Growing Figs on Long Island - Hicks Nurseries · Figs require warm temperatures both day and night...

How to grow this delicious fruit in your own garden

There is nothing as

delicious as ripe,

fresh-picked figs from

your own garden.

Growing figs here on

Long Island takes extra

effort, but the rewards

are worth it.

Location and Figs require warm temperatures both

day and night for good fruit development and ripening. A protected,

warm southern exposure free from late spring frosts makes a good

location.

SoilWell-drained soil enriched with bonemeal and organic matter such as compost or peat moss is ideal. Figs dobest in a high soil pH (between 6.2 and7.2). Test your soil pH and add lime ifthe pH is below 6.2. (See the box onback page for soil testing information).

Watering and FertilizingFigs grow best when a constant moisture supplyis available. Mulchingwith an organicmaterial likeshreddedcedar bark,pine bark orwoodchipsis a greatway to keepthe rootscool andmoist and toprevent weedgrowth.Fertilize figs witha well-balancedorganic fertilizer.Read and follow the label directions.

HarvestingPick fig fruits when they are soft and fall easily into your hand. If they exudewhite sap they are not yet ripe enoughfor picking. A mature tree will yield about25 to 35 pounds of fruit per year.Overall, figs are a relatively carefreeplant with the reward of sweet fruit thatcan be dried or canned, made into jam,pastries and other goodies.

PruningIt is best to cut your fig tree back heavilyin spring the first several years after youplant it. This will produce a bush form(multi-branched) rather than a tree form,which makes harvesting, maintenanceand wrapping easier later on. Cut youngplants back to about half their height.This will force new shoots to grow fromthe base of the plant. Let these shootsgrow through the first season.

During the next winterselect three to eight vig-orous, widely-spacedshoots to serve asleaders. Be sure theleaders you selectare far enoughapart so they canget fairly large (3–4” diameter) with-out crowding eachother. Remove allother shoots andprune the leaders.

Starting the secondyear after planting, you

can prune fig plants eachspring after the danger of frost

has passed, but before new growthstarts. Fruit is produced on the current season’s new growth, sokeep this in mind when pruning new growth.

There is nothing as delicious as ripe,fresh-picked figs from your own gar-den. Growing figs here on Long Islandtakes extra effort, but the rewards are worth it.

100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury, NY 11590516-334-0066 • www.HicksNurseries.com

Growing Figs on Long Island

Winter ProtectionBeginning around Thanksgiving,when all leaves and fruit are off,start by tying up the branches.Just before tying, some selectivepruning can be done.

Pull all side branches inward andupward so they form a verticalpattern. Tie them tightly in thisposition being careful not to breakbranches. Use soft, strong ropemade of natural fibers.

Let the plant stay tied this way fora few weeks. Then, around thefirst week of December, beginwrapping. Choose a clear, dry daywhen it has not rained for a fewdays to be sure the rope used fortying is completely dry. Oncewrapping is started, it must be finished the same day.

First wrap the tree with burlapfrom top to bottom. Make sure theburlap covers the tree completely.To hold the burlap in place, pin orfasten it to itself, not to the tree.Use large pins or nails the way atailor would use pins to fasten fab-ric. Then, wrap the tree with heavy

brown paper and tie it in place.Next, surround the bottom-half ofthe tree with cardboard. You canuse any large cardboard boxes;cut them to fit completely aroundtree and tie them in place.

Tar paper is next. Place it allaround the tree in shingle-fashionsuch that water runs downs the tarpaper rather than getting inside. Itis very important that water doesnot seep into any cracks or soakthe inside materials. Tie the tarpaper securely in place.

After all of the wrapping is done,mound soil up around the base tofurther insulate and protect yourfig tree from cold air. You might

put a pail over the top to preventrainwater from getting inside.Whatever you do, never use plas-tic for wrapping any part of thetree! Water condenses andfreezes under plastic wrappings,damaging the branches.

In the spring, on a cloudy dayafter danger from frost is past(around mid-March), the wrappingshould be removed. The earlierthe covering can be removed, thegreater the possibility that the fruitwill have enough time to developand ripen properly. However, if thewrapping is removed too soonthere is danger that the figs will be killed by a spring frost.It would be wise to be preparedfor any late spring frosts by havinga light cover or cloth available that is large enough to cover andtemporarily protect the tree.

100 Jericho Tpke., Westbury, NY 11590516-334-0066 • www.HicksNurseries.com

pH TestingLime is used to raise the pH ofsoil if it is below the desiredrange. Bring a half-cup of DRYsoil to our Garden InformationDesk; we will gladly test yoursoil’s pHfor FREE and theresults are available while youwait. pH meters and kits arealso available for sale for at-home, on-the-spot testing.