I see no problem planting herbs or vegi close to fig if you are carefull not to cut the roots too much,and plant the herbs enough far in order to get enough sun for them.Most herbs love sun.Hope this will help.

To plant flowers and herbs under a fig tree is of course possible, overall if is manured, organically or not.
But Fig is a very competitive against others plants, you can see, day after day, the results....
Remember that fig needs limited watering in summer, for avoid filling of moisture on fruits, filling promote mildew, and dilute sweetness of the fruits.
ALSO: the ground as possible dry (in summer) (Fig is a desert plant), hardens and dehidrates also the wood of the fig, to harden and dehidrate prepare the wood for winter, and promote cold hardiness, If you water flowers and herbs are you sure to obtain this?
Watering and vegetation subtract heat to fig.
S.

Speaking of organic gardening, flowers and figs... what came
to mind is marigolds. They are said to repel many insects
and also rkn which attack fig roots.

Good points, all. As for cutting the roots, Herman: I'm considering a brick border around the area I want to plant; if I bordered around the figs and then put organic matter on top of the ground over the fig's roots--without actually digging--and then just planted the other things in the organic matter, would the fig's root..suffocate..or anything? (Sorry, I'm pretty new to this.)

Sergnic, I'm hping to plant things that don't need much watering. I do occasionally water the figs in the summer, but only when they start to wilt (Mississippi summers can be pretty hot). On the whole, though, if it lives in my yard, it will have to get along with the rain nature provides. Mildew might very well be a problem, though. Maybe if I leave some space around the trunk of the figs so they can have air circulation? How much open space do you think they'd need?

Marigolds are good, Gorgi :) And I suppose I could fill in under the trees (well, there's really still small bushes) with plants in containers.

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback. It's good to know this fourm is here :)

It will not sufocate it will work very well.

Excuse if my answer may be not perfectly in-line because I don't understand very well your language.
Fig is aggressive, in its grow, and for experience grass-herbs-flowers have poor "space" when the soil become a net of roots (of the fig).
To permit survival of (suffering) herbs frequently is natural try to increase watering.
Really tagetes don't need many watering and so is important also for the fig.
If your climate is dry, (as you say), means that you must not have a lot problems about mildew, or air movement.
Sergio

Good--I'll try raising the depth of the soil under the trees to allow some plantings without hurting the roots (no stoves, though, Sergio :)

I don't intend to try to garden under the trees once they are bigger, but these are very young trees, and I'd like the area to look nice as the trees fill in.

Sergio,

If possible, Please post some pictures of the orchard ... would love to see it.

-Steve

For slowlane,
all are preoccuped for any thing about fig, an do no preoccupe to the important ones.
Figs suffer excess of watering and limited draining.
Good soil is not important if space for roots is quite large.
Fundamental is exposition to the sun and heat.
If sun and overall HEAT are at the (low) limit, remove grass and herbs around, nude ground reflects more the heat.
Tagetes or other herbs (NOT many watered) are not a problem for fig.
The fig will be able to say to just time "stop" to the grass.
For steve:
as soon as possible, now is raining
Sergio

Sorry slowlane and steve! But I'm not able to delivery images through GW!,
please, if possible, send me your e-mail address.
Bye
S

the only problem i can see with planting under the fig tree would be that they would be stepped on while picking the figs. I do have daylilies planted about 10-15 feet from the base, and that leaves me plenty of space to walk around under the tree to pick the figs. I also have the gutter downspout flowing to the fig tree, because they need a lot of water. They really rippen up in the summer after a good rain. (at least here in SC)

Really your figs needs a lot of water for ripe?????
In North Carolina?????
Wich is it the climate in NC? Hotter than Sicily or drier than Morocco, or the Sonora desert??
I suppose that so the figs become a lot bigger, (but NOT decently sweet)!.
As I know figs do not needs lot of watering, ripening in Atlantic climate.
When unfortunately in my land (Italy) rains (very rarely, there is dry mediterranean climate), in end of summer, the fig become big, (very big), but is a disaster because the flavour is NOT that of true fig, they become as we say: bags of water.
Also in pot watering has to be limited. Try do not water till the leaves wither !!!!!!
TRY!
S

Hi Slowlane

Did you ever plant under your fig tree and if so, how did it work out? thanks, tul

I plant under my figs in California. It helps my figs fight nematodes something's cooler garden may not have to battle. I rotate every year. My fig is voilette the natural dwarf and only 7 foot high, only do light pruning cause she spreads wide.

1 year rotation fall brassicas. I plant mini cabbage right in the roots of my fig at the base to kill nematodes. Then I plant broccoli along the outline of the roots on the shady side and cauliflower on the sunny side. After broccoli is two foot tall I dump one foot of wood chip all over the area. It takes me three months to get done.

In winter I plant tulips and daffodils along the outside of the roots.

In spring, herbs are placed within the roots along with kohlrabi. Sweet woodruff, fennel, chicory, indian mint, tarragon, sweet violet, and onions.

2. Year, spring corn, summer sorghum and winter pumpkin are planted along the outer rootline to kill nematodes not for harvesting. Only one foot block in a circle.

fall clover is planted within root line, winter a foot of wood chip again leave very little clover, some herb may survive and grow through chips.

3 year wildflowers all seasons, tall marigold along the outside.

4 year I rest, tried a fall tomato but the nematodes got it, roots looked like golf balls so no solanage rotation. Mint, woodruff, voilets, fennel, and wildflowers are popping up.