Figs

Figs ! There's so much you can do with figs -- you can snack on them raw, serve them over ice cream with chips, or make delicious fig preserves! Personally, I love the fig preserves. Especially if it's made from the super sweet Celeste!

We grow the ever popular Brown Turkey Fig and the smaller, sweeter Celeste fig.  Each are incredibly easy to grow here in zone 8b / 9a.   All figs that grow in our area are self fertile.

The fig tree requires very little nurturing to thrive in our climate, but care must be taken to plant in the right soil.

Figs like an alkaline environment -- closer to 7 pH is best.  Add dolomitic lime to the soil to alkalise,  and never plant a fig next to a pine tree or an oak.

Figs benefit greatly from the addition of organic soil amendments such as found in our Magic Soil Formula --  organic composted chicken manure, greensand, ironite, etc.

Water your young fig tree every day as with all fruit trees, except during the rainy season.  Older more mature trees will be more established and less sensitive to going without water for a few days.

Fig trees should be pruned periodically to keep them short enough so you can reach the figs -- 8-10 feet is a good size. Pruning will also encourage a heavier crop.

Pruning is best done in January and February, before the stems start to form new leaves, to avoid cutting off the fresh new growth.