Growing Figs

GROW YOUR OWN FIGS

Figs are pear-shaped hollow fruits, with sugary pulp and a large number of small seeds of golden color. Figs are variable in size and color.Many people are familiar with dried figs, but they are more delicious when eaten whole and fresh.The ripe fresh fruits are juicy, wholesome and delicious. A potted tree that can be sheltered during the winter may even survive as cold as zone 4b. Their large leaves make figs excellent shade trees and they are very attractive in any yard. They are extremely high in fiber as well as potassium and manganese.

Planting And Pruning

• Figs are self-fertile, meaning they will produce a healthy crop of fruit even if you only have one tree. If you do plant several, keep them at least 10 feet apart. As for total space, the average fig tree will be around 15 to 20 feet tall and their canopy usually spreads out wider than that.
• Choose the sunniest spot you can for your fig tree and keep it well away from any underground fixtures like septic systems or pipes. Figs have very tough roots that will damage anything underground near the tree.
• Do your planting in early spring, and cut the tops of the seedling back after planting to minimize stress on the roots. If your seedling has a large root ball to start dig the hole, set the seedling about 2 inches deeper in the soil than it was originally. Mix a little compost in with the soil, and water well.
• Pruning is not a real issue when growing figs. Look for dead branches, and occasionally trim the central branches down to keep the tree short.
• Feeding with fertilizer each year is very helpful, and a low-nitrogen mix is best so that your tree doesn't get overly leafy (and low on fruit). Each spring, you can give your trees a generous sprinkling of lime to help in fruit production.

In Containers

• There are varieties of dwarf fig that make great container plants, and allow you to grow figs in areas that would otherwise be too cold for this tropical fruit. 
• A potted fig tree can be moved to a sheltered location during the winter, even indoors. If you do bring your plants right indoors, it will still need lots of light during the day to thrive until next spring.
• You can look for figs like Violette de Bordeaux or Lattarulla. Even with a dwarf, you will need a pot that is about 3 feet across and 2 feet or more deep. 
• Give your tree a feeding each year with a low-nitrogen fertilizer. A little pruning can keep it small but it’s not that necessary.

Harvesting And Storage

• Your tree will start to produce figs at about 2 years of age, and they usually are ready in late summer. Depending on your immediate climate, you may even get two crops of figs from your tree.
• Figs are usually ready to harvest in late summer, when the skin is soft and they split when squeezed gently.
•  If there is any sap still in the stem, your fruit is probably not quite ready yet.Figs will not ripen any further once you've picked them, so you need to do your harvesting at just the right time. 
• You can store your fresh figs in the fridge for about a week. Figs are good candidates for drying, and they can be dried by a few days out in the sun or several hours in a dehydrator. They will last for several months if thoroughly dried.

Few Health Benefits Of Figs

• Sexual Weakness- Figs can be beneficially used in the treatment of sexual debility. They can be supplemented by other dry fruits like almonds and dry dates along with butter.
• Relieving Hypertension- Deficiency of potassium or low intake of potassium-rich foods can lead to high blood pressure. Figs are very good source of potassium which helps to control high blood pressure.
• Curing Asthma- Figs are considered beneficial in the treatment of asthma. Phlegmatic cases of cough and asthma are treated with success by their use. It gives comfort to the patient by draining of the phlegm.
• Skin Care- Mash about fresh figs and them on your face and leave for 10 to 15 minutes. This is useful for treating acne and pimples.
• Curing Diabetes-Because figs are rich in potassium, it helps in regulating blood sugar. This is beneficial for people who are diabetics. Also, people whose diet is sodium may suffer form urinary calcium loss. The high potassium content in figs, helps in prevention of this.

Fresh Fig and Almond Fumble Recipe

Ingredients

• 200 g soft ripe figs, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp ground almonds
• 6 tbsp wholemeal spelt flour (or any flour)
• 3 tbsp oats
• 3 tbsp flaked almonds
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 pots Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• about 4 large tbsp fig compote in each serving

Directions

• Put the figs, honey and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium and simmer until it resembles a jammy compote. About 3-5 minutes. Leave to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking sheet with parchment. 
• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Using a fork, mix in the olive oil and honey the using your fingers make it resemble crumble. 
• You should make lots of clumpy crumble lumps. 
• Spread the crumble out in one layer on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes but keep an eye on it incase it burns. 
• It depends how big your clumps are as to how long it will take. It should be nicely browned. Now leave it to cool.
• When the compote and crumble mix have cooled, mix the yoghurt and vanilla in a bowl and swirl through the compote. Taste it and add some honey if you think it needs it but remember the crumble is going on top.
• Pour into serving dishes and top with a generous handful of crumble mix. You may have to crumble it more if you have large clumps.