders selected should be far enough apart to grow three to four inches in diameter without crowding each other. If too close together, the lead branches cannot support themselves and tend to fall over or split under stress.

For additional branching, each spring remove about one third to one half the length of the previous year’s growth. Do this after danger of frost is passed but prior to the start of new growth. Also, prune all dead wood and crossing branches and remove low-growing lateral branches and all sucker growth.

Next: more on figs.

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, former Perry High School horticulture instructor, and former horticulturalist at Henderson Village and Houston Springs. He and his wife, Susan, own and operate Lewis Farms Nursery located on Hwy 26 two miles east of Elko, where he was born and raised. He can be reached at (478)954-1507 or timlewis1@windstream.net.

HHJ News