Fig tree (fig) tree or fig tree: how to grow at home?

Figs - the favorite delicacy of many sweet teeth. For us, this is an exotic fruit, so most often it is not available in fresh, but dried or other processed form. But there are varieties of figs that grow and bear fruit even in an apartment, and can please fans of both sweets and home flora.

Description

Figs, or figs, fig tree, fig tree - subtropical deciduous tree with a wide spreading crown and large lobed leaves. In nature, it grows to 10 m and lives up to 300 years. There are male and female trees: male inflorescences are called kaprifigi, female trees are figs. In appearance, the inflorescences are similar, but only figs (female) turn into fruits. Pollination is carried out only by small wasp-blastophagous. For them are intended holes in the hollow inflorescences. The trees in turn help the wasps multiply. The fruit of the fig is pear-shaped, sweet and juicy, with many seeds inside.It is believed that the more seeds inside (more than 900), the better and more tender the fruit. This fruit is dried, canned, jam is prepared from it, and even wine is made (figs are called grapes).

Due to the rich chemical stock, figs have many health benefits. They are part of some drugs. They are used in the treatment of many diseases, even cancer at an early stage. Seeds, leaves and sap of a tree are also therapeutic. Figs are very high-calorie, especially dried, and well satisfy hunger. They replace chocolate and candy. No wonder the famous Cleopatra loved figs more than other sweets.

In the wild, the fig tree grows in warm countries with a humid climate: in the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, India, Iran, Afghanistan, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, on the Black Sea coast of Crimea and the Caucasus. Cold-resistant varieties that can grow in colder climates are already developed.

Outdoor ground or home conditions?

To decide where to plant the fig tree, in the open ground on the street or in the pot in the apartment, you need to take into account the peculiarities of its climatic zone and how the figs grow. Although it is a thermophilic plant, some species withstand severe frosts. The tree may freeze, but in the spring it will depart and give fruit. Under natural conditions, the fig tree bears fruit almost all year round: in spring, summer and autumn. The north of the region, the shorter the warm season, because of what the fruits do not have time to ripen. In cold areas it is best to grow a fig, if not in an apartment, then in a greenhouse, on a glazed terrace or loggia (it's warmer there than outside). If a tree does not grow in open ground, but in a pot, it can be taken out into the street for the summer, and put into the room for the winter. In warm regions, the fig grows safely in open ground and does not need special conditions.

Varieties for home cultivation

Indoor figs outwardly resemble their relatives - ficus, a lush and low plant with a height of 2-3 m.Unlike wild varieties, indoor figs do not need the services of blastophagous, as they are self-pollinated and give tasty fruits even in an apartment. Figs - unpretentious plant, so its cultivation in the home does not require much effort. It loves warmth, but it also keeps cool. In an apartment in summer, it is best to place the pot by the window on the east side, and in winter - on the south side. Indoor varieties of figs wide variety.

Sochi 7 and Sochi 8

As the name implies, these two varieties of figs are bred in the city of Sochi and have similar characteristics. Without artificial pollination, they bear fruit once a year and give juicy sweet fruits weighing 60 g. Recommended for cultivation in an apartment.

Dalmatika

This wonderful variety brings the crop twice a year, in summer and autumn, with nothing without caprice. Fruits are green with red flesh, large, up to 130 g, with the first harvest they are larger than with the second.

White adriatic

This sort of fig tree at the beginning and at the end of summer brings very sweet fruits of yellow-green color., Small in size, weighing 60 g. It dispenses with artificial pollination.

Seyanetsogloblinsky

The variety is named after the scientist who bred it from other domestic varieties of figs.It is distinguished by the fact that the fruits appear on it in the autumn, the growth in winter stops and the fruits winter on the tree with small green berries, and in spring they grow again, and in summer the harvest is ready.

Cultivation and care

Growing a fig tree in an apartment is as easy as ficus. Minor efforts to care for him will certainly be rewarded with a bountiful harvest. First you need to learn how to properly grow figs, so that at home it will take root well and bring tasty fruits twice a year.

Landing

There are certain rules for how to plant figs. Planting should be carried out in the spring, until it began active growth. A glass for seedlings or a small flower pot (not more than half a liter) should be filled with sand and peat (1: 1) substrate with the addition of sphagnum. And you can add coarse sand, a bit of ash and peat to the leafy ground and mix. The starting material for planting figs can be seeds, cuttings and root shoots. In one dish, you can sow a few seeds, then to choose the strongest of them. It is enough to sprinkle the seed with moist soil, not compacting, then cover with glass and leave to warm.After 2-3 weeks, sprouting will sprout. And after waiting another 5 weeks, the seedlings can already be transplanted. The figs planted in this way will give the first fruits only after five years, so growing the tree at home from seed is used only in the absence of cuttings.

If a sprout starts from the root, it can also become a new tree. To do this, you need to bend to the ground, sprinkle with soil and fix it. The roots will appear in 3-4 weeks, and the seedling is ready for planting in the pot. The most common planting material are cuttings. Trees planted in this way bear fruit for the second year. To do this, follow some guidelines on how best to grow figs from cuttings. It should be at least 3-4 buds. From the bottom, it is necessary to make an oblique cut 2 cm below the last kidney, from above - a straight cut 1 cm above the first. To speed up the appearance of the roots, the leaves can be cut and a few scratches on the bottom of the cutting, which will be covered with earth. It is advisable to moisten an oblique cut in Kornevine, a root formation stimulator, and immerse the cutting in a moist soil on the second lower kidney. Land should be sealed and cover the glass with a plastic bottle or a transparent bag. The roots will appear in about 3 weeks.

The soil

At the bottom of the pot should definitely lay a layer of drainage, and fill the top with soil. You can use the purchased land and mix it with ash and sand. And you can take the usual soil from the garden, generously add compost, sand and perlite to improve water permeability.

Breeding

Reproduction of figs is carried out in the same way as planting: cuttings and root growths. Root basal processes can be at any time. But to grow a new fig from seeds is impossible if they are taken from a nursery seedling. Female plants are grown there. If there was no male tree, then pollination did not occur, and the seeds are barren. Nothing will grow from them.

Also cuttings reproduce such trees as: plum, thuja, blue spruce, hawthorn,

Peculiarities of care

To determine how to care for figs at home, you need to remember that the tree loves heat, light and moisture. Solar illumination and warm climate (air temperature within 22-25 ° C) are necessary for proper flowering and timely ripening of fruits.Homemade fig tree fruits in June and October. After that, the plant sheds its leaves and "rests" in the winter at a temperature not higher than 10 ° C.

Watering

Indoor figs - fruit plant. In order not to lose this ability, he needs abundant and regular watering. Adult plants can endure a long break in watering, and for young trees it is destructive. In winter, during the rest period, on the contrary, it is necessary to water less. The main thing is to make sure that the soil in the pot does not dry out. If at this time on the tree the leaves are still green, you need to dry the soil so that the leaves turn yellow and fall off. In late February, growth begins again, and frequent watering should be resumed.

Top dressing

During the period of flowering and fruit formation, the fig needs fertilizing with organic and mineral fertilizers. Until the end of fruiting, it is advisable to feed it several times with potash fertilizers (for fruit trees, tomatoes, and flowering shrubs). Sheet feeding is also suitable.

Pruning

Of great importance pruning is not only for aesthetic appearance, but also for the normal development of the tree and fruiting. It is necessary to remove all damaged, intertwining and inwardly growing branches, as well as long new shoots.This is done in early spring. And in the fall, before the beginning of winter dormancy, all unripe fruits are pruned. Proper pruning is good for the tree.

Diseases and pests

Figs, being at home warm, are exposed to pests and diseases:

The spider mite actively propagates in a warm, dry room when heating is in operation. During this period it is necessary to spray the tree with cold water every day for the purpose of prevention. If it is already affected, then the sore spot should be washed with a strong stream of cold water, and then treat the trunk and branches with an insecticide.

Coral spotting - fungal disease, appears in the form of red dots on the stem. Sore spots should be cut and the whole tree treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or Bordeaux mixture.

If an indoor fig is provided with the right care at home, then it looks beautiful, has abundant fruit, and is less likely to get sick.