Is it possible to grow figs in central Russia?

Figs are a resident of the subtropics. But when sheltered for the winter, it can be grown in central Russia.
So, at least, our author claims.

The fig tree has been growing in my garden for 15 years. I take away a sunny place under the figs, I dig a trench 30 cm deep and 60-70 cm wide. This makes it easier to cover the plant for the winter. I throw the earth on the edges, then I dig holes for planting 40x40x40 cm in the trench.To provide the seedlings with good nutrition for the first time, I mix the earth from the holes with humus or compost and sand in a ratio of 1: 2: 1. I plant seedlings in a row at a distance of 170-200 cm from each other at a slope to the south of about 40-50 °. I dig a post near each plant for its garter.

The fig bush usually consists of 4-5 branches. After planting, in the process of growth, shoots form at the base of the seedling, which I use for the required number of shoots. I remove excess shoots in the fall. I usually leave 2-3 best ones for new branches. Growing figs with a bush is beneficial because when the branch becomes large and difficult to cover, I remove (cut) it in the fall. But by this time I am preparing a new one from the growth. The optimal number of fruiting branches, which are three years old or more, is 4-5, and 3-4 are needed for replacement. I cut it in two steps - in the fall I remove those branches that will interfere with shelter and which I cannot bend. In the spring, after opening the figs, I cut off the damaged, rotten branches and make sure that there is no thickening. I raise the figs from the ground and, evenly distributing the branches, tie them to the post.

The most time consuming thing in fig growing is shelter for the winter... My figs can withstand frosts down to minus 12-14 °. But since the bushes are in a depression, it is enough to untie them from the post, and they themselves fall into the prepared hole. It remains only to sprinkle with earth. From experience I know that 10-15 cm of soil on top of the bush is enough. In recent years, with warm winters and excess moisture, in order to prevent the branches from drying out, I put an old slate or iron sheet on top of the bush.

During the time that my figs are growing and bearing fruit, I have not observed any pests or diseases. I water the plants as needed.

Figs bloom in the first year of planting, but the fruits usually do not ripen. The first full-fledged fig can be obtained in the second year. Unusual sycopia - fig inflorescences. It is a hollow berry, round or pear-shaped, with flowers inside. You can only see them if you break the inflorescence. The fig tree has 3 types of flowers: male with stamens - they always remain firm and smaller than female and are called figs; Caprifigs are female with short pistils-columns and female ones with long pistils-columns, and they bear fruit.

For me, 10-15 kg of figs from a bush is a common thing, my fruits are tastier and more aromatic than imported ones. The first fruits ripen in July, and fruiting continues until late autumn, although figs ripen on the Black Sea coast much later - at the end of September.

Figs are also interesting for their decorative qualities. It perfectly landscapes living quarters and winter gardens.

G. Gorlatov Stavropol Territory

Relatively winter hardy fig varieties

There are about a thousand different varieties of figs in the world, and, as fantastic as it sounds, some of them are fruiting in the middle lane.

Ficus carica, or fig tree, is an inhabitant of the subtropics. It is a deciduous shrub or tree up to 12 m high. In the subtropics, it is pollinated by blastophages - small walnut wasps that are not found in our country. Therefore, in our region, self-fertile (parthenocarpic) varieties are grown in apartments, winter gardens and greenhouses. There are a lot of them, for example, Dalmatian, Nikitsky, Abkhazian violet, Crimean black, Kadota, Brunswik, Shuisky, Early gray, Sary Apsheronsky, Adriatic violet, Sochi No. 7, Randino, Pomorie, July, Lardaro, Gift to the 50th anniversary of October, Brown Turkey.

The best varieties of figs

• Fig Dalmatsky - tolerates a drop in temperature down to –15 ° С. It bears fruit well when it builds up a long-term supply of wood. The best yield is given by three- and four-year shoots. The fruits of this variety are pear-shaped, asymmetrical, yellow-brown or greenish-yellow in color. The weight of an average fruit is 150-200 g. The taste is the best.

• Fig Nikitsky - ribbed pear-shaped figs, light brown in color, weighing up to 120 g.

• Fig Kadota - figs of this variety are pear-shaped, ribbed, greenish-yellow or yellow-brown in color. Weigh about 100 g.
• Fig Brown turkey - It is considered one of the most winter-hardy varieties, withstands short-term drops in temperature down to –20 ° С. Very productive. The fruits of Brown Turkey are regular pear-shaped, red-brown in color, weighing up to 100 g.
• Fig Crimean black (Мouissoune, Negron) - oval ribbed fruits. Violet blue, almost black. Weigh about 100 g.
• Fig NSgift to the 50th anniversary of October - outwardly very similar to the Kadota variety, but surpasses it in yield.
• Fig Sochi No. 7 - pear-shaped fruits of yellow color with a matte bloom, weighing up to 60 g.
• Fig Brunswick (Chapla)... Fruits are pear-shaped, asymmetrical, light green or light brown, violet-red on the sunny side, weighing up to 100 g.

In the open ground of the southern regions of Russia or in greenhouse conditions, the above varieties can give 2 crops per year, and at home on the windowsill, with additional lighting, some of them (for example, Sochi No. 7) give even more. Typically, the first crop ripens in July and the second from August to October. The first crop is usually larger than the second crop.

The experience of wintering figs in the garden

Unfortunately, there are no varieties of figs that would withstand thirty-degree frosts near Moscow without shelter. Therefore, in our region, it is usually grown in an apartment, in a winter garden, in a greenhouse or in a greenhouse. In the spring, the plant is buried in the garden right with the pot, and in the fall it is dug up and brought to the frost-free basement for wintering; figs overwinter normally in the house, and then actively sets fruits. The temperature in the basement should not drop below -5 ° C: the pot will freeze, and the root system of the figs is more vulnerable than the ground part.

Having experience growing figs both in greenhouses and in containers, at some point I began to leave them to winter in the open field. Some gardeners bend the figs into a trench, put a wooden shield or a sheet of slate on top and sprinkle it with earth. This method is not very reliable: our winters are damp, the risk of wood damping increases, this is not useful for the plant.

For wintering, a rectangular box 1 m long, about 0.5 m wide and about 0.5 m high is made of expanded polystyrene or polystyrene foam. The wall thickness should be at least 10 cm (you can glue together 2 sheets of 5 cm thick). The box is wrapped with tape several times. You need to put something heavy on top, for example, an old window frame, so that the box does not get blown away by the wind and crush the roof with snow.

In winter, the structure is additionally covered with snow. In May, when the threat of frost has passed, you can completely remove the shelter.But it is not necessary to disassemble it, instead of the top cover in April, you can put a sheet of cellular polycarbonate or just stretch a plastic wrap, building a mini-greenhouse.

Leave a small ventilation gap to avoid overheating. Figs begin to grow at an average daily temperature of + 7 ... + 9 ° С, the optimum temperature for fruit ripening is + 20 ... + 35 ° С.

Growing conditions for figs

Figs will bear fruit if planted in a well-lit place, closed from northerly and easterly winds. Best of all at the southern wall of the house. Depending on the variety, it can tolerate temperature drops down to -10 ... -20 ° С. Thanks to its powerful root system, even with complete frosting to the very ground, it easily recovers from the root.

Figs are drought-resistant, but with a lack of moisture, the yield decreases. However, in the conditions of the Moscow region, natural humidity is enough for him. Prefers light and medium loams, but the soil richer in organic matter will have a beneficial effect on fruiting. It is best to plant in a small trench 30–40 cm deep at a 45 ° slope so that in October, when the figs have shed their leaves, it will be easier to bend the branches to the ground. In this case, it is undesirable for them to touch the ground.

Some of the thickening annual shoots can be removed. Figs grow quickly, so you need to pinch the shoots in a timely manner. On young plants 3-4 developed branches are left, the rest are removed. It is better not to let them grow more than 40-50 cm. So the figs will not outgrow the size of the shelter. During the growing season, it is recommended to apply abundantly liquid fertilizing based on manure every three weeks until the beginning of August, in August to feed it with ash infusion (1 liter of ash per 10 liters of water to insist for 3-4 days). The experience of planting figs in open ground shows that there are no pests on the plant.

Reproduction of figs

Parthenocarpic varieties are propagated by cuttings, which are easy to root in sand or in light soil, consisting of 50% sand and 50% peat (or turf).

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How to grow figs in central Russia?
Planting a fig seedling in the garden /> In the southern regions, you can plant a plant in the fall, but in those located to the north, preferably in the spring, so that the seedling can grow stronger over the summer and gain strength. How to grow figs and plant them properly outdoors? It is recommended to follow the advice of experienced gardeners.

The hole is dug volumetric, 80x80x100 cm, where 100 cm is the depth. Figs have a rapidly growing root system, in order to prevent its growth to the detriment of the aerial part of the plant, it is recommended to install limiters in the ground. The easiest way is to overlay the walls of the pit with bricks. Good drainage is necessary, therefore, crushed bricks, medium-sized expanded clay or small stones are laid on the bottom. The drainage layer should be from 20 to 30 cm, not less. The soil mixture is prepared as follows:

garden land - 2 parts,

bone meal - 1 part,
rubble stone or crushed stone - 1 part,
dry fertilizer (complex of minerals) - 300-500 g, depending on the manufacturer's recommendations.
All ingredients are thoroughly mixed, and part of the resulting mixture is laid out in a pit.

planting figs

The tree is planted in a hole in a certain way, tilted 37-40 degrees towards the south, and the rhizome, directed towards the north. In the future, it will be easier to bend the branches to the ground and cover the plant for the winter. Also, for convenience, when growing several specimens, it is recommended to dig not holes, but trenches, and plant the plants in a row. Further, the seedling is sprinkled with earth, compacted and watered. One fig tree consumes about 4 garden buckets of warm water. At the end of the work, it is recommended to immediately overlay the ground around the seedling with a layer of mulch using cut grass, sawdust or wood shavings.

Features of caring for figs

How to grow figs and achieve regular fruiting? Under favorable conditions, the first fruits can be obtained already in the fourth year, which, undoubtedly, will delight any gardener. During the season, figs can bear fruit up to three times, in one place the tree will grow for at least 10 years.

fig care

Crown formation

Forming a fig tree is not an easy task. A strong cellular frame (trellis) must be installed along the wall. In the first year, only 3 shoots should be left at the seedling, the optimal height is 20 cm. One - the one that is located closer to the middle of the bush - is not touched, it will grow vertically. The other two are tied to the frame. Up to a length of 80–100 cm, two lateral shoots should grow horizontally, after which the direction is changed to vertical. The next year, the central branch is cut again so that lateral shoots are formed and the second tier is formed in the same way. In total, there should be 5 tiers, and the final one will consist of only two branches. Thus, the "skeleton" of the tree is formed.

How to grow figs further? Most of the fruits are formed on the shoots at the age of 1–2 years, therefore regular pinching of the tops stimulates the growth of young branches and allows you to get more tasty fruits. Old (two-year-old) branches need to be pruned periodically.

watering figs

Watering and fertilizing, temperature conditions

The frequency of watering depends on the climatic characteristics of the region, if the summer is moderately warm, rainy, then additional moisture will not be required. During a drought period, the soil must be regularly monitored, a lack of moisture will lead to a decrease in yield.

Fertilizer is applied only after watering, adhering to the following scheme:

Spring is the beginning of summer. Nitrogen compounds such as ammonium nitrate.

July.As a fertilizer, superphosphate is used, which has a beneficial effect on the ovary and fruit development.
Aug. Sept. Potassium should prevail in the composition of fertilizers, it promotes the ripening of wood, which is especially important in the pre-winter period. At this stage, nitrogen-containing compositions cannot be added.
Complex solutions with a reduced concentration of trace elements can be used more often, it is recommended to spray the aerial part of the plants every 2 months.

The gardener decided to grow figs - how to ensure the optimal temperature regime if the summer cottage is located in the northern region? In this case, professionals recommend building a temporary greenhouse over the plantings. To do this, install removable arcs and, if necessary, stretch the film. In the spring, after removing the winter shelter, a greenhouse is immediately built. They disassemble it only after making sure that night frosts are no longer expected. If autumn is expected to be cold, then before covering the plantings for the winter, a temporary greenhouse is again built.

figs on the plot

Considering that the fig is an exotic plant, when growing it in the middle lane, you can not be afraid that the tree will die from diseases or pests. This is due to the fact that parasites that can destroy the plant do not live in the northern regions.

Is it possible to grow figs in Central Russia?

• As a houseplant, figs grow very well, and if the variety is parthenocarpic, then there will be fruits (the usual quot; wildquot; figs require the intervention of a certain type of wasp for pollination). True, during flowering, figs smell like cats, but otherwise it is a very pleasant houseplant. Fruit in the room usually tastes bad.

  In the Tver region, our figs grow well in a greenhouse - we even have to constantly cut them off so that it does not overwhelm it all. And at the same time bears fruit. Winter in the same greenhouse perfectly tolerates. And in Voronezh, figs grow in open ground, freezing under the root every winter and growing again. Of course, you won't get fruit in this mode.

• There are risky people in our region who grow figs on their plots. It's a bit of a hassle, but they love it. Firstly, for this we need seedlings of frost-resistant self-pollinated figs, there are several varieties, I won't list everything, I remember the Kadota figs and the Abkhaz purple figs. Secondly, although almost all varieties of figs are able to withstand short-term frosts down to -23 degrees, in central Russia, trees need to be covered in winter. Our winters in Ossetia are not harsh, but figs are harbored. And before even starting with this case, you need to calculate whether the required temperature regime is being typed in your area: 4000 degrees. for the growing season. If not, grow figs at home, Abkhazian violet grows well and bears fruit in an apartment.

• Of course you can, in a pot indoors and under lighting in the autumn-winter period. On the coast of the Kranodar region, they grow on the streets like apple and pear trees. But most likely it will not bear fruit; it also needs to be pollinated and maintain the temperature regime.

• I daresay no. Fig is a tropical plant. And in central Russia, the climate is temperate continental: there is little heat, moisture too, and winter is long and long. An open fig tree will not grow in the garden. Of course it is possible. to build and heat a greenhouse for 10 months a year. Is it worth the candle?

  Although there were quick-witted craftsmen and came up with the idea of ​​growing figs in a pit, which for the winter must be covered with sawdust and covered. In this case, the size of the tree will be limited by the volume of the pit. The width and depth of the place of the figs is set by the owner-gardener himself when planting. It is necessary to take into account the amount of covering material required. Prune branches that have overgrown the top edges of the pit each fall.