Transcript: Growing a fig tree in your backyard would have to be one of the most rewarding fruits to grow that there is especially in the taste department. They can be eaten dried, roasted, stewed, preserved but best of all fresh of the tree. They are a fruit that has a very small shelf life so it is often very difficult to find them in the supermarket. Their large leaves are very attractive and can give your backyard a mediteranian feel. In winter it will lose most of it's leaves especially in colder climates where once established they can handle quite a large frost. If you have restricted space then they will thrive in pots just as long as you have a high quality potting mix and a nice sunny position for them. Figs love the morning sun because over night mildue will cover the leaves which cause it to get fungal diseases so the morning sun helps to dry it out. One advantage of growing them in pots is that you will actually get less leaf growth and more fruit. This is because of the root restriction.
When in pots they will stay about human hight but when planting them int he ground they can grow about 2-3 meteres. Like most fruit trees they like water to go past their roots but they don't like to be constantly covered. So you might like to do a drainage test by filling your hole up with water and waiting for 30 minutes to see if all the water drains away.
They are very easy to look after and only need fertiliser to be applied once a year in winter. Often they will naturally grow into a nice shape so pruning is often not very necessary however older fruit trees to respond well to being pruned.
Figs are self fertile which means they don't need another fig tree to pollinate and create fruit. So you can just buy one fig tree and get figs. There are many different types of fig trees such as black genoa are a brown fig with red flesh. Prestons Prolific figs which have a white flesh and yellowy exterior. Brown Turkey and as the name suggests has brown skin with a pinky flesh. Piconi which is created by a local to Kyogle named John Piconi. And also the fig white adriatic which is yellow skinned large figs with a red pulp.
Most figs develop the same way and when they are young you will get 3 main branches from the trunck. The fruit develops on the branches towards the tips surrounded by leaves. The fruit also grows on the new wood So if you want to get more figs next year your fig tree will enjoy being cut back by a third.. When picking the figs from the tree it is often a good idea to have a long sleaved shirt because the sap and the leaves can irritate your skin.
In summary if you have a nice sunny position in your backyard or have a spare spot your balcony to place it in a pot then growing fig tree looks great and will taste great.
This is the other option for anyone who wants to keep their fruit trees small and compact, although this is not for those who don't like a bit of good old hard work as the larger the tree is the harder it is to repot.
To bonsai a tree it will need regular pruning as well as root pruning, it is usually done with potted specimens but can also be done with trees in the ground by cutting through the surface root with a sharp spade, this is good for trees like figs and will reduce the height and spread of the tree.
Many grafted fruit trees are suited to container growing and even large trees like sapodillas and black sapotes will happily fruit for many years in a pot if grown with care. To succeed first of all you will need to start with a good quality potting mix, a mix based on composted pine bark is a good start or you can make your own potting mix with equal parts of coarse sand, compost and composted pine bark. Remember that potted plants will use up the nutrients in the mix so they will need regular feeding and repotting. When the tree is repotted this is the time to trim back the roots and the top comparatively, so if you take a third off the roots trim the canopy back by one third as well. The mix can be tailor to suit your tree, blueberries will thrive in an acidic azalea mix, and figs will love a sweetening handful of lime on the top of their mix.
What size pot will you need? The larger the better, but remember the larger the pot the heavier and more difficult it will be to move and work with. The bonsai bags are an excellent option, they come in several different sizes so you can move the pts size up as your tree grow for the best result start with a 15L bag, let your tree grow into this size and then pot it up into the next size 25L and then on to the 35L. This is a good choice to grow a tree to about 2m. The bonsai bags have handles on either side making them easy to move, they can be placed inside a decorative pot and disguised with a layer of straw mulch. This method means that the tree and the pots can be moved separately.
Fruit trees need a sunny position to crop well, in warmer weather it is important to monitor the moisture levels in your pot to make sure it does not dry out, some potting mixes can be hard to rewet once they dry out, so keep your pot moist, but not wet. In hot weather a potted fruit tree may need a drink every other day, ease of the watering in cooler weather. Never sit a potted plant in a saucer of water, all tree roots need oxygen to breathe and remain healthy, sitting a potted avocado in a saucer of water will kill it in no time at all.
Feeding is vital to reduce the frequency of repotting which becomes more difficult as your tree become larger. For hungry trees like citrus regular applications of a complete NPK fertilizer are essential. Foliar sprays are also important and will benefit your tree during the warmer months. Despite producing delicious fruit some trees do need to be treated with caution. It is wise to wear a long sleeved shirt and gloves when pruning and repotting as some trees can be very irritating to the skin, the sap of figs will burn the skin and the foliage of acerolas is covered in tiny stinging hairs which are also very irritating.
The best thing about potted fruit trees is the amount of fruit that can be cropped off a small tree in a small backyard.
Daleys has been given lots of constructive critisism on the cost of freighting one or two plants being too expensive.
We listened and now have a small box which takes up less room in the truck and therefore costs you less in freight.
Price Comparison of sending 1 or 2 fruit trees in 2007 using the Large box to now (2008) using the small box. Sydney & Brisbane - Now costs $24.47 Was $42.94 Save $18.47 Melbourne - Now costs $30.68 Was $55.36 Save $19.68
To find out the exact price for your suburb just enter your postcode after you add some plants to the shopping cart.
The biggest flood in 54 years swept through Kyogle the second biggest on record. Most of our young plants are safe but some of our orchard went under water.
Delivering live plants to your doorstep in great condition is something we are continually improving here at daleys nursery. In this video Kath demonstrates how your plants are prepared for the courier.
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