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nchomegarden

New to Fig tree

nchomegarden
10 years ago

I just bought a fig tree from Walmart. It is about 4 feet tall with 3 or 4 strong branches with several leaves. It is labeled as Celetial fig - I guess that would mean Celeste?
The tag labels it as 'Part Sun (3-6 hours)'. However, I am reading conflicting things on the internet. I am in Raleigh, Nc. Should I plant it in Full Sun or not? And how do I prepare the planting hole - what to add (the soil is mostly clay here)? Thanks for any advice.

Comments (8)

  • trianglejohn
    10 years ago

    I've had figs do fine in shade but not deep shade. You get more figs to eat the more sun the tree has. I would plant it in the best soil you have, but I don't think figs are that picky.

  • msjay2u
    10 years ago

    They aren't picky. I have one right now and it gets a couple of hours of late day sun and it gets so many figs it is practically laying on the ground LOL. As a rule I always dig a deep hole and fill it in with Miracle Grow soil and the plant. I only put the original soil back on the very top. That has usually worked for me. Not always but usually. Fig trees are one of those easy trees to grow. I just cut three branches off, dipped them in rooting compound then wrapped in a piece of newspaper and it rooted. It took a while but it has new growth and roots so I am happy.

  • nchomegarden
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks. I will put it in full sun and add some MG Garden soil.

  • wertach zone 7-B SC
    10 years ago

    Yes, plant it in full sun.

    trianglejohn is correct

    "I would plant it in the best soil you have, but I don't think figs are that picky."

    If you can rig something up to give it some shade from the afternoon sun over this first summer it will get a better start.

    Just don't forget to water it because it will dry out quick until it gets established.

    Also if you want more trees they are easy to root from cuttings or tying down one of the lower limbs.

    I have an old fig tree that turned in to a fig forest where the limbs touched the ground!

  • arthurb3
    10 years ago

    They like alkaline soil so you will need to treat the soil with lime or do the old fashioned way and put oyster shells around them. There are two large ones around an apartment building in Cameron Village on the corner of Smallwood and Smedes.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Arthur in the Garden!

  • jeeper55
    10 years ago

    I have tried fig trees 2or3 times over the years and never got one to live in sun or shade up the road here in person county. i have one that comes back every year from a stump but it only gets a foot tall all year. it like one little twig.i would love to get one started that made it.

  • gaylek
    10 years ago

    The roots of established fig trees travel far from the tree. I had one that was approx. 25 feet from the swimming pool and the roots were growing right up to it. So we had to cut it down....but not before cuttings. Just wanted you to be aware!
    This now gone fig tree I had had many years and had very few figs. Then a very nice person on gardenweb shared that we needed to put a 40 pound bag of lime around its roots every year. We couldn't eat all the figs that the tree generated!

  • msjay2u
    10 years ago

    wow!! 40 lbs? thats a lot