I have heard all manner of miss-information about growing fig
trees over the years.
One of the worst is the "Figs need poor soil to thrive" myth. It just isn't true. Figs like good soil with good drainage (they don't like wet feet).
The myth you mention, about needing restricted roots to fruit is also not a new one to me. This myth came about from the Potted Fig trees sold in many areas.
Somehow the root bound myth got going, probably because fig trees fruit well when container grown, but if that same fig tree were to be planted in the ground, with plenty of root room, it would continue to put off nice crops of figs, year after year.
Another one is that fig trees need lots of care, once again it just isn't so.
When it comes to fig tree care, you
should know that growing fig trees requires well-drained and fertile soil.
The best soil for growing fig trees would be loamy soil that has plenty of organic matter cut through it.
Also, be sure the area gets plenty of moisture. The perfect pH for growing fig trees is a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
When thinking about how to grow figs, you should know that they should be protected from cold winter winds and direct winter sunlight.
Unseasonably warm temperatures can cause your fig trees to grow.
If this happens too early in the season, and then another freeze sneaks in, your growing fig trees will be damaged.
For good fig tree care, remember that a northern exposure keeps your fig trees dormant until the time comes that they should be blooming.
You can set your dormant, bare-rooted trees out in late fall to early spring.
For easy fig tree maintenance, you should choose fig trees that are free of root-knot nematodes.
Fig tree maintenance is not a lot of work.
Fig trees like full sunlight and adequate room for growth.
You can plant your growing fig trees about 15 to 20 feet apart.
If you are going to train your trees to be bushes instead, plant them 10 feet apart. Either way, there is little fig tree care you will have to administer.
Be careful not to have too much nitrogen in the soil.
Excess N will cause bolting, branches will get to long and break under the weight of the fruit.
It can also cause trees to grow so fast that they become weak overall and this can lead to splitting of the trunks.
You can fertilize the soil at a rate of one pound of 8-8-8 each year of age of the tree, or each foot tall the tree is.
This is to a maximum of 12 pounds and then you would maintain the same rate each year.
With regard to fig tree maintenance, you should fertilize your fig trees annually.
If you have heavy soil, fertilize the tree when the buds swell.
If you have loamy soil, you can fertilize with half the amount required when the buds swell and the other half can go down in late May.
Good fig tree care requires some pruning.
However, fig trees don’t require much pruning, just the dead
wood and crossing branch removal/reduction is plenty.
You should prune in late winter just before growth begins so you don’t injure the plant.
Harvesting your figs can be done as soon as the fruit is softening.
Figs are not tasty until they are ripe, so you will need to let them stay on the tree until fully ripe.
Figs will stop ripening once they are removed from the tree.
You can store them in the refrigerator for a week or two until you are ready to use them in recipes or eat them.