Growing manual: How to harvest from two shrubs in summer up to a meter of figs

The Effenbergers are currently harvesting figs from this year's first crop. "From the two shrubs we have planted in the garden for the fifth year, we are currently harvesting 50 to 60 ripe fruits a day. Thanks to the sun, they are full of sugar, so sweet as honey, ”describes the grower enthusiastically, who estimates the summer harvest at 80 to 100 kilograms. "Everyone's overeat at home, so I bring figs to my colleagues at work," he laughs.

And if it is a long warm autumn, the second harvest of this year will come at the end of September. It usually ends in November with the arrival of stronger frosts. "And no one around us wants to see the figs anymore," he looks forward to the end of the autumn harvest in the distillery.

In his garden, it looks like you've moved a few hundred kilometers south, yet you're still about 25 kilometers from Brno. "Fig trees grow very well here, they have already bred two-hundred-year-old plants," says the originally amateur enthusiast, whose love of cultivation eventually led him to graduate from the Faculty of Horticulture in Lednice. He is happy to share his growing experience.

Where to plant a fig tree and how to take care of it

The fig tree (Ficus carica) is not particularly demanding in terms of soil composition, it is suitable for non-acid clay soil without any problems. "You don't have to modify the soil in any way before planting, just give the plant the addition of horticultural substrate in the immediate vicinity of the planted root ball," advises the gardener, who multiplies it by cuttings.

He has also tested that the plants thrive in him in various parts of the country, many of them have already been taken away by relatives, friends and other interested parties. And everywhere, as a subtropical plant, a fig tree needs a lot of sun. He himself has mentioned the two fig trees planted by the wall facing south. They thus ensure the maximum amount of sunlight and at the same time they are sufficiently protected.

After planting the fig tree, he advises not to overdo it with watering, even when the plant is already rooting. "Even after a good start of growth, ie after the roots of the plants, water in moderation," advises a gardener from Moravia.

And he immediately explains why. "In heavy watering, the fig tree has huge annual growths, usually around 1.5 to 2 meters, but on long branches it hardens ripens wood."

How to prune a fig tree and secure it for the winter

With the shaping of the shrub, endure until the fall, after the leaves have fallen. "Then cut it so that it is as shapely as possible for winter packing," smiles the gardener. Then it only depends on how big the bush is. Those with weaker branches simply need to bend to the ground and stack straw bales, or a thick layer of leaves and twigs.

"For larger shrubs or trees, after deciduous leaves, we cut strong, inflexible branches and branches that are not very mature and weak. We will shorten all the others to about 2.5 meters and carefully pull the branches with wire or ropes to take up as little space as possible, ”he describes the procedure for securing fig trees in Přibice for the winter.

This is how fig trees hibernate ...

Early spring, after wintering ...

Spring after the buds have sprouted ...

The whole bundle of branches is then wrapped in pieces of old fabric or non-woven fabric. "Then we wrap it around with bubble wrap, but so that air can get to the plant," he explains that air circulation prevents mold.

This preparation for the winter is for large plants operations for a few hours, but it pays off. When to hibernate fig trees depends on the weather. "Sometimes we pack in late November, other times in early December. But it is true that the later, the better, "he states. The point is for more than ten degrees of frosts to catch figs ready to resist them. Packed, even 25-degree frosts will survive without damage.

The harsh winters of five or six years ago showed that in even greater frosts, fig trees freeze to the root. It may come up again in the spring, but you can't expect a big harvest. "They often have a problem with the fruit," says Effenberger. On the contrary, the last two mild winters have not damaged even completely uncovered shrubs.

And a similar rule, this time the sooner the better, applies in the spring. If the fig trees are left unnecessarily wrapped for longer, they can start to mold under the cover in warmer and sunny weather. "We usually unpack in early March, depending on the temperature. The -10 ° C is a safe limit, "he states from his own experience.

If you would like to improve the fig tree, do so only at the beginning of the season. "It can be fertilized with common garden fertilizers, but it is not necessary. Excess nitrogen leads to very fast growth and, as I have already mentioned, part of the wood of such grown branches still does not have time to mature well into the winter. In general, the smaller the growth over the summer, the more mature the wood will be and will withstand stronger frosts, ”advises Effenberger to stay grounded. For more than twenty years, fig cultivation knows what he's saying.