How to grow Fig in New Zealand

Where to plant

Plant figs in the sunniest, warmest spot you have, ideally facing north or north-east and sheltered from strong winds. They grow in well-drained soil and also cope with heavy clay; on wet ground, plant on a mound or raised bed for drainage. Most varieties need a long, hot summer to ripen fully, so in cooler areas a warm wall, an espalier or a large pot helps. Young trees are very susceptible to frost, especially severe spring frosts.

• Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, the central North Island, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough, Canterbury, and Otago and Southland: plant from June to August. In colder areas choose a cold-hardy variety and a warm, sheltered spot, and protect young trees from heavy frost with frost cloth or hessian.
• Central Otago: marginal. Hot summers ripen figs well, but winters below about minus 9°C can kill a young tree. Plant in November after the frosts, against a warm wall, and wrap it for its first winters.

Choosing a variety

• Brown Turkey: a well-known hardy, prolific fig with large crops of green figs tinged brown and white to amber flesh. One of the most reliable backyard figs in New Zealand.
• Brunswick: long brown figs with sweet amber flesh, a light first crop in summer and a main crop in autumn. Cold hardy.
• Mrs Williams: a good-quality large fig, earlier than most, with dark skin and amber to rich red flesh.
• French Sugar: large, dark green figs with succulent pale pink flesh, heavy cropping and later fruiting.
• Black Genoa: dark skin and red flesh; White Adriatic is a smaller fig excellent for jam.

How to plant

1. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and to the same depth, on a mound if drainage is poor.
2. Tease out the roots and cut away any that circle the pot.
3. Plant at the same depth as before, backfill and firm gently.
4. Form a ring of soil around the tree to hold water and water in well.
5. Mulch with wood chips or pea straw, keeping it clear of the trunk.

Watering and feeding

Water well while the tree is young, during long dry periods and while the fruit is developing; plenty of moisture in the growing season gives larger, juicier figs. Established trees tolerate dry spells.

Figs in the ground rarely need feeding, and too much fertiliser gives leaf rather than fruit. Feed only trees in pots or in very poor soil.

Pruning and care through the year

• Train young trees to an open vase shape, or as a fan espalier on a warm wall.
• Prune lightly in winter, keeping plenty of last year's shoot tips, as these carry the breba crop. Thinning the canopy by about a third is usually enough. Remove dead and diseased wood.
• Where botrytis kills shoots in cold, wet winters, wait until September to prune, and cut out diseased wood first.
• A copper spray in winter helps keep fungal diseases at bay.
• Net the tree before the fruit ripens if birds are a problem.

Harvesting

Figs ripen on the tree and do not ripen further once picked. Pick when they soften, droop on the stem, smell sweet and the skin starts to split slightly. Twist the stalk gently, as the fruit bruises easily, and pick every couple of days through the main crop.

Fresh figs do not store well, so pick them as you need them. Dry, freeze or make jam from the surplus.

Growing in pots

Figs grow well in large pots, at least 60 cm wide and deep, which also keeps the tree smaller and makes it easier to protect in cold areas. Water deeply once or twice a week in warm weather and feed lightly in spring and summer.

Using it

Eat figs fresh, whole or peeled, with cheese or in salads, or bake, poach, dry or make them into jam, chutney and cakes.

Propagation and saving seed

Figs grow easily from hardwood cuttings taken in winter from the previous season's growth.