Techniques for Growing and Caring for Fig Trees for Fruit Production

The fig tree is one of the four sacred plants, believed to bring good luck and abundance to homeowners. Below are some techniques for growing fig trees that bear fruit beautifully for the Tet holiday.

Guide to Growing Fig Trees for Tet Fruits

Growth Characteristics
Planting Techniques
Caring for Fig Trees
How to Reduce Leaf Size
Stimulating Fig Trees to Bear Fruit
Propagation of Ornamental Fig Trees

The fig tree scientific name is Ficus Macleilandii “Alii”. Figs are often used as ornamental plants, creating many beautiful bonsai styles. The fig fruit is actually a flower, also known as a pseudofruit. On the outside, it resembles a flower receptacle, while inside it houses numerous tiny petals that are closed off, forming a round shape, similar to a fruit. The fruit grows larger, with the skin changing from green to dark red, ripening and falling off quickly.

The technique for growing ornamental fig trees or bonsai figs is not difficult, but to ensure a plentiful and beautiful harvest during Tet, certain small rules must be followed.

Ornamental figs are typically divided into two types: sweet figs and ordinary figs. Sweet figs are favored more because they bear numerous fruits that are not too large. Stimulating fig trees to bear fruit can be easily achieved with simple methods.

What is called a fruit is actually a cluster of many small flowers inside that form a pear-shaped pseudofruit, covered with fine hairs and a short stem. The flowers grow larger, the skin changes from green to dark red, ripening and falling off quickly, emitting an attractive aroma. The fruits typically grow in clusters on the trunk and on branches that have shed their leaves and become woody.

There are many types of fig trees, with the most common in our country being green figs, red figs, and wild figs… There are also varieties that do not bear fruit and some that require human intervention to produce fruit.

The fig tree is cherished by many plant enthusiasts due to its beautiful shapes when transformed into artistic ornamental trees. Therefore, during the Tet holiday, alongside peach blossoms and kumquat trees, ornamental fig trees symbolize good fortune and prosperity.

Growth Characteristics

The root system is very strong and deep, capable of surviving flooding, making it suitable to plant near ponds, areas close to water, or on rock gardens.
Fruits naturally appear on older branches or the trunk, which can form seeds that grow into young plants.
To thrive, fig trees require the hot and humid conditions of tropical regions, but they also have a high tolerance for drought and cold. When experiencing drought or cold, the growth points on the trunk and branches are protected by scale leaves, increasing the tree’s resilience. Therefore, fig trees are widely distributed, particularly favoring moisture in both soil and air, growing well in areas with high water and humidity, such as near lakes, rivers, or in bonsai pots.
Although it prefers sunlight, growth is poor in harsh light; under low light intensity, the leaves are thin, with few branches and elongated branches. Figs are not picky about soil, thriving in various types as long as the soil does not dry out.

Understanding the growth conditions is very beneficial for planting and caring for bonsai trees. (Illustrative image)

Planting Techniques

The soil for planting should be medium to heavy textured; avoid sandy, gravelly soils, or those with poor water retention. Ideally, figs should be planted in areas with water, on rock gardens. Choose young plants that are 15-20 cm tall for planting. Before uprooting the young plants for planting, if there are new leaves, these should be removed, and soil should be filled up to the root collar, watering to maintain moisture 1-2 times a week.

Figs can be grown from seeds, cuttings, or air layers. To save time and costs, you can purchase fig seedlings at ornamental plant shops. Alternatively, choose young plants that are 15-20 cm tall for planting.

Caring for Fig Trees

Fig trees are easy to care for and do not require special attention; however, to have a beautiful fig tree with many branches, small leaves, and non-elongated branches, it is essential to prune branches and leaves, shape the trunk according to the desired style, and fertilize with phosphorus. Water is a crucial factor that greatly affects growth, so you can adjust the amount and frequency of watering to control the growth of the tree.
To ensure rapid growth of the fig trunk, in addition to pruning branches and leaves, it is important to trim the base and trunk in September-October each year.
Fig trees do not have special fertilizer requirements; during the year, fertilize the tree 1-2 times at the beginning or end of the rainy season.

How to Reduce Leaf Size

The technique of growing beautiful small-leaved bonsai figs is also quite easy. (Illustrative image)

Sometimes the leaves of fig trees grow too large, which is not suitable for bonsai styles; at this point, techniques are needed to reduce leaf size. To achieve small, firm, and mature leaves, cut off all the leaves on the tree, leaving the leaf stems. After a few days, the leaf stems will drop off, at which point stop watering. A week later, new leaves will begin to sprout, during which time, absolutely avoid watering; young leaves will become small and firm when deprived of water. Once all the leaves on the tree have matured and turned dark green, you can resume normal watering and care.

Note on the phenomenon of blistering leaves

Blistering leaves on fig trees are due to physiological phenomena; you should prune the blistered branches and leaves to keep the tree healthy and green.

If the tree remains healthy and green, without pests or diseases, you should spray copper-based fungicides 1-2 times a year to protect the pruning wounds, preventing fungi and bacteria from invading the trunk and branches at the cut and wound sites.

Stimulating Fig Trees to Bear Fruit

You can stimulate fig trees to bear fruit by stopping watering for 15-20 days and removing leaves. After the tree produces a batch of new leaves, continue caring for it, and it will produce flower buds and bear fruit (after about 3 months). This method is usually done from June to August, with fruit being ready by the end of the year.

There are many planting techniques to stimulate fig trees to bear fruit. (Illustrative image)

Stimulate the tree to bear fruit by making several cuts near the base of the tree with a knife to allow sap to flow out; this will encourage the tree to produce fruit more quickly. If the tree is planted in a pot, it is advisable to transfer it to a larger pot, add organic fertilizers, and stop watering. After 2-3 months, the tree will produce new leaves and fruits.

Note: After each fruit-bearing cycle when the fruits drop, flower remnants will cling to the trunk; do not prune or cut these off because this is where new fruits will grow. If you want the new batch of fruits to grow in different places, then you can prune these remnants, and new figs will sprout in areas where the trunk is mature enough.

Propagation of Ornamental Fig Trees

Fig trees can be propagated by seeds or through cuttings and air layers, but in practice, seed propagation is more favored as it produces healthier seedlings.

For seed propagation, select fully ripened fruits with soft flesh to extract the seeds. Rub them to remove the slimy coating and then sow them immediately. Before sowing, you can warm the seeds to encourage germination. The soil for sowing should be fine, clean, and weed-free because of the small seed size. After sowing, cover with decomposed straw, and when they grow into seedlings, water lightly and gradually reduce watering. When the seedlings reach a height of 15-20 cm, they can be uprooted for planting.

Asexual propagation methods can be carried out through cuttings, air layering, and root separation; however, these branches typically have a low propagation coefficient and survival rate, thus they are less commonly used.