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If I had room for just one tree in my yard, I would plant a fig.<\/h2>\nIf I had room for just one tree in my yard, I would plant a fig.<\/h2>\nWhy?\u00a0 Figs are beautiful, easy to care for, productive, and can be pruned to fit almost any space.\u00a0 The common fig,\u00a0Ficus carica,<\/em>\u00a0is native to the Middle East, but grows well in Central Texas with minimal care.\u00a0 At maturity, fig trees can grow up to 25 feet tall and wide, but can be pruned into almost any shape or size you desire while still producing a bumper crop of delicious fruit.\u00a0 The large, deeply lobed leaves and smooth muscular bark are unmistakable in the landscape, but the fruit is the main reason I (along with the squirrels and grackles) love them so much.\u00a0 Technically, common figs are\u00a0not a single fruit, but rather a fleshy stem with a whole lot of tiny flowers inside\u00a0called a\u00a0syconium<\/em>.\u00a0 This fact is significant because it means fig trees (at least the kind we grow here) do not need to be pollinated to bear fruit, can bear two crops in a single year, and will produce fruit\u00a0on the current season\u2019s growth.\u00a0 Consequently, you can prune fig trees pretty hard each\u00a0winter to maintain a compact form and\u00a0still harvest a crop\u00a0the same year. \u00a0Left alone, figs will\u00a0grow into sprawling shade trees perfect for kids to climb in.<\/p>\n Unlike most fruit trees, fig trees are not grafted.\u00a0 To grow a new fig tree, all you need to do is find a tree with fruit that you like that bears well in the summer.\u00a0 Remember where it is.\u00a0 In winter, cut off 2-3 small branches, about \u00bd to 1 inch thick and 12 inches long.\u00a0 Stick the cut end of the branches in a prepared spot in your yard or a pot of good dirt\u00a0with\u00a0the bud end pointing up. \u00a0Keep the cuttings well watered.\u00a0 In the spring, they will leaf out and begin growing.\u00a0 With any luck, at least one cutting will take root and begin growing. \u00a0You can use rooting hormone on the cut end if you like, but it isn’t necessary. \u00a0In May or June, you\u2019ll know which one is the strongest.\u00a0 Keep the strongest plant and remove the others. \u00a0Keep the young fig tree watered\u00a0for the first year or two\u00a0and before long you’ll have\u00a0a new fig tree!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greg has\u00a0earned a Master of Science in Geography from Texas State University, is an avid home gardener, and speaks fluent German. \u00a0He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, their two sons, one\u00a0dog, and a passel of goats and chickens.<\/em><\/p>\n Greg loves trees. \u00a0Especially, fig trees.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If I had room for just one tree in my yard, I would plant a fig. Why?\u00a0 Figs are beautiful, easy to care for, productive, and can be pruned to…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,49,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-featured-trees","category-newsletter","category-tree-care"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tFig trees are easy to propagate.<\/h2>\n
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Greg Mast is TreeFolks’ Community Forester and coordinates the TreeFolks NeighborWoods Program in addition to managing the organization’s\u00a0GIS and mapping needs for the Bastrop County Community Reforestation Program.<\/em><\/p>\n