The fig (Ficus carica) is a 3-4 meter high fruit tree, originating in the Middle East and the Mediterranean basin. Although it grows in warmer regions, fig can also be cultivated everywhere if the temperatures are not very low in winter. And the best solution to grow a fig tree is in pots to move it indoors when the cold season appears.
A fig in a pot grows like a high bush. You can trim it so that it takes a beautiful and practical form. When you cut the shrubs, you should be careful not to touch your eyes or mouth with the hand, because the fig’s sap is toxic. The fig leaves are fury, long, with long petioles. Flowers are green and self-pollinating for growing fig varieties.
The tree needs a lot of light to make fruits and to make the fruits grow, and it needs heat, constant temperatures during the cold season from October to April, and plenty of water.
A fig needs a big pot. And if you keep the pot in the garden or on the balcony, place it near the wall, or in an area where it must be protected from air drafts.
A fig in a pot, in the summer must be protected from excessive heat, especially at the base of the roots because it may get dried. It should be watered carefully, not to let the soil dry but be careful not to overwater it.
A fig in the pot grows much slower than the one planted in the garden. One solution is to change the pot once a year, to fertilize it and cut it carefully. It’s best to do this in fall, after harvesting the fruit.
It’s risky but you can transplant it from the pot to the garden, and vice versa, especially in the first two to three years of life, when it’s smaller. Transplant it with the earth around the roots, without shaking them, because then it adapts more easily.
Image Credits: Gardenerspath