Figs an an Oasis Tree. They Need Water When Producing Fruit

Q. I planted various fig trees that were very good producers in southern California, Los Angeles County to be exact. Here they have been planted for over 10 years and I have yet to pick and eat any fruit from any of the trees! The problem that I am experiencing is fruit drop off. The figs grow to a fifty-cent piece and then they drop off.

Figs need water when they produce fruit even if the tree looks fine.

A. At the University Orchard and elsewhere I grew nearly 12 varieties of figs, and all have done very well. As long as they get enough water. Figs are what I call an “oasis” fruit tree. They handle the heat and do well and produce fruit if water is available.

Hot, Then Water More Often

            However, this is the desert. Our desert has two major problems when growing fruit trees like figs: soil improvement and water. Figs produce basically two crops of fruit. These are classed as the “briba” crop and “main” crop. The briba crop is the earliest because it produces figs on last year’s growth. This is also the crop that fails each year if there is a late spring freeze.

Figs produce fruit in different stages. First is the early or 'Briba' crop. The second crop of figs are produced on growth from this year and called the 'Main' crop.

            But figs also produce a “second” crop later in the year called the main crop. This main crop of fruit starts growing late enough in the season that freezing weather has gone. It starts to produce figs early in the season when it starts getting hot. It gets hotter so the tree needs more water to produce its figs. It is confusing because the tree shows no signs it needs water because the leaves look fine! But the figs drop off because the tree needs water. Very confusing!

            Those are the keys to successful fig production. Give it a productive soil and apply a two-to-three-inch layer of surface mulch.  Water it more often in the early summer even though the tree doesn’t look like it needs it.