Fig, or fig, is a rather unpretentious deciduous tree that prefers a subtropical humid climate with warm winters... Such climatic conditions can be easily organized indoors in colder areas. Therefore, figs can also be grown at home indoors, in pots or greenhouses. With sufficient care, house figs can bear fruit in adulthood.

Indoor figs can be grown by purchasing a ready-made seedling with known varietal characteristics and seller guarantees. But it's much more fun to grow your own fig tree from cuttings or seeds. It is quite easy to get planting material for cuttings if you happen to go to places where figs grow - warm tropical countries or subtropical coasts.

As cuttings, pieces of fig branches no thicker than a little finger, up to 15 cm long and with 3-4 living buds are suitable. A good time to harvest cuttings is during the winter cold snap, when the trees have dropped their leaves and are dormant. Cut cuttings prepared for growing homemade figs should be stored for several weeks in a cool place of 10-12 degrees Celsius for drying and simulating wintering.

You need to germinate cuttings of a home-made fig tree in a small pot of river sand, having previously treated the lower part with any drug that stimulates root formation. For germination, the fig stalk is transferred to a warm, up to 25 degrees Celsius, and bright place. The sand should be constantly wet, this is achieved with the help of small regular watering and cover for the first time from a glass jar. Swelling of buds on a fig branch indicates the awakening of the plant and the formation of the first roots. After several leaves appear, indoor figs need to be transplanted into permanent soil and a large pot.

Growing figs from seed at home.

More available material there may be seeds for planting house figs. Fresh figs, although rare, can be found on sale in grocery stores and markets. For planting, the seeds of the most mature fruit, including the spoiled one, are suitable. Commercially available dried figs all year round, also makes it possible to get ready-made seeds for planting a home-made fig tree. You should know that a fig tree grown from a seed will not have the varietal characteristics that a seed fruit has, but such a plant will be physically stronger than its counterpart obtained by cuttings.

Washed, clean seeds of ripe figs are soaked in water for 1–2 days and then planted in soil. Infertile seeds will float on the surface, while viable specimens, having gained moisture, will be at the bottom of the container ready for germination. Live seeds should be germinated in a tray in moist coarse sand or vermiculite. The use of soil or compost for this purpose is not advisable, as this can cause the development of mold, which is harmful to fig seeds.

Home-grown fig seeds need a warm and humid environment. It can be organized with a transparent tray cover, which must be removed for a few minutes to ventilate the seeds. Place the tray in a bright place, but not in direct sunlight. Fig seeds can take up to eight weeks to germinate. After the appearance of small sprouts with leaves, the shelter must be removed, thus, the plants are acclimatized to the home humidity conditions. In this case, you will have to water the tray more often, preventing the surface from drying out.

Once the fig sprouts have reached 3-4 centimeters, they can be transplanted into small pots up to 12 cm in diameter with permanent soil. As a soil for growing figs at home, flower soil with the addition of coarse sand is suitable, you can use the soil collected under the forest floor.

Growing house fig seedlings need regular watering every two days as the topsoil dries up. Excess moisture should flow freely through the drainage holes in the pot. Figs will respond well to regular spraying of the crown with water. Mature tree Figs can easily withstand direct sunlight for half the day, but young plants should be protected from excess sun by placing them in shaded areas.

A growing fig tree needs to be transplanted annually in stages into the largest container you can supply for home-grown figs. In the absence of the possibility of further transplantation, the upper part of the soil should be replaced with minimal damage to the roots. In this way, the plant will be able to replenish its reserves of minerals, even in a pot.

For crown formation, homemade figs can be pruned gently, that is, gradually 1-2 branches at a time, preferably during winter dormancy. When creating favorable conditions home tree figs in a few years will be able to bloom and form fruits. At the same time, a plant grown from a cuttings is capable of bearing fruit 2-3 years earlier than a tree planted with a seed.

Tell your friends about it.

The homeland of N.I. Vavilov refers to the Central Asian focus, namely, in the area of ​​modern Yemen. Latin name indicates the cultivation of figs in ancient Caria, the province of Asia Minor. Grows wild in Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Central Asia, the Near and Middle East, in the Mediterranean countries.

According to F.Kh.Bakhteev, figs were widespread in the area of ​​evergreen tertiary flora. It is found in meotic sediments, which indicates its growth six million years ago. The Old Testament legends, according to V. Dadykin (1985), call figs among those that grew up in the "paradise bushes". According to Greek mythology, the lord of Olympus Zeus struck down the guilty sons of the goddess Gaia with a lightning strike, including her beloved Sikevs, whose remains were turned into a fig tree by his mother. In the countries of the Mediterranean Sea, figs have been cultivated since ancient times; their images are on the bas-reliefs of Ancient Egypt.

Currently, figs are cultivated on an industrial scale in Turkey, Algeria, Tunisia, Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the USA. In the CIS - mainly in Georgia, Azerbaijan, the North Caucasus, Central Asia, southern Ukraine and Moldova. World production of fruits is about two million tons per year.

Meaning

Typical subtropical deciduous plant. It grows in many southern regions of the CIS, both on industrial sites and in households. On the coast of the southern coast of Crimea, it is found everywhere in the form of wild bushes that have grown from seeds. An indispensable plant of all sanatoriums and rest homes on the southern coast of Crimea and the Caucasus, where it grows in the form of large fruit-bearing trees with a beautiful crown, green from May to November. In the region of Sevastopol and Simferopol, it occurs in the form of separate trees on household plots and near multi-storey buildings on the south side, sheltered from the cold northerly winds.

Figs are a valuable food product and have high medicinal properties. Most of the fig fruits are consumed in fresh, and part is processed into preserves, jam, coffee and other types of products. Dried fruits are popular and are a good nutritious product due to their high sugar and pectin content and their ability to store for several years.

Dense wood is suitable for turning products. Fig syrup is used as a mild laxative, especially for children (Muravyova, 1983). Figs are very useful in diseases of the cardiovascular system, as they are rich in potassium. The enzyme ficin, found in fruits, is useful for vascular blood clots. Compound fruits are used for anemia, to improve digestion and urination, especially with stones in the bladder.

Furolen is obtained from the leaves, which stimulates the action of enzymes in the body and promotes the formation of the pigment melinin. V folk medicine decoctions or preserves from figs are taken as an antipyretic and diaphoretic. To rinse the throat with angina, use a decoction of dry stem fruits in milk. The same broth (2 tablespoons of infructescence per 1 glass of milk) is advised to drink for gastritis, kidney and urinary tract diseases. Figs contain a lot of fiber, so it is not recommended to use it for inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and because of the high sugar content - for diabetes mellitus.

The fruits are very nutritious - 100 g of seed fruits are able to saturate a hungry person.

Chemical composition

Ripe fruits are very tender and tasty and are eaten fresh immediately after removal. Fresh fruits contain (in%): 9-14 carbohydrates, 0.5-1 organic acids (the main ones are citric, malic with a small amount of tartaric, acetic and boric acids), 0.7-1.3 proteins; potassium salts - 1161 mg%, calcium - 227 mg%, magnesium - 117 mg%, phosphorus - 263 mg%, iron - 46 mg%.

Fresh fruits are poorly stored, and therefore they are dried and slightly pressed. In this case, the content of sugars (mainly fructose and glucose) increases to 55-70%, pectin substances - up to 5-6%, organic acids - up to 1%.

Biological features

Fig is a deciduous tree, in favorable conditions with one trunk, or multi-stemmed, with light gray bark and with lactifers in all organs. The lifespan of trees, according to Sh. Penezhik (1973), is 150-200 years. This typical subtropical plant grows successfully in warm temperate regions bordering the subtropics. The tree is deciduous, freezing out at minus 15-20 degrees. Plant height - up to 6 m, sometimes more. The root system of figs is powerful, highly branched (it penetrates to a depth of more than 2.5 m). Skeletal roots are covered with overgrown roots. In 10-year-old fig plants, roots are found at a depth of several meters, and their bulk (up to 80%) is located in the 0-40 cm soil layer.

Leaves on long petioles, entire or 3-7-lobed (finger-cut), broadly ovate, large, fleshy, up to 20 cm long.

Figs have two types of buds: mixed and fruit buds. The kidneys can be single or double. Double buds consist of two fruit buds, two mixed buds, one fruit bud and one mixed bud. Most often, double buds predominate, containing one growth (conical) and one (or several) fruiting (round). The establishment and differentiation of fruit buds occurs during the growth of shoots of the current year during the formation of the next leaf node and continues for almost the entire period of their growth.

The flowers are collected in a kind of inflorescence. Unlike other fruit crops, figs have peculiarities of pollination, flowering and fruiting that are characteristic only of it.

Depending on the attitude of plants to pollination, varieties are divided into 4 groups:

1. Capriphigi are dioecious plants that serve as pollinators for varieties that need pollination. Their characteristic feature is the development of three generations of inflorescences: spring - professional, summer-autumn - mammon, wintering mamma. On female specimens, inflorescences with long-petaled flowers are formed, yielding edible fruits;
2. Common or Adriatic figs produce only long-styled flowers and produce edible figs of all generations without pollination;
3. Smyrna figs have only long-styled (female) flowers and form edible figs of all generations with
   compulsory pollination;
4. Intermediate figs, in which the inflorescences of the first generation of inflorescences are formed without pollination, and for the development of inflorescences of the second generation (in autumn) pollination is required.

A fig inflorescence (syconium) can be compared to a sunflower basket, if it is rolled inward with flowers. The inflorescences have fleshy walls, pear-shaped, bulb-like in shape with a cavity inside and an opening outward (eye, window). There are flowers on the walls of the inner cavity.

Figs have flowers inside male and female inflorescences (capryphigus and figs), so flowers are never seen in figs. From the outside, the inflorescences look like a pear-shaped berry; female inflorescences are larger than male ones. A large number of male and female flowers are located on the inner wall of the inflorescences. The former have stamens with pollen, and the latter have ovaries with pistils. There is a small hole at the top of the inflorescence. Fig flowers are fertilized by small insects living in male inflorescences called blastophagous wasps.

The female blastophagous wasp, fertilized by the male inside the male inflorescence, crawls out in search of other male fig fruit in order to lay testicles in them. Several hundred eggs are laid in one inflorescence. After a month, larvae appear that feed inside the ovary and turn into pupae, and then into adult insects 1.0-1.5 mm long.

While crawling through the hole in the top of the male inflorescence, the female takes pollen from the male flowers onto her body. In search of male inflorescences, some insects get inside the female inflorescences. The pollen carried by them falls on the stigma of the pistils, due to which the flowers are pollinated. Blastophages from the winter generation of figs fly out in March. Thanks to their pollination, fruits appear that ripen in June. Blastophages of the June generation cause the development of fruits that ripen in August. And insects from the August capryphigus crawl inside the ovaries formed in the fall, and spend the winter there. The best varieties figs grown on plantations in Georgia and Crimea require mandatory pollination, called caprification. On industrial plantations, for good ripening of fruits, male trees forming kapriffiks are laid among female trees in a ratio of 1:20. Some cultivars fig fruit can develop without fertilization.

The best Smyrna figs in the world cannot produce a single fruit without pollination. Pollination is produced by blastophages, which develop in capryphigus and carry pollen from them. That is why, where the Smyrna figs are cultivated, capryphigi, which were known to Greek scientists, are certainly grown, and even Aristotle very accurately described the process of pollination.

In the conditions of the Kuban, it is more expedient and easier to grow ordinary figs that form only female flowers and give edible infructescence without pollination (Chapla, Adriatic, Damiatsky, Sochi 4.7, Violet and others).

The fruit of a fig is an achene, which is in an overgrown compound fruit. Depending on the conditions of the year, the variety and age of the plants, the fruits ripen within 2-2.5 months before the first frost. Unripe fruits fall off. Some of the buds, which are late in the axils of the upper leaves of the shoots, do not develop into mature fruits in the current year and leave underdeveloped in winter. The fruits preserved after overwintering continue to develop and the first harvest of figs is formed from them, which ripens at the end of July. In the case of a long and hot summer, a small part of the fruits that have arisen on the growths of the current year (about 1/3 of all fruit) has time to ripen. The rest, the larger ones, fall off. The smallest ones (the size of a pea) hibernate and develop next year.

Seeds are small, germinate only when pollinated.

Requirements for growing conditions

Temperature and lighting

Fig is a light-loving plant. Figs do well in areas with long warm periods and lots of sunny days. It is important that autumn is dry and warm, and the sum of active (above 10 ° C) temperatures is 3500 ° C. In the central part of the region, in the region of Krasnodar, the growing season is 214-220 days, and the sum of active temperatures is 3600 ° C and above, which fully ensures the ripening and fruiting of a number of fig varieties.

Figs begin their growing season in Krasnodar, when the soil warms up to temperatures above 10 ° C, in the second half of March - April, and the fruits of the first harvest ripen at the end of June, more often in July, and they are harvested until early November. The resistance of plants to autumn frosts is influenced by the level of agricultural technology, conditions at the end of the growing season, when lignification of the shoots occurs, and the age of the plantings. Young plants are more sensitive to low temperatures. Pinching of the shoot tips, warm and dry weather improves the maturation of the growths and contributes to their less frost damage. Is of great importance right choice site and exposition accounting, selection of local, Sochi varieties.

Figs can also grow in more northern regions when grown in a creeping form. Biological features figs are such that it is well preserved under the digging ground and bears fruit in the current growth. This feature of figs has long been used in the cold regions of Central Asia. Grown in an inclined position, the trees are bent to the ground for the winter and covered with straw, brushwood and earth. The method of inclined planting of figs in a shallow trench was tested in the Donbass and gave positive results when covering the trench for the winter with old clothes, rags, and on top with plastic wrap.

Moisture and soil

It is undemanding to soils. Figs are quite drought-resistant, but, nevertheless, like citrus fruits, they prefer moderately moist soils and in these conditions tolerates the summer heat well. From this point of view, it deserves attention to advance to the regions of the Rostov region and eastern Ukraine.

Dry winds make fruit coarse and dry.

Examples of the undemandingness of figs to soil are widely known in the literature. Figures are described that grew between stones, on the roof of a house, tops of palms, poplars and spreading willows - wherever birds and wind carry its small seeds. Moreover, even in such incredible conditions, the fig does not wither, but grows into a powerful tree that bears fruit. This is possible due to the powerful root system that penetrates deep into the soil.

Reproduction of figs

Figs are propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering, root shoots.

Seeds

Seed propagation is used to produce new varieties. From ripe fruits choose a jelly-like mass with seeds and leave for 3-5 days for fermentation. After fermentation, they are washed from the pulp. Seeds are dried in the shade and stored at 5-7 ° C in a dry place before sowing. In February, seeds are sown to a depth of 0.5 cm in a mixture of sand, humus and turf in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. With daily spraying warm water and at a temperature of 20-25 °, seedlings appear in 21-28 days. The picking of plants is carried out when four pairs of leaves appear in pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm and placed so that they do not get direct sunlight (for better survival).

Cuttings and layering

V middle lane In Russia and Ukraine, the most acceptable methods for propagating figs are cuttings and layering, and the first method is well tested in Ukraine and in various regions of the CIS; it is recognized as the most affordable, fast and reliable. These methods guarantee the preservation of the varietal qualities of the mother plants.

Cuttings are harvested in the fall from bushes 10-15 years old. It is important that they are well developed, bear fruit abundantly, give large fruits without fertilization. The most suitable figs grown in the Crimea. Especially valuable are the trees growing in the Nikitsky Botanical Garden, sanatoriums, holiday homes of the Crimea and on personal plots, located by individual individuals and bearing fruit without pollination.

The best for rooting, as experience shows, are annual shoots 15-20 cm long with short internodes and apical bud. It is best not to cut these shoots, but to break off the branches and trunk. In the place of breaking off, roots are formed first of all during rooting. Then, many lateral roots are formed along the entire length of the shoot, which is in the soil. However, the thickest and most powerful roots are formed from the pallus on the heel of the cutting, in the place where it breaks off from the mother plant.

Cuttings harvested from the upper part of the shoots have a low rooting rate. Higher resistance (rooting) of cuttings from the middle and lower parts of the shoot is associated with their better ripening and increased content of soluble sugars. The diameter of the fig cutting should be at least 12-15 mm, the length 25-30 cm. Even longer cuttings increase the yield of seedlings, although they increase the consumption of planting material.

After cutting the cuttings, a thin apex with a diameter of up to 12 mm is immediately removed. In winter, they are stored in basements in damp sand so that the cuttings do not dry out. Depending on the weather, cuttings are planted in March - April. The lower cut is made under the kidney, and the upper cut is 2 cm above the kidney. Planted so that the top is 5-6 cm above the soil, watered to tightly fit the ground around the cutting. In the book of S.P. Grekov. it is indicated that the storage period of cuttings is no more than 2-3 weeks after their separation from the mother plant and delivery to the place of rooting. During this time, they must be kept in a wet cloth that is moistened as it dries. If, in addition, they are placed in a plastic bag, then its top should be open to avoid rotting of the buds of the cuttings. In this case, it all depends on the cutting time of the cuttings.

It is advisable to plant cuttings immediately after their delivery to the area where they will root. Given the small number of rooted plants in amateur conditions, it is necessary to plant them in transparent containers from drinks and mineral water. The bottles are cut in half, only their lower part is used, in which 5-10 holes are made with an awl for drainage.

Soil mix for planting cuttings:

• sod and leafy land, humus, sand in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1;
• deciduous land, humus and garden land - 1: 1: 1. If there is no deciduous land, you can use washed coarse river sand (but not slag sand from metallurgical plants).

Place 1-3 fig cuttings in each container, the lower end of which should be at a distance of 3-4 cm from the bottom of the container. Planting depth - 7-10 cm. After planting, the container with cuttings is poured with water and placed in a warm, bright place, preferably on a battery near a window overlooking the south side. The temperature of the earth in the pot should be no higher than 20-25 ° C.

After about 3-4 weeks, the cuttings start to grow. By the end of April, from each (survival rate 1-2 out of three in a pot), bushes of 3-4 leaves are formed, and sometimes with a developing fruit. Plants get used to the air within 1-2 weeks, and then to direct sunlight for the same period of time. After spring frosts, fig seedlings are planted either in a tub or in a permanent place of growth. Watering is done regularly, 2-3 times a month, and more often. Caring for the soil consists in loosening it to a depth of 5-10 cm and removing weeds. It is also advisable to feed with mineral or organic fertilizers 2-3 times per summer. They are fed with nitrogen fertilizers (1 tablespoon of nitrate per bucket of water).

In autumn, standard seedlings have at least 30 cm of mature shoots with a diameter at the base of at least 3 mm; the length of the main roots is at least 20 cm with the number of heel roots at least four. At the end of the growing season (around the end of September), fig seedlings are either buried in soil (if in open ground), or they cover it (if in a trench), or they dig it out with a large clod of earth and place it for wintering in a cool (but with a positive temperature) place, best of all in the basement. Before planting, seedlings are stored in basements in wet sand at a temperature of 0-7 ° C. On next year(in April) seedlings are planted in a permanent place of growth: in the ground (with the intention to grow in the future with shelter with rags, leaves, waterproof film, earth), in a trench or pot (with further cultivation in indoor conditions).

Another option is possible. Figs in the second year of planting can be grown in the open field, then, at the end of the growing season (in September), transplant the seedlings into pots of sufficient capacity, keep them for 3 - 4 months in a cool place, and in February - March, place them in room conditions.

Landing

For planting figs, they choose areas that are protected from cold winds, the slopes of the southern exposure with moisture-intensive fertile soils, with good drainage, not flooded. Swampy and salted saucers are unsuitable.

It is rational to place plants in a 5 x 4 m pattern, which provides good lighting and facilitates shelter for the winter. On the site chosen for planting, in the fall, the soil is dug up onto two bayonets of a shovel, humus and mineral fertilizers are introduced. Deep digging favors the accumulation of moisture, promotes better plant growth in the first three years. Rows of plants are placed from north to south. Dig holes measuring 40 x 50 cm one week before planting. Planted in early April. Before planting, after removing damaged roots, seedlings are dipped in a clay-manure mash. Do not dry out the roots. The roots in the planting hole are spread evenly over the cone of earth poured onto the bottom. Then they cover it with loose, moist soil without lumps, carefully compact it, water it (4 buckets of water per bush), and again fall asleep flush with the surface with dry soil.

Forming and pruning the crown of figs

Figs are formed in standard or bush form, depending on the growing areas. When cultivating figs near the top or growing them in a trench, fan and bush formations should be used.

When forming bush in the first year, the plants are cut at a height of 10-15 cm from the soil surface, leaving 3-4 strong branches, which serve as the base of the skeleton. The next year, shoots of the following orders grow from each left branch. Fig pruning is carried out in autumn or spring before the start of sap flow. Cutting points must be covered with garden pitch, as they do not overgrow well, and the entire branch may dry out.

In the case of cultivation of figs by the pile method, no pruning is performed during the first 2-3 years. In the spring, only damaged shoots are removed. A creeping fig shape can be created in another way: an annual sapling is planted in a permanent place of growth, cut off by 25-30 cm. Of the shoots that have grown this year, the lowest ones are left from the lateral buds and bend them to the ground in different directions. The upper part of the trunk is cut off and must be covered with garden varnish
or paint. The bush forms an arachnid form, which is covered with improvised material for the winter. Branches growing upward are removed.

Forming figs in the Krasnodar Territory

In the conditions of Krasnodar, figs are formed in a bush form, which is beneficial in that it allows to protect the plants covered with soil from freezing.

Plants form with two or three trunks adjacent to the ground. The stems are hatched in the second year after planting. The next year, the trunks are shortened by a third, leaving on them three to five shoots of the first order at a distance of a meter or more from the base of the bushes, which makes it easier to bend down and cover.

Figs bear fruit on the shoots of the current year, 20-50 cm long. Pruning in the spring allows you to get more of these branches. Timely rejuvenating pruning on three to four-year-old wood is carried out in order to preserve the compactness of the bush.

During the growing season, the root shoots, arising from the dormant buds of the bushes in the covering culture, are promptly removed. Sections are carefully covered with garden varnish or paint based on natural drying oil.

As a result of damping off and frost damage to poorly covered parts of the bush on the shoots of the current year, the varieties Krymsky 9 and 43, Kadota, Uzbek yellow develop multi-fruits, which leads to annual fruiting even in unfavorable conditions.

Pinching, or pinching the tops of the shoots above the 7-15th seedling improves the ripening and safety of the shoots in the winter. Pinching also induces the formation of shoots of the following branching orders, which increases the yield. The best time for pinching is when the shoots are 50-60 cm long. The delay in shortening the shoots awakens only the upper buds, from which weak shoots develop.

Agricultural technology of cultivation

Fertilizer

For fertilization, it is better to use organic and mineral fertilizers. Humus is used normally 30-40 kg per bush. At the same time they give phosphorus and potassium tukas - 300-500 g of superphosphate and 150-300 g of potassium salt for full-grown plants.

Nitrogen fertilizers cause a noticeable increase in growth and thereby enhance fruiting. Nitrogen is given in the spring (60% of the norm) simultaneously with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, the rest in June, before the mass laying of the seed of the main crop. General norm nitrogen - 300 g of ammonium nitrate per bush. V.F. Ostashchenko for two-three-year-old plants introduced into the wells 70 g of nitrogen, 100 g of phosphorus and 40 g of potassium.

Watering

For the successful cultivation of figs, timely irrigation of the soil is necessary. Watering, especially of young, only planted plants, is carried out every ten days, 5-10 liters per plant. In subsequent years, with the development of the root system, the number of irrigations is reduced, but the rates are increased, ensuring the soaking of the entire root system. You can carry out 6-10 waterings. Even a little drying of figs during the ripening of the crop leads to a decrease in the mass of the fruit. The gardener VF Ostaschenko in Krasnodar spent 15-25 irrigations with 40-50 liters of water at a time during the growing season.

The last watering is carried out after harvest, which makes it easier to cover the bushes and increases the resistance of the figs to low temperatures.

During the growing season, the soil is maintained in a loose and weed-free state. It is watered in household and summer cottages along circular furrows, which are covered with soil after each watering. In autumn, the soil is dug up in the middle of the row spacing by 25 cm, and closer to the plants - by 10-12 cm.

Insofar as root system figs are largely located in the topsoil. Its drying out has a negative effect on figs: the leaves turn yellow and fall off, the fruits do not pour. Therefore, in dry years, fig irrigation is mandatory and should be done at least 1-2 times a month. Since there is usually a sufficient amount of precipitation in the spring (in March-April), irrigation is carried out starting from the second half of May. Watering stops in the first decade of August, when the harvest begins to ripen on the shoots of the current year.

Shelter bushes for the winter

Shelter of figs (digging in with earth, covering with rags and film, sheltering in a trench) is done before or with the onset of the first autumn frosts. The best time for sheltering fig bushes in Krasnodar Territory- second half of October - early November. To enhance protection from frost and improve the safety of plants under an earthen shelter, the bushes are first covered with plant material. Use dry leaves garden plants... First, the bushes are pinned. With the help of a pole, the bushes are bent to the ground and squeezed from the sides, placing them in a previously dug furrow 30-40 cm deep. Leaves are poured on top with a layer of 4-5 cm, covered with foil and covered with earth with a layer of 15-20 cm.

Some gardeners (V.F. Ostashchenko, 1996) put roofing material on the ground, a waterproof film. In order to protect from the wind, they are pressed down with old boards, pipes, stones. This method of shelter in one of the harshest winters in Donbass, when the temperature on some days reached -33 ° C, made it possible to completely preserve the 3-year-old fig bush without any visible damage.

When sheltering young plants, the branches of which are bent, give the lower part of the trunks a bend to facilitate their shelter in subsequent years.

Fig bushes are freed from winter shelter after the frost stops - in April, at the same time as the grapes. When opening the bushes, the soil is removed carefully so as not to damage the plants. The branches are untied, the dry leaves are removed and burned, and the fruits are left. After freeing the bushes from the winter shelter, the soil surface is leveled.

Varieties

Fig varieties begin to bear fruit early, in the second or third year after planting. Earlier, according to O.P. Kulkov, Crimean 9, Chapla and others bear fruit, later - Dalmatian, White Adriatic and others. Full fruiting occurs in the sixth or seventh year.

• Versatile varieties (White Adriatic, Nikitsky aromatic, etc.) are suitable both for the preparation of dried fruits and for cooking jam, and for fresh consumption.
• The purely dried fruit direction includes early and medium ripening varieties and fruits of the second harvest - Dalmatsky, Krymsky 15, Sochinsky 4, Smirnsky 2, etc.
• For fresh use and canning, the varieties Kadota, Sochi 7, Violet, Apsheronsky, etc. are good.

All fig varieties have a long period of fruit ripening. Their ripening is more amicable in early spring and long hot autumn. Compound fruits at the base of the shoot are larger than in its upper part. Due to the need to shelter the bushes for the winter, the assortment of figs for Krasnodar is limited to varieties in which seed fruits develop without pollination.

White adriatic. A tree with a broadly spreading crown. Compound fruits weighing up to 60 g, light green outside, reddish flesh, contains about 15% sugars. Gives two harvests a year: the first in June, the second (main) in August-September. Ovary formation is possible without pollination, although pollination improves quality and yield. When ripe, the fruits do not crack, they are good for drying.

Absheron (Sary figs). Large trees with a wide crown and hanging branches. Medium-sized seedlings. Gives two harvests a year: the first in July - the fruits are flat, yellow on the outside, creamy pink on the inside; the second harvest in August - September - the infructescence is larger than during the first fruiting, but the ribs are less pronounced, but there are more ripening fruits, good both fresh and canned. The Absheron Peninsula of Azerbaijan is resistant to low temperatures.

Breeders from Sochi F.M. Zorin and Yu.S. Chernenko developed varieties that are distinguished by high yield and quality of seedlings.

Sochi 4. The tree is small, compact. Compound fruits weighing up to 50 g with light red flesh, sugary, fruits do not crack or sour. Fruits in Sochi ripen from late August to November. Suitable for cultivation in a covering culture.

Sochi 7... The tree is vigorous, spreading. Compound fruits are large, weighing 65 g, yellow-green outside and dark red inside. The yield is high, more than 100 kg from a 12-15-year-old tree. The fruits ripen at the end of August, their skin is tender, cracking on ripe fruits.

Sochi 15. Strong trees with very large (75 g) fruits, yellow on the outside and pink on the inside, sweet, ripening in Sochi from September to November, fruitful.

Smirnsky 2 (Sarah forehead)... The tree is vigorous and requires pollination. Compound fruits weighing about 40 g, greenish-cream, with pink flesh, crack, ripen in September - November. Gives one crop, which rots in rainy weather.

Borzhezot purple. The tree is medium-sized, with a dense crown. Gives one harvest per year in August - September. Fruiting without pollination, seedlings weighing about 35 g, spherical, purple, contain up to 23% sugars. Dried fruits are of good quality, but darken. Suitable for canning and fresh consumption.

Buzoy-burnu. The tree is vigorous, with a compact crown. Gives two harvests a year. The fruit of the first harvest is large, reddish-green with white dots, and the second is smaller (50 g), purple-brown, with dark red pulp. Sugar (20%). The variety is more resistant to low temperatures than others; it is grown in cold regions of Azerbaijan. The fruits are dried and used fresh.

Brunswick (Chapla). A tree with a spreading and dense crown, medium size. Compound fruits are irregular, ovoid, weighing up to 60 g, greenish-yellow, almost purple at full maturity. The pulp is pink, brown when ripe, sugar contains about 20%. Bears fruit without pollination, gives two crops a year. Used fresh, for canning and drying. Grown in Transcaucasia, Central Asia and Crimea.

Crimean 9. Bears fruit without pollination. Compound fruits weighing about 30 g, ribbed, pear-shaped, light yellow, carmine inside, sugary. Good for drying. Can be grown in a prikopochny culture. Crimean 29 (forehead figs). It has small fruits and bears fruit without pollination. Fruits are light yellow with spots that are clearly visible after drying. The pulp is red, sweet.

Kadota (Maroquete). The tree is vigorous, spreading and dense. Compound fruits of the first harvest are formed without pollination, weighing about 50 g, green, with pink flesh, few seeded. Second-crop seedlings, obtained by pollination, weighing about 100 g, are greenish-yellow, with golden-yellow or light pink flesh. The variety is used as a dried fruit variety, for canning and fresh.

For trench cultivation or with a trench, it is advisable, as mentioned above, to use parthenocarpic varieties of figs: Dalmatian, Kadota, White Adriatic, Violet Sukhumi, Sary Absheron,
Kusarchaisky, Sochi No. 7, Gift of October. For breeding in Crimea N. K. Arendt and A. A. Rzhevkin recommend varieties
Date, Nikitsky fragrant (915), Crimean black, Chapla, Syulsky. The latter is distinguished by the fact that it gives a large first harvest, and is interesting for attempts to promote it to the northern regions of Ukraine.

Pest and disease control

The greatest damage is caused by fig moth caterpillars, spider mites, aphids, mealybugs. The spider mite settles in summer period on the underside of leaves, causing discoloration, browning and dropping.

Worms settle on branches, leaves, fruits in the form of white flocculent colonies. Fungi settle on the sweet secretions of worms, causing blackening of leaves and shoots.

Bacteriosis was noted among the diseases on figs. They lead to yellowing and spotting of leaves, shedding of fruits and drying of shoots.

In the spring and summer, figs are affected by worms, moths, and ticks.

Harvest and processing

Figs have no special fruit branches. Figs have an extended period of fruit ripening, which reaches 30-60 days. This is due to the fact that the maturation of seedlings comes from the bottom of the growing shoot. One shoot may contain overripe, ripe and unripe seedlings, as well as inflorescences and fruit buds (A.N. Nizharadze, 1971).

The size of the yield depends on the variety and age. Full fruiting occurs at 9-12 years. The fig bush in the covering culture forms three zones of growth and fruiting. The shoots of the upper and lower zones of the bush have insignificant fruiting, and the main fruiting of the bush is concentrated in the middle part (O.P. Kulkov).

The harvest of seedlings is carried out 10-12 times per season in dry weather. Fruits already 2-3 days after optimal maturity (size and typical color, taste) overripe, droop and lose their economic value.

The yield of figs of the Sochinsky 4 variety from one bush in the Krasnodar region in the third year after planting seedlings on summer cottage VF Ostashchenko (1996) reached 60.2 kg, and then more.

Place the fruits in a flat container, layering each layer with leaves. Within 2-3 days of storage at room temperature they rot. Therefore, the fruits are canned or dried. For canning, there are fruits with a dense skin and medium size. Strictly speaking, the fruits are not the seedlings themselves, but those small seeds that are inside.

Fig compote (after T.Yu. Lyubchenkova, 1997)... For 1 liter of water - 300-400 g of sugar, 3-4 g citric acid... The prepared fruits are blanched at 70 degrees for 4 minutes, cooled in cold water, placed in liter jars and poured with hot syrup. Pasteurized at 85 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Fig jam (according to T.Yu. Lyubchenkova). For 1 kg of fruit - 800 g of sugar and 2 glasses of water. Figs are cleaned of stalks, washed and blanched at 85 degrees for 4-5 minutes, immediately cooled in water and boiled in two or three doses for several minutes at intervals of 8-10 hours. Before the end of cooking, add another 200 g of sugar and 3 g of citric acid.

Second way. For 1 kg of fruit - 1 kg of sugar, 1.5 - 2 glasses of water. Ripe and clean fruits are pierced with a wooden torch. In a jam bowl, a syrup is prepared from sugar and water. Then figs are dipped in syrup and boiled 2.5-3; hours until ready.

According to L.V. Ivanova (1995), for jam 60 - 70 pcs. figs are boiled, changing the water 4-5 times in 30 minutes, until the water turns yellow. Then they take out and transfer the fruit to cold water in which crystals dissolve copper sulfate(for 1.5 liters of water - a crystal the size of a pea). The figs are here for 10-15 minutes, they need to be stirred frequently. Take out and rinse, changing the water 10 times. Strain out the water, and prick the fruit with a needle. The figs are placed in the cooled syrup. Boil and leave to cool, and so on three times. Before the end of cooking, add the juice of one lemon and vanillin for flavor.

Compound fruits are dried in dryers of various designs and in the sun. For sun drying, the stem is removed from the stem and placed in one layer with the eye up. To improve the color and against pests, they are fumigated in a sealed chamber with sulfur at the rate of 1.5-2 g of sulfur per 1 kg of fruit. After fumigation, the fruit is laid out in a sunny place and dried for 5-10 days, turning them 2-3 times. Dried until the pulp acquires a marmalade-like thick consistency, then put the fruits in small boxes and placed in a ventilated room for sweating and acquiring moisture content in the range of 20-25%. The output of dried products is 22-33%. Dried seed fruits are flattened by hand, sorted by size, pressed and packed in cellophane. Dried fruits are valuable not only for sugars, but also contain from 3 to 6% protein. They contain potassium and iron. And in terms of calcium content, figs are second only to nuts.

Growing figs in the room

At room culture, it is most reliable and affordable to propagate figs by cuttings. Planting cuttings can be carried out in ordinary flower pots, boxes. Sizes of cuttings: length 10-15 cm with 3-4 buds. They are planted to a depth of 3 cm, covered with foil or glass on top.

When the leaves unfold on the cuttings, the coating (glass, film) is removed. Optimum temperature(20-24 ° C) and sufficient humidity lead to rooting in 20-25 days. Cuttings are carried out in the spring, when there is still no growth, or from June to August. After 2-3 months, the rooted plants are transplanted into flower pots with a diameter of 20-25 cm. Plants are fed 15 days after transplanting with mineral mixtures, and then twice a month. The composition of the mixture: ammonium nitrate 3 g, potassium salt 3 g per 1 liter of water; superphosphate 5 g per 1 liter is introduced together with slurry (100 ml per 1 liter of water).
Fertilizer solutions are applied only to wet soil, gradually, in several steps, at intervals of 10 minutes. In summer, the leaves are sprayed with water and the pots are shaded.

After the appearance of the seventh leaf, the figs are pinched. From the side shoots, three or four are left. The left shoots are pinched over the fourth or fifth leaf.

The first fruiting can be in the second year. At the beginning of summer, plants are sprayed with a 0.05 percent solution of potassium permanganate and 0.05 percent copper sulfate.

Due to the fact that in winter the leaves fall off, the plant is transferred to a room with a temperature of 3-5 ° C. This takes place in November. And in January it can be placed in a room with a normal temperature, and it starts to grow. Compound fruits appear in February and ripen in June-July. In the fall, new seedlings are tied, which will ripen only the next year. The plant is again transferred to a room with a lower temperature. With the beginning of growth, the plant is gradually accustomed to the conditions of open ground, and in May it is taken out into the yard or onto the balcony, where it can be all summer.

In rooms, figs are harmed by mealybugs and a soft false shield. It is best to remove them with a soft brush. Of the diseases, brown leaf spot is found. When red-brown spots appear, at least a month (no later) before the fruits ripen, the leaves are sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid.

Representatives of the Ficus clan have long won the love of the owners of indoor gardens. But growing figs at home is still unfamiliar to most flower growers. But there are many varieties of culture bred specifically for this. They are distinguished by their short stature, the ability to self-pollinate and abundant fruiting. Some of them ripen twice a year. At the same time, taking care of them is not difficult at all.

People's love for figs is reflected in its many names. In different places it is known under the name of a fig tree (fig), a fig tree (fig), a wine berry. In Russia, this thermophilic exotic culture has been grown indoors for more than 4 centuries, so the secrets of its successful cultivation have long been revealed.

Features of seed reproduction

For propagation of figs, you can use:

• seeds;
• root suckers;
• cuttings.

The generative method is rarely used when breeding a fig tree. It is faster and easier to propagate it by cuttings. But if there is no other way out, you will have to sow the seeds. They are distinguished by good germination, without losing it even after 2 years of storage.

Sowing is carried out in a mixture of humus and sand, taken in equal volumes. 1.5-2 cm are left between the seeds in the planting container. They are covered with a 2-3 cm layer of soil. After abundantly moistening the soil after sowing, a plastic wrap or glass is placed on the container. The nutrient medium must remain moist at all times.

For seed germination, a temperature of 25-27˚C is required. If all conditions are met, the sprouts will appear from the soil for 15-21 days. When they are 1 month old, the seedlings will need to be planted in separate pots. They should not be too wide, 9-10 cm in diameter is enough. Figs grown from seeds usually enter the fruiting period at 4-5 years of age, but they can yield earlier.

Planting cuttings

The best time to cut adult figs into cuttings is early spring when the leaves on the plant have not yet blossomed. But summer landing is also practiced. The length of the cut shoots should be no more than 15 cm, and the optimal number of buds on them is 3-4. Lignified and green cuttings root equally well. From below, the cut is made oblique, stepping back 1-1.5 cm from the extreme kidney. From above, it should be flat. The correct distance from the bud to the top of the cutting is 1 cm.

In order for the cut branch to take root faster, its lower part is slightly scratched with a sharp knife, leaving longitudinal marks.

Fresh cuttings are kept for 5-6 hours in a cool and dry room. During this time, the milky juice that is released from the wounds should dry out. Having prepared a solution of an organic growth stimulant, cuttings are placed in it. After 10-12 hours, they can be planted in a pot.

Fig roots are afraid of excessive moisture, so the bottom of the container is covered with a drainage layer, the thickness of which is 1 cm. Next, the pot is filled with a nutritious substrate. It is pre-steamed to disinfect it.

If the soil mixture for figs is prepared independently, the following components are taken for it in a ratio of 2: 1: 1:

• leaf humus;
• turf;
• sand.

The soil layer should be 6 cm. From above it is covered with 3-4 cm of calcined and purified river sand. Having abundantly moistened the substrate, shallow (3 cm) planting pits are made, leaving 8 cm of free space between them. After dipping the cutting into wood ash, place it in the hole. The sand near the future trunk of the figs is compacted by pressing well with your fingers. The planted cuttings and the surface of the substrate are sprayed with water from a spray bottle. If individual pots were used, put the cut off on top plastic bottle or a glass jar. When landing in boxes, they make a kind of greenhouse, constructing a wire frame and covering it with film.

Rooting conditions for cuttings

In order for the cuttings to take root faster, they need moderate soil moisture and warmth. The state of the sand is closely monitored, not allowing it to dry out. The air in the room should be warmed up to 22-25˚C. It takes 4 to 5 weeks for the cuttings to take root. Then they are given a month to get stronger, after which it will be possible to plant young figs from the box into individual containers of small (10-12 cm) diameter.

A tree grown from a cutting will bear its first fruits already at 2 years of age. Its roots can form new shoots. They are carefully separated and placed in a separate pot, putting a plastic bag on it after planting. They take root faster - in 3-4 weeks. When this happens, you cannot immediately open the plant. So that young figs do not have stress, they are gradually accustomed to indoor conditions. The film is opened briefly every day, increasing the time interval more and more.

If there is no earth and sand yet, and the cuttings are already cut, you can put them in the water. This method of rooting is usually resorted to in winter or early spring. The cuttings are placed in water so that under it there is 3 cm of their length. The fluids do not allow stagnation, changing it every 2-3 days in order to prevent decay of the planting material. After 3-4 weeks, powerful roots are formed on the cuttings. Then they are placed in separate containers, covered with a plastic bag on top.

Secrets of the correct transplant

Figs need a lot of space to develop. But there is one subtlety. If the tree is not yet bearing fruit, a large pot will not work. In it, the figs will begin to grow intensively upward and in breadth, which will complicate caring for it. Since all the strength of the tree will go to development, it will bring the harvest much later than when planting in a small pot. When ovaries are formed on the branches of the fig tree, its growth will practically stop.

At home, figs need to be transplanted regularly. It should be carried out while the growing season has not yet begun. If the tree is young, the pot is changed every year. When it reaches the age of 4-5 years, the need for a transplant is determined by the degree of development of the root system. If the figs are quite mature, it is more convenient to cultivate them in a large wooden box.

A young tree is transplanted into a container that is 1 liter larger than the previous one. When it reaches 5 years of age, the volume of the pot should already be 5-7 liters. After that, for transplanting, each time they take a container 2-2.5 liters larger than the old one. The procedure is carried out by the transshipment method. You can lightly shake off the old soil from the roots of the figs, replacing it with fresh, but this must be done carefully so as not to damage the roots.

The transplant substrate is prepared by mixing the following components in a 2: 2: 1: 1 ratio:

• leaf humus;
• sod land;
• peat;
• river sand.

The optimum soil pH for figs is between 5 and 7.

Temperature and watering

It is best to keep the fig tree pot in a well-lit area during the growing season. This is especially important if the figs have already begun to bear fruit. If the sun's rays are not enough for him, the fruits on his branches will not ripen. Until the moment of harvest, the temperature is comfortable for the tree in the range of 22-25˚C. In winter, when the figs enter the dormant period, it is reduced to 10˚C. It is best to place the plant pot in a cellar or basement. If this is not possible, it is moved closer to the window glass, fenced off from room heat with a plastic film.

During the growing season, watering the plant needs frequent and abundant. It reacts to a lack of moisture with a loss of decorative effect. The leaves on the figs begin to curl and may partially fall off. If the soil in the pot is very dry, they will fly around completely. But you shouldn't rush to get rid of such figs. Its former beauty can be restored if the plant is watered abundantly later.

At the end of October, the volume of the applied liquid and the amount of moisture are reduced. Until the middle of winter, figs are watered twice a month, using only cool (no warmer than 16-18˚C) water. Otherwise, the buds on the tree will wake up ahead of time. In the cellar or in the basement in the last days of February, the dormant period for the tree will change the phase of active growth, when it again needs a lot of water. Indoors, the fig tree will wake up earlier - in late December or early January.

Figs respond well to spraying the leaves with warm water. You can even water its crown from the shower, having previously reliably covered the surface of the soil with a film.

If the fig did not shed its leaves in the fall, you need to help him with this. Since the tree belongs to deciduous crops, its development will not be complete without a short rest. It is not difficult to artificially induce a dormant period. It is enough to significantly reduce watering and allow the soil to dry out, and the leaves on the tree will turn yellow and fly around.

Top dressing and tree shaping

Homemade figs are fed when they bloom and form fruit. Organic and mineral compositions are suitable for it. The fig tree responds well to such fertilizers:

• infused slurry;
• wood ash;
• weed fertilizer.

They are brought in with a break of 2 weeks. It is worth nourishing the tree at the beginning of the growing season. When his buds begin to wake up, the figs are watered with infused manure. After 2 weeks, apply a liquid mineral fertilizer containing a lot of phosphorus and nitrogen.

Fig leaf color will be brighter and more intense when fertilized iron vitriol... Stir 2 g of the preparation in 1 liter of water and water the plant with the resulting composition. You can do and foliar feeding by simply sprinkling it on a fig crown. They do this twice a year - in spring and summer.

Formative pruning may be required to keep adult figs looking well-groomed and beautiful. But it is important not to overdo it with it, because the fruits of the tree are tied on young branches. If the fig stretches upward without forming side shoots, you will need to pinch the top of it. This procedure stimulates their development. When the side shoots grow back, they are subjected to the same fate. And if they are too long, they are also cut off.

Figs will be a real find for those who would like to decorate their indoor garden with an exotic plant, but doubt whether they can provide it with proper care. It is quite unpretentious, easily adapts to dry indoor air, does not require much attention. The wide leaves of the tree have a beautiful shape, and its fluffy, spreading crown is compact in size, so there is a corner for figs even in apartments with a small area. In warm weather, he can live on a balcony or loggia, refreshing the boring cityscape with bright greenery. It will be possible to take the tree pot out into the garden.

Another advantage of figs is their high yield. At proper care it will be possible to feast on its healthy fruits, ripened right on the windowsill, twice a year. Think about the benefits of planting this tree and the urge to grow it at home will become overwhelming!

Delicious, sweet, healthy fig, otherwise fig or fig tree, loves warmth and light. But at the same time it can withstand frost -20. This ability makes it possible to grow it not only in the southern regions, but also in the northern ones. In the subtropics, it, of course, gives up to three harvests a year, but in our climatic conditions one, nevertheless, this is a huge achievement. Planting figs is a very painstaking task that requires certain knowledge and characteristics. Subject to all the rules, the tree begins to bear fruit not in one year, but 2-3 after planting.

It is interesting to know that figs bloom unusually, although they give delicious fruits. Now the demand for figs is increasing more and more, figs have a lot of useful qualities and they contain important trace elements necessary for the human body.

For our countries and in the Moscow region, it is best to grow this plant in the form of a bush, since it must be covered for the period of winter frosts.

The advantage and feature of seedlings is that they can be planted in almost any soil.

The peculiarity of figs is that they can be eaten both after harvest and in dried form; they have easy storage. Its beneficial properties are preserved, but the taste does not change at all.

Video "Growing"

From the video you will learn how to grow a fig tree.

Where to plant

When choosing a planting site, it is necessary to consider where the figs grow in their origin. This warm-loving fruit prefers a lot of sun and light.

Thus, important factor for a successful planting, this is a condition that the total temperature indicator during the growing season should be 400 degrees. This is the most important rule for a good and consistent harvest.

The most optimal place for planting is the southern side of the site, so that there are no tall plants, heaps and buildings. On the other three sides, small shrubs or structures that protect from the winds are allowed. The planting side should always be open and sunny.

When to plant

It is important to understand not only how to plant figs, but also what time of year.

Planting times of figs vary by breed and region. In some areas, it is recommended to start planting cuttings in the fall, using seedlings left for the summer. This happens in late October or early November, most importantly, before the first frosts come.

And in other areas in spring, especially late (at the time of the onset of heat so that the seedling can gain strength for further growth). After planting, it is necessary to water very well for the constant presence of moisture.

Which variety to choose?

Knowing how figs grow, one can draw conclusions which of the varieties will take root in non-tropical conditions and which will not.

An important indicator is the winter hardiness of the plant. For our climate, special varieties were bred that are able to withstand the cold winter, frost and successfully wait until their favorite time comes - summer.

In addition, preference should be given to self-pollinated species, even in the subtropics there is only one species of wasps capable of pollination, and in our latitudes it does not live at all.

Based on such conditions and knowing the features of how to grow figs, the following varieties are suitable for a successful, fertile planting:

• "Abkhazian violet";
• "Crimean Black";
• "Pomorie";
• "Gray early";
• "Dalmatian";
• "Turkish brown".

The basic rules for planting figs are:

Which seedlings are suitable for planting?

Figs can be propagated by cuttings, seeds, ripe fruits or root growth. In any case, observing the rules, the crop should be at least once a year.

The most common option is to use cuttings. They grow well, take root and provide good fruiting.

You can, of course, plant seeds in tubs, like an ordinary apple tree, but in order not to experiment, it is better to choose cuttings.

When the foliage falls and the fig tree becomes "naked", cuttings are started. This falls at the end of November. A single stalk should be 15 cm long and have a pair of internodes.

It is advisable to break off the branches, and in cases of using a secateurs, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse it after each cutting. This is done so that there is no milky juice.

A stalk planted in the ground is covered with a jar at room temperature. It is removed when the buds begin to appear and grow.

If the cuttings are left for the summer period, they root better and the already strengthened seedlings are planted in the fall. In this case, the future bush bears fruit very actively.

Some summer residents say that grafting winter figs on mulberries is possible. In this case, the stalk can release one or two buds, they can appear quite quickly, but it does not always turn into a good seedling. Therefore, the procedure is done infrequently, because his vaccination does not always end with a successful result.

How to prepare the ground for planting?

Fig, as a heat-loving plant, loves a sunny, bright place, but the very composition of the soil is not very demanding. The only thing to consider is that it does not need to be planted in swampy and saline soils.

Drainage is necessary in the presence of soil containing clay and sand. It is made at the bottom of fine gravel and sand. If sandy stones, then such drainage is not needed.

For the substrate of the planting pits, surface soil is needed, which is mixed with humus from leaves or meadow plants, plus manure and a composter.

Pit planting technology

The technology of planting in holes is widespread in the southern warm regions. A hole is dug 80x80 cm in size, into which the seedling is placed. After that, it is sprinkled with earth. And the landing site itself is compacted. After transplanting, the future fruit is ready for watering.

So that the root system does not grow much and does not bring destructive harm, the pit itself is covered with bricks.

In order to make drainage, chipped brick is poured onto the bottom with a layer of at least 20 to 30 cm.

In the climatic conditions of middle latitudes, the planting process is dominated by the trench. It requires compliance with a number of rules.

Trench landing method

The first step is to properly organize the planting trench. The dimensions of the trench should be from 70 cm to 1 meter. Dig it in such a way that a small southern slope is formed, and the most suitable depth is 120-150 cm. When digging, it is important not to mix the upper and lower fertile layer with each other.

Prepared potting soil from soil, foliage, compost is poured in the form of a slide over the drainage located at the bottom of the ditch. Because of this, the depth is reduced by 1/3 part. The seedling itself is set on a mound and the roots are carefully straightened. The trench is filled up, and the root collar, if necessary, can be deepened into the ground.

On the south side, the near-barrel part is covered with a film. They also protect it with boards so that the young tree is not "attacked" by the weeds.

This way of landing fruit tree, allows you to make a shelter for a successful winter.

Care

Caring for your figs is an important part of getting good yields. For this, it is necessary to take the necessary measures to form the crown and subcortex.

The crown itself is formed from 3-4 branches, the height of the trunk is reached about 60 cm. During the season, the shoots are cut off. In order for more lateral branches to appear, the ends of the conductors and shoots are slightly trimmed over the course of 2-4 years. Be sure to pinch the shoots at a distance of 50-70 cm. This procedure is carried out at the end of spring.

Watering is an important part of how to care for your figs. Speaking of this, it should be noted that they do it 8-11 times a season. The required amount for one plant is 1-2 standard buckets. At drip irrigation the most important thing is to maintain soil moisture.

In the spring, it is best to feed the figs with mineral fertilizers. The procedure is carried out by surface loosening.

To protect and improve the properties of the soil, it uses a method of covering the surface with manure. When the root system is limited, liquid fertilizing is used, after the appearance of the ovaries.

In spring and autumn, fig bushes are covered with a polycarbonate greenhouse. You can, of course, use another material, but polycarbonate perfectly holds moisture, temperature and has a high level of strength.

Even if figs are grown in a greenhouse, they are opened in sunny and warm weather. Preparing for winter period starts from the moment when the outside temperature is set at + 2 + 5 ° С.

For this, the autumn shelter is removed, and those branches that protrude from the installed wall are bent to the ground. Boards are laid on the trenches and tightly covered with foil. The resulting structure is covered with earth with a layer of 10-20 centimeters.

There are also some diseases of figs, even with good care. In cold areas, the most common are aphid infestation, moth (a butterfly that causes fruit and leaves to rot) and fusarium.

In good conditions, correct fit and appropriate care, figs ripen and pleases their "owner". In order for the benefits of the fruit to last as long as possible, you need to understand how to store figs. They are difficult to keep fresh, they are very tender and subject to fermentation. One option is quick freezing. So the fruit does not lose its useful qualities. Can also be dried, taste and essential trace elements perfectly keep for a long time.

This bush will not bloom in the garden, but with proper care it gives wonderful, tasty and healthy fruits.

Growing from Seed Video

From the video you will learn how to grow good harvest figs from seeds.

As it turns out, figs began to be grown at home in the 16th century. Its fruits, in taste and content of substances useful for the body, are not inferior to garden or wild figs. The tree is compact, unpretentious, grows well even on the windowsill, bears fruit twice a year.

There are two ways to grow a homemade fig tree:

• by grafting or planting root shoots;
• from seeds.

To grow a fig tree, ordinary soil, mixed with a small amount of river sand and leafy humus, can be used, to which a little lime or ash should be added. It is not bad if you add a little mixture of finely ground eggshell and peat.

Growing homemade figs from cuttings

The easiest way is to plant cuttings, which are cut from the fruiting figs. They will be more hardy if perfectly ripe branches are cut from the bottom of the tree. Cuttings root better if cut in January or February before the plants shed their leaves and start growing young shoots. The length of blanks for cuttings is about 10-15 cm, each of them should have 3-4 buds.

Cutting is done with a sharp knife. The upper cuts of the cuttings remain straight, but the lower ones are made oblique and several longitudinal small cuts are applied to them - in this case, the roots are better formed. Sections are dried in the open air in cool conditions until the milky juice hardens (6-7 hours).

Fig seedlings adapt faster if they are first placed in a heteroauxin solution for 10-12 hours. There are three ways to carry out the rooting process of cuttings:

1. By placing them in a vessel of water.
2. By planting in a box or vessel with wet sand.
3. By planting the cutting in a small pot specially prepared for this. Drainage (expanded clay) should be poured at the bottom of the container, steamed soil should be laid on it, and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of steamed sand. Before planting, the cutting should be washed with water, placed in a prepared shallow hole and slightly crushed around the ground.

In all three cases, the seedlings are covered with suitable glass vessels on top and they try to ensure a constant temperature in the room, where it should be light and warm. In the second and third methods, the sand or soil must be systematically watered with slightly warmed (but not hot!) Water. The glass covers should be removed periodically to ventilate the plants.

After about a month, cuttings that have taken root by this time can be transplanted into pots with prepared soil. At the bottom of them, there should also be drainage from a porous material, and the surface of the soil should be sprinkled with steamed sand. Cuttings rooted in the third way are transferred along with a lump of earth to their permanent place and watered with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate).

Since it is not always possible to find a tree from which you can cut cuttings, you should purchase ready-made cuttings or seedlings. Sometimes the seedlings are grown and then cut into several cuttings. With cuttings propagation, the first fruits can sometimes be obtained within a year after planting the seedling.

Reproduction of figs by planting seeds

To obtain fig seeds, healthy and large fruits are chosen. The seeds removed from them are carefully washed with water, and then dried within 24 hours. Seeds are planted in prepared soil in early spring.

Seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm and not very abundant watering is carried out. The container with the planted seeds is covered with glass or polyethylene. After the first shoots appear, the coating is removed for several hours a day so that the plants can breathe. When the seedlings are old enough, they need to be transplanted into containers of suitable sizes. The first fruits with this method of reproduction usually appear 4-5 years after planting.

Features of caring for indoor figs

It is very important to spray the trunks and leaves of fig trees with lukewarm water all year round and water it abundantly. If the soil is allowed to dry out, the tree can shed its foliage. In addition, spraying helps prevent spider mites. The intensity of watering should be reduced during fruiting - the fruits may become watery.

Like any subtropical plant, home grown figs have a dormant period. In this plant, it lasts from November to January. Therefore, for this time, it should be placed in a cool (with a temperature not higher than +15 and not lower than 0 ° C) and shaded place. The number of irrigations is also reduced, and the water for them must be cool. Trees shed their leaves during this period.

When the buds begin to wake up, the plant needs to be taken out into the light, it should be regularly watered, fertilized with nitrogen fertilizers. Nitrogen is needed for intensive fruiting. And during periods when the buds swell, tree care includes alternating feeding from phosphorus fertilizers and manure solution.

Up to 7 years old, an indoor fig tree, which has a rapidly growing root system, should be transplanted into a larger pot every spring before blooming. After that, the transplant is carried out every three years. Bottom drainage is still needed. After transplanting, the tree must be exposed to light.

It is very important to form the crown correctly, especially since the tree can become too large without pruning. Its formation begins by pinching the apical buds. Pruning is best done before the buds swell so that the upper shoots are directed to the sides, and not inside the crown. Shoots growing inward are removed. Mainly the upper branches are shortened, due to which the lateral and lower branches become stronger. So you can grow a tree with a beautiful crown.

Figs at home during the year can give 1 or 2 crops. With two harvests, the first ripens in July and the next in September. Ripening lasts about a month. The ripe fruit becomes soft and begins to secrete sweet juice from the eyes. One well-groomed tree can produce more than one kilogram of tasty and healthy fruits per season.

It remains to add that due to the unusual dissected leaves, figs can also become a spectacular decoration of the home.