Also known as Verte, the Green Ischia fig produces bright green figs that are bold pink on the inside. Green Ischia fig trees are small in size, and their fruit ripens in mid to late summer. Also known as Madonna or Brunswick, these figs are amongst the largest figs available.
The outer part of the fruit is bronze colored and the inside of the fruit has a yellowish to bold pink color. Magnolia figs ripen in the mid to late summer months, and it makes a good fig preserve. According to Joseph S. Guthrie of Clemson Extension, fig trees for South Carolina grow in varying soils as long as they are well-drained and nutritionally rich. Fig trees prefer full sun and require very little pruning, and pick the fruit fresh from the tree once it ripens for the best taste.
Naima Manal's articles on health, diet, nutrition, alternative medicine, education, parenting, crafts, travel, home and garden and home improvement have appeared on various websites. Native to the Mediterranean, fig trees grow very well in South Carolina, and with their large leaves, they lend a tropical look to any home landscape. They grow to about 15 feet tall and can be used as a garden focal point or to screen a wall.
The biggest concern when growing figs is their moderate cold tolerance. They may be killed to the ground during severe winters, but will typically regrow from the roots. To minimize cold stress, plant fig trees on a protected site, such as on the south side of a building or in a courtyard. Figs have more forgiving soil requirements than blueberries, but they are susceptible to soil-borne root knot nematodes. Let these shoots grow through the first season.
Then, during the late winter after the first growing season, select three to eight vigorous, widely spaced shoots to serve as leaders. Remove all other shoots. Be sure the leaders are far enough apart to grow to 3 to 4 inches in diameter without crowding each other.
If they are too close together, the leaders cannot grow thick enough to support themselves and their crop and tend to fall over or split off under stress of high winds. If this happens, remove the damaged leader and select a new one late the next winter by choosing one of the many suckers that arise annually.
Beginning the second year after planting, if more branching is desired, head back the bush each spring after danger of frost is past but before growth has started. Do this by removing about one-third to one-half the length of the annual growth. Also, prune out all dead wood, and remove branches that interfere with growth of the leaders. Cut off low-growing lateral branches and all sucker growth that is not needed for replacement of broken leaders.
Do not leave bare, unproductive stubs when you prune. These stubs are entry points for wood decay organisms. Make all pruning cuts back to a bud or branch. Fertilizing: Fig trees grow satisfactorily in moderately fertile soils without fertilizer. However, fertilizer is needed in soils of very low fertility or where competition from other plants is heavy. Though nitrogen is usually the only needed plant nutrient, other nutrients may be lacking in some areas.
If poor growth indicates the need for fertilizer, follow these general guidelines:. Watering: For highest yields, figs need watering throughout the summer. The frequency and the amount of water depends to a large extent on the soil. As a rule of thumb, 1 inch of water per week from rain or irrigation is adequate. Yellowing and dropping of leaves may indicate drought. In lawns, the grass beneath fig plants may wilt in the heat while the rest of the lawn does not.
This indicates the figs need water. Figs grown with lawn grasses may require one or more waterings a week during hot, dry periods. Winter injury in figs is directly related to the amount of vigor. A vigorous, fast-growing plant is easily killed by low winter temperatures in the piedmont. If figs are frequently cold-damaged in your area, reduce the fertilization recommendations by one-half.
If you are attempting to grow figs near the mountains, no fertilizer should be applied to make the plants as cold hardy as possible. For a bush 12 to 15 ft tall, apply 4 lbs in mid April, early June, and mid-July. For plants less than 12 ft in height, use about 1 lb for each foot of height and split into three applications as given above.
If the fruit are not reaching maturity and ripening properly, excess fertilizer or drought may be the problem and fertilization should be reduced. A number of conditions may cause the fruit not to ripen or to drop prematurely. The following list of most common reasons is presented in order of importance:. Root-knot nematodes are the primary pest of fig trees in the sandhills and coastal plain.
An on-the-spot diagnosis of root-knot infection is possible. Dig up a few roots and look for the characteristic galling or swelling caused by the nematode. There is no other similar problem in figs. Root-knot Nematode: Infected fig trees cannot be cured with chemical treatment. Pruning back the top to balance it with the weakened root system and attentive watering and fertilization may prolong the life of a root-knot infected fig tree.
Usually, however, they will die sooner or later regardless of the care they receive. When planting a new fig tree, select a site as far as possible from any old garden sites. Take a nematode sample in this site. If root-knot nematodes are present, do not plant figs.
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