How to Plant a Fig Tree in the Ground
If you want to plant a fig tree in the ground there is something you should know: fig trees like to have their roots restricted.
Often you’ll see figs grown in pots which is a great way to restrict growth. But what if you want to plant a fig tree in the ground?
Fig (Ficus carica) comes from Asia and is a member of the mulberry family. Fig trees grow well in a range of climates and soils and can even be grown outdoors in the UK in a sheltered garden or against a south facing wall.
Figs grow ‘true’ and are not grafted like other fruits (apples, cherries, pears). This means that they can grow like stink if you’re not careful.
And if your fig tree is focusing on growing, guess what? It’s not going to give you many figs. So you need a way to stop it growing so much and give you some darn fruit.
Which is where root restriction comes in.
Restrict Roots for Lots of Fruits
How do you like my slogan? Catchy isn’t it? The easiest place to grow your fig tree is in a large pot. But what if you want to plant your fig tree in the ground? Can it be done?
Yes, in a word. But you must find a way to restrict that root growth. The easiest way to do this is by building a fig pit.
Here’s what you will need:
- A wall, preferrably South facing
- A spade or shovel
- Three 60x60cm (2ftx2ft) slabs
- Broken pots or rubble
- Compost or manure
- A fig tree (duh)
Step 1: Dig Your Pit
When you dig your pit, it should be slightly larger than 60×60 as you’ll need room to place your slabs. Dig down to around 40-50cm but no futher (I’ll explain why soon).
Keep the soil to one side, you’ll need it in a minute.
Step 2: Place Your Slabs and Add Rubble!
Warning: A 60×60 stone slab is heavy. Be careful of finger trapping and your back. Get someone (probably not your four year old son) to help if you need it.
Place the slabs so that it forms a square pit. Back fill behind the slabs with a little soil to keep them upright. Make sure the slabs are proud of ground level.
If not, the figs roots could trail over the top, defeating the purpose of all your hard work.
Throw in a good layer of rubble and broken flower pots. This should be deep enough to stop any fig roots reaching the soil underneath – 10-15cm should do it.
I couldn’t dig any deeper as I’d hit the foundations of my house!
Step 3: Fill with Soil/Compost Mix
Start to add the soil back into the pit. Add compost, well rotted horse manure or pelleted chicken manure for extra nutrients and mix.
Once you’ve reached a good depth, place your fig, giving it a bit of distance from the wall. Add more soil/compost mix and firm in.
Finally give your tree a good drink of water (and have one yourself – you’ll need it).
How to Plant a Fig Tree in the Ground: Root Restriction is a Must
Anyone who told you ‘figs can’t be grown in the ground’ was lying to you. They can. And they will produce fruit.
But they’ll only produce the amount of fruit you want with root restriction. So, if you want to plant a fig tree in the ground, it really needs to be in a pit.
When it comes to fig varieties for growing outdoors in the UK, Brown Turkey is a very hardy variety. I live in Scotland where it’s cold and wet for 6 months of the year and my Brown Turkey fig is doing great.
Figs taste great in a salad or grilled on the barbecue with goats cheese and focaccia (a type of Italian flat bread).
Fruit trees are also an excellent way to get your kids involved and interested in growing their own food.
Neil
P.S. If you enjoyed this, you’ll like my new book The Self Provisioner which is out now:
Thanks for this info
No problem Jim. Thanks for reading and commenting. It’s a couple of years since I wrote that post and my fig tree is doing great – figs every year!
Hi! Neil
Interesting article, thank you. However, having had a fig tree in a wooden tub root through the tub and the brick paving it was standing on I don’t understand how a layer of rubble will do the job!
Will be interested to hear your comment.
Best regards
Richard
Hi Richard, the point of planting it in a box or between slabs like in my example is to restrict the roots, not necessarily stop them altogether. The root restriction stresses the tree which causes it to fruit more. Try it and let me know how you get on.
Neil,nice artilce,however,figs can’t
be grafted
Hi Dylan, thanks for commenting although I think you’re only half right. Most figs grow ‘true’ from stem cuttings so grafting isn’t normally necessary to produce a new tree. It is possible to graft a fig tree but it’s uncommon. Since I wrote this article though I’ve learned that as my fig tree was bought in a B&Q garden centre, it probably wasn’t grafted. The ‘graft point’ in the picture is probably a pruning cut to stimulate side growth.
Hi, thank you for this. I bought a fig tree and was researching on how to plant it in the ground. Your advice is very insightful!
I couldn’t dig a big enough pit due to pipes and walls so it’s perhaps 40cm square. Do you think this is big enough to allow the tree to attain a decent size? I wanted to grow and train it up a garage wall.
Hey Kayleigh – thanks for reading and for your comments. A 40cm square pit is probably just fine and the tree will grow fine. I was speaking to someone from Italy this last week and she said that the worse you treat a fig tree, the better they grow so it sounds like yours will do just fine!
Hey Neil, it would really be helpful if you could add a picture of how the fig grew over three years! It doesn’t matter that it’s wintertime, your “before” picture doesn’t have any leaves either.
Also it would be great if you updated how long it took to get the first fruits.
Thanks,
Thom
Hi Thom, that’s a good idea. I’ll do that this year. Last winter was a really tough one for my poor fig tree and it suffered and didn’t produce any fruit or many leaves. But the year before that was great. I don’t remember exactly but I think I got fruit 2 years after planting it into the ground in the picture.
is Tiger Stripe fig suitable for a Somerset south wall? Does it produce well? It is rather late…just shooting now, 22nd May
Hi Katherine. It might struggle a big as it looks like it’s a hot variety though your climate in Somerset is probably a bit warmer than up here in Scotland. I grow ‘Brown turkey’ which is a known variety for colder climates/outdoors but there’s ‘Black bursa’ too though it’s not suitable for outdoors in Scotland. If you planted now you probably won’t get any fruit until next year unless it’s very mild where you are. That’s not a reason not to though. Let me know how you get on.
Hello, I have a collection of fig trees in lots , my mum took from cuttings, she liked be a figs, now she can’t look after them, they are in green house.I am wondering if it okay to restrict plant one outside her bungalow as you suggest, if restricted will it damage foundations? Thanks
Hey Deena, it shouldn’t damage the foundations. Mine is right next to the house and I’m not worried. They don’t grow that quick. If you are worried, you could add a slab at the back so the roots are restricted all the way round.