Ficus L. – Moraceae
Wide Ficus family consists of more than 600 (according to many botanists over 1000) tropical and subtropical evergreen or deciduous shrubs, trees and lianas. Ficus plants are spread throughout the warm areas of entire world.
Ficus carica L. (common fig) a Ficus family member usually cultivated as a fruit tree. It originates in
Adriatic fig tree group shelters varieties with edible, partenocarpic fruit in summer and winter season. Fig cultivars are furthermore divided between those that can and those that can’t bare fruit in our climate.
Cultivars ideal for greenhouse or container culture in our climate (they should be protected indoors during the winter).
Fig fruit belongs to the most delicious subtropical fruit of all, it can be eaten either fresh or processed into jams, puddings, pasta…
The most common practice is preserving or drying the figs. It can be bought in this form (preserved or dried) even in our shops. It also happened to me on several occasions that I found fresh fruit in the hypermarkets (Tesco, Kaufland…)
Ripe fruit consists of water (82%), sugars (9-28%), proteins (1,4%), fat (0,26%) and mineral matter (0,5-1%). 100g of fresh fig pulp contains provitamin A (60- 90mg) and vitamin C (2mg). Dried fruit usually retains lots of nutrients too; it consists of water (18%), sugars (55-70%) and provitamin A, whereas the vitamin C is absent in dried figs.
Fig trees can be cultivated in the soil in the warmest areas of our country and only in greenhouses in the colder areas. Annual thinning of fig trees is necessary otherwise it will soon overgrow any designated area. They can withstand frosts down to –10°C without any significant damage, but prolonged exposure to lower temperatures destroys the wood and fig trees freeze down to the roots (roots should be mulched or otherwise protected). Plants frozen down to the soil usually grow back quickly in winter, but do not fruit in the same season. Therefore they can only be used as a decoration. Summer fruit usually grows on 1 year old wood and autumn fruit is usually formed on annual shoots. It is essential to remove enough shoots after the summer harvest in order to prepare it for winter. Several varieties were bred to withstand and survive temperatures down to -15 or
Growing fig trees outside in our climate: The most important first step is to choose a good spot (protected south walls…). Then you can proceed with digging the hole. It should be 1 or
Ideal cultivation shape of fig tree in our climate is small shrub or liana form, where all new annual shoots that come out of the profile should be removed. When the winter is about to come, cover the fig tree with folia, polycarbonate or natural covering (wood, hay…). It Fig is a deciduous tree that can overwinter well in dark areas and survive not seeing the sunlight for months. It is wise to remove the protection and check the plants after the snows melt down in the spring. Spring frosts should not pose a problem. The tree should start growing again at the end of the April and have decorative, large, firm leaves and next year’s crop by the end of May. This fig cultivation will ensure only one, but very rich harvest in summer. The second harvest will not come soon enough and the fruit will freeze in first autumn frosts.
