Q. We’re considering planting a fig tree grove in our
school garden this year. How long typically does it take for them to produce
figs ready for harvest?
A. Figs produce fruit very quickly after planting. You
should start seeing fruit produced the year after planting in most varieties.
Remember, figs produce fruit on the wood that grew last year as well as the wood
actively growing.
Figs can
be very big trees if you allow them to grow. They can also be cut back to a
much smaller size. You mentioned planting a grove of figs. Their planting
distances apart should be the same as their maximum height. If you plant them
10 feet apart, don’t let them grow above 10 feet tall.
Remember
that figs do great in desert climates, in desert soils, in the desert heat
with low humidity. But they are heavy water users much like palm trees. Water
them the same as you would any other fruit tree and don’t expect production if
you don’t give them enough water. They will benefit from soil covered with
woodchips simply because the woodchips keep the soil moist longer. As the main crop comes on, they may dry up. This is because they dont have enough water to fully develop!!!