If there’s one tree you’re likely to inherit on your inner-city block it would be a wise old fig, stretching out and leaning over the laneways and fence lines. They’re the legacy of European migration in the 1950s and ‘60s, when quite possibly the first act of home settlement was to plant a tree.
The fig is an abundant treasure in late summer when it seems to grab the attention of every creature that passes by. This includes bats, possums, rodents, kids and even local neighbours looking for overhanging fruit. While the trees are strong, hardy and largely resistant to pests and disease, the figs themselves are not. They will demand netting to protect the ripening fruit.
PLANTING
Figs can be grown easily from a cutting (best taken in the winter months), however you come across your plant dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and a little deeper. Water the new tree in well before adding a layer of mulch.
WATERING
In ground: Water daily for the first 2 months while establishing and then cut back to 3-4 times a week in the warm season, otherwise 1-2 times a week during the cool season in the absence of rainfall.
In Pots: Water daily while establishing and through the entirety of the warm season, otherwise 3-4 times a week during the cool season in the absence of rainfall.
MAINTENANCE
Use an organic mulch lucerne or sugar cane mulch to keep the soil moist, mulch at a depth of 3-5cm careful not to heap around the stem of the tree. In spring, apply a complete slow-release fertiliser. During the growing season, you can also feed with a high-potassium fertiliser. Figs
When pruning be careful as the sap can be irritating to some people, wear proper protection. Clear any diseased, dead growth in winter to encourage more growth.
HARVESTING
Depending on the variety of tree you plant look out for the flesh turning a purple colour or a simple hand test will do. When you notice all the bird pecked holes you may have left it too long. The best bet is to net early before that fig you’ve been eyeing off has been snapped up. Or if you’ve been eyeing one off in a laneway you are playing the lottery and it is the wild west, first come first served.
TIP
Figs are perhaps the second most prized fruit of all, and many pests have a sixth sense to the ripening of the fruit. It’s best to net well before the first bird digs its beak in.
