Fig Growing in the South

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Agriculture Handbook No. 96

ii.S. ïFT. F GRICUL'URC LIBRARY

I AUG9-Î961 'î-'ENT tRIAl E C O R D ]

FIG GROWING IN

THE SOUTH

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Grcwih T h r ough Agricultural Pr o g r e s s



C O N T E N T S Botany and classification Varieties

Identifying varieties Selecting varieties Common southern varieties.

Miscellaneous varieties Soils.

Page

1

2

2

4

5

7

Temperature elations Growing season emperatures Dormant season temperatures.. Methods of protection from

cold

9

9

10

10

Establishing he orchard 1 Propagating 1

Spacing and planting 2 Training to tree and bush forms. 4

Page

Managing he orchard 5 Cultivating S

Mulching 6

Cover crops 7

Fertilizing 7

Water equirements 8 Pruning 8

Causes of unfruitfulness 9 Fig pests and diseases 0 Insects and mites 0 Nematodes 1

Other pests 3

Diseases 3

Handling fresh fruit 5 Processing 5

Varieties for processing 6 Stage

of maturity

6

Picking 6

Peeling 6

(

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S Pictures f he unt ig nd nformation oncerning t ere urnisfied y

Dr. . . 'Rourke, r., f he ouisiana gricultural xperiment tation. Much echnical nformation oncerning he istory nd roduction f igs was obtained rom he numerous works of Dr. ra . Condit, Subtropical orticulturist Emeritus of he California Agricultural Experiment Station.

This Handbook contains nformation of the ype formerly presented n Farmers' Bul-

letin No. 031, Fig Growing n he South Atlantic and Gulf States.

Washington, D.C. Issued June 1961

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government rinting Office,

Washington 25, D.C. — Price 15 ents



3 1 1

FIG GROWING N THE SOUTH By A. H. Krezdorn and G. W. Adriance

The ig Ficus carica L. s native

to Caria, n sia inor. t e-

longs o he enus Ficus, roup

of

lants

ncluding

rees,

hrubs,

and limbers, hich ave ilky

juice or atex.

Frequent eferences o he ig are made n he ible, nd t s

also ictured n gyptian iero-

glyphics. t s dapted o he

temperate egions nd as een

( ighly steemed nd widely ulti-

( vated for centuries in most countries

in he Mediterranean area.

In he United tates, he irst

figs pparently ere rought o

Parris

sland,

.C.,

here

hey

were eported rowing n 577.

Two years ater hey were eported

from Saint Augustine, Fla. n 1621 figs were ntroduced from he Ber-

mudas o irginia, nd n 62 9

they were reported nourishing there.

Figs were ntroduced nto Mexico

in 560, nd rom here nto California and Texas.

BOTANY AND CLASSIFICATION The ig ruit iffers trikingly

from most ther ruits n everal

ways hat elate istinctly o problems of production.

In most lants he ruit s he

matured vary f ingle lower.

The ig, owever, s ot imple

fruit; nd pinion iffers s o ts

true structure. arly investigators

considered the fig a fleshy, enlarged

receptacle earing lowers n he

interior urface. ore ecent

evidence indicates that the enlarged,

fleshy portion s ctually ollow

peduncle, r ruit tem. t s known otanically s yconium.

In ny vent, he ain dible

portion f he ig s ot varian

tissue; nd o t s n ccessory fruit. he minor portions re he

remains f he lowers nd mall,

gritty tructures ommonly alled

seeds. hese o-called eeds re

either he rue ruits r he hard-

ened alls f nfertilized varies

that failed o develop.

Hormones, roduced s esult

of sexual fertilization following pol-

lination, re necessary n rder for

most pecies f ruits o nlarge

and mature. ome varieties of figs

require sexual fertilization and some

' Dr. Krezdorn is Head, Department of Fruit Crops, University of Florida (formerly

Associate Horticulturist, Texas Agricultural nd Mechanical College); Dr. Adriance

is Head, Department of Horticulture, Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College.



AGR. HANDBOOK 19 6, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

do ot. he atter re alled

parthenocarpic varieties.

Figs re ivided nto our ypes

based n he inds f flowers nd

the need for pollination nd ertil-

ization. hese re: he apriñg,

the Smyrna, he ommon, nd he

San Pedro.

Capriñg.—The aprifig ype s

inedible. ll ther ypes re d-

ible. he aprifig as ale r

staminate flowers as well as female

flowers n he avity f he ruit. The ollen s ransferred rom he

caprifig o he edible ig by he ig

wasp lastophaga senes .

The wasp atches n he ruit f

the aprifig, scapes hrough he

eye of the fruit, and then enters the

eye f he dible Smyrna-type ig

in an attempt o ay eggs. n his way the pollen with which the wasp

is overed s ransferred o he e-

male flowers.

Smyrna.—The myrna ype

bears only pistillate or female lowers nd equires pollination o develop he mall, ry, rue ruits

and he enclosed seed.

Common.—The hird ype, he

common ig, develops ts fruits par-

thenocarpically. aturally, rue

seeds uch s re ound n he

Smyrna type are not present in the

common ype. arieties ecom-

mended or he South re n his

group.

San Pedro.—The last mportant

type of fig s he San Pedro. his

type ears wo rops, s o ome

varieties of the other ypes, one on

the ood roduced he revious

year nd he ther n he xils f

the leaves of the new growth. he

first rop f he an edro ype sets arthenocarpically, ut he

second rop equires ollen rom

the caprifig.

VARIETIES Two eneral roblems oncern-

ing varieties ace ig growers—cor-

rect dentification, nd selection f

the best variety for the area and for

its intended use.

IDENTIFYING VARIETIES

A iven ig variety s ften old

under everal ifferent ames. Sometimes nursery offers a given

variety for sale under wo or more

names. his as aused uch

confusion.

The agnolia ariety, s t s

known hroughout he South, was

introduced as Madonna from Eng-

land, where the name was later

changed o runswick. t as

named Magnolia n Texas when tree eddler rroneously old large umber f ig rees for rna-

mental agnolia rees. n ali-

fornia, he Magnolia variety is cor-

rectly known as Brunswick, but the

fruit as ometimes een rrone-

ously marketed s Brown Turkey. The true Brown Turkey is widely

grown in the South under that name

and was o ntroduced rom Eng-

land. owever, n he past t has

frequently been sold as Brunswick.

In California, the San Piero variety

is ometimes mistakenly isted s

Brown Turkey. Sometimes the



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH

San iero s old s alifornia

Brown Turkey and he rue Brown

Turkey as Eastern Brown Turkey.

Another confusing varietal name

is he Everbearing, lso nown s Texas verbearing, amsey, nd

Harrison. rom he standpoint of

fruit nd ree haracteristics, his

variety s dentical ith rown

Turkey.

To void onfusion, he varietal

names most common o he South

will e sed n he ext f his

handbook. ome ynonyms re included n he escriptions f he

varieties.

Two actors make t ifficult o

describe nd dentify g arieties.

First, some varieties bear two crops:

One, nown s he reba rop, s borne n he eafless revious

season's wood; he other, known as

the econd r main rop, s orne

in he xils f he eaves f he

current eason's wood. igs rom

these wo rops ary trikingly.

Second, the appearance of partheno-

carpic arieties s hanged on-

siderably when hey re apriñed.

Nevertheless, ig varieties re est

identified by heir fruit characteris-

tics. ince he reba rop s f

minor significance n he South and

caprification

s

ot

racticed,

e-

scriptions will e ased n ain

crop, uncaprified fruit.

The fruit shape may be spherical

(round), urbinate top-shaped),

oblate flattened n oth nds),

or pyriform (pear-shaped). t may

also be lopsided or oblique. The basal portion f he ruit s

is sometimes a distinguishing feature

because of its length.

An pening t he pex, which

is ined with cales, s alled he

eye nd eads o he ruit avity. The ye aries n ize. n ome

varieties t s arge nd pen nd

in thers mall nd losed y

overlapping scales.

Flowers re orne n he avity

wall nd, ogether with ortion

of

his

all,

onstitute

he

ulp.

The pulp may vary rom white o

amber to some shade of red or pink,

the ast enerally eing escribed

as trawberry olored. he e-

mainder f he wall s alled he

meat, and t s usually white.

The

ndeveloped

rue

ruits

re

contained n he ulp nd re

sometimes hard nd ritty. hey

are ommonly alled eeds, nd

this term will be used in the

EY E

PX-1038

FIGURE .—Diagrammatic ongitudinal

cross section of a common type fig fruit.

Female flowers line the cavity, and scales

line the eye. aprifigs would have male



AGR. HANDBOOK 196, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

varietal escriptions ven hough

no fertile seeds are contained.

The kin f he ruit ay e

green, ellow, ronze, iolet, ark

purple,

r

lmost

lack.

he sur-

face s ften ibbed r orrugated.

Because there are several distinct

leaf hapes, uch ttention as

been iven o eaves s dentifying

features. owever, no variety can

be dentified n he asis f eaf

type lone. n ree f iven

variety, everal eaf ypes ill occur, lthough ne ype will re-

dominate. lso, everal arieties

may ave he ame eneral eaf

shape. evertheless, the leaf shape

can e sed o elp erify n

identification based on he fruit.

An early classification isted ive

leaf types: Okra, oak, maple, grape,

and poonbill. hese ames re

rather escriptive nd more seful

to he rower han ore recise

taxonomic erms.

SELECTING VARIETIES

For

he

South,

usceptibility

o

souring nd plitting, old esis-

tance, and ability to set large

PN-1039

FIGURE .—Variation n eaf ype c-

curring on a single Celeste ree. qual

variation s common n other varieties.

parthenocarpic crops are of ara-

mount importance.

A umber f arieties re x-

cellent as fresh fruit and make good

quality reserves. owever, or

commercial se, igs with he ol-

lowing characteristics are preferred:

They hould e edium-large,

should eel asily nd old o-

gether ell hen ooked, hould

be elatively eedless, nd hould make ight-colored anned nd

preserved product.

PN-1040

FIGURE .—The redominant eaf ypes ccurring n he hree ig arieties ost

commonly rown n he South, rom eft o ight re Celeste broad-lobed rape leaf), Magnolia (okra eaf), and Brown Turkey (grape eaf).




FIGURE 4.—Fruits of the Brown Turkey Everbearing) variety.

COMMON SOUTHERN VARIETIES

Brown Turkey (Lee's Perpetual,

Eastern Brown Turkey, Bruns-

wick, Ramsey, Harrison, Texas Ever-

bearing, Everbearing).—Leaves

3- to 5-lobed of rape leaf ype; i fruit medium-sized, urbinate; usu-

r ally without neck; eye medium

open; kin ronze; ulp m.ber o

pink; seeds few, soft; moderate

vigor; mall reba rop; arge ec-

i . ond crop matures from mid-July

i ^ until ate n he season; resh fruit

] quality good; makes an excellent

home preserve. mall ommercial

acreages are grown for local market.

Celeste Celestial, Blue Celeste,

Celeste iolette, ugar, mall

Brown, alta).—Leaves - o -

lobed, primarily with 3 broad obes

of he rape eaf ype; ruit mall,

pear-shaped ith apering eck

and lender talk; ye losed; kin

light rown o iolet ronze; pulp

strawberry pink; seeds small, hardly

noticeable; fruit droops at maturity

and s ery esistant o ouring

and plitting; arely produces re-

FlGURE 5.—Fruits of the Celeste variety. Note closed eye.



AGR. HANDBOOK 196, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE 6.—Fruits of the Green Ischia variety.

bas ut as ery eavy ain

crop; ipens ith rown urkey

but as horter eason; resh

quality xceptionally ood; re-

served uality xcellent ut ark

colored; most widely rown oor-

yard ariety n he South; ew

preserved or the pecialty market.

Everbearing.—Widely rown

under his ame ut pparently

the same as the Brown Turkey.

Green schia Ischia reen,

Ischia,

erte).—Leaves

onlobed

to -lobed f aple eaf ype;

fruit edium-small, urbinate o

pyriform; ye losed; kin right

green; ulp ivid trawberry ed;

seeds umerous nd oticeable;

like eleste, roops t aturity

and s esistant o ouring nd

splitting; arely roduces rebas; main rop arge nd matures ate,

about ugust ; resh uality

good; reserves ark nd eeds

somewhat bjectionable; rimarily

used s ooryard ariety ut

some sold locally.

Hunt.—Leaves - o -lobed;

fruit small to medium, pear-shaped;

neck short; talk ong and slender,

allowing he ruit o roop; kin

dull ronze with white lecks nd

a istinct loom; ye losed; pulp

amber o pink; seeds few; very few

brebas; resh ruit uality ood;

somewhat imilar o eleste, ut

fruit is larger and yields are smaller;

planted to some extent in Louisiana

as a dooryard variety.

Kadota (Gentile, White Endich,

Dottato).—Leaves onlobed, - lobed, nd -lobed ut ending

heavily oward -lobed nd on-

lobed, nd arger han eleste;

fruit variable n size from mall o

medium-large, spherical to flattened

on both ends; sometimes with short,

thick neck ; eye open but sealed with

a drop of honeylike substance ; skin

rubbery nd right ellow n ot climate f exas ut reen n

cooler limates; pulp mber; eeds

few; produces moderate breba crop

and ery arge econd rop; e-

sistant to souring ; fresh fruit quality

fair to good ; makes excellent canned

and preserved product; not so com-

mon as other varieties in this group




PX-1044

FIGURE .—Fruit of the Hunt variety. Note he ong fruit stalk and

closed eye.

but should be more widely planted

in he rier arts f he outh.

Kadota s he ommercial anning

fig of California.

Magnolia (Madonna, Dalma-

tia, Brunswick).—Okra-type eaves

FIGURE 8.—Fruit of he Kadota variety.

Note rops f oneylike ubstance

have haracteristic ong, ingerlike

lobes that are most pronounced on

sucker ood nd eavily runed

trees; ruit medium-large, blique-

turbinate, opsided; kin olor

bronze; eck bsent; talk hick

and rominently wollen t ruit

base; ye pen; pulp ight mber;

seeds mall, lmost acking; mall breba rop; arge econd rop,

ripening over a long season if pruned

heavily; eak rower; oes ot

droop when mature nd plits nd

sours adly f eft ntil ull ma-

turity; resh ruit uality air;

excellent or anning nd reserv-

ing. agnolia s he ommercial

processing ig f exas nd s

widely lanted s ooryard a-

riety.

MISCELLANEOUS VARIETIES

Lemon.—Medium-sized; reen-

ish-yellow; ye pen; hite ulp; fairly conspicuous seeds; eportedly



8 AGR. HANDBOOK 196, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

FIGURE .—Fruits f he Magnolia Brunswick) ariety. Note pen ye.

European variety sometimes known

as White Marseilles n California.

Lemon was nce eading variety

in he outh, ut t s o onger

propagated o ny xtent ecause

of its mediocre quality and tendency to sour.

Thompson San iero, ali-

fornia Brown Turkey, lack an

Pedro, ig lack).—Fruit ery

large with dark purplish-black skin

fading o eddish-purple t he

neck; arge, pen ye; ulp pink

and undesirably coarse prior to full

maturity; sours badly in wet areas;

limbs tend to turn downward;

yields moderate nd uality nly

fair. hompson as nce uite

common s ooryard ariety n Texas ut s o onger idely

propagated.

Mission Franciscana).—Fruit

medium-sized, pear-shaped, with or

without a neck; eye usually closed;

skin lack; ulp mber o ight

pink; lavor ood; usceptible o

cold; production low. ission s a leading ariety n California oth

as fresh fruit and as a dried prod-

uct, but t s of little mportance in

the South oday.

S O I L S Fig rees re dapted o n x-

tremely wide ange of soils. atisfactory crops are produced on soils

ranging from coarse sand o heavy

clay, nd n cid oils s well s

those aving n lkaline eaction;

but ig rees re much more ro-

ductive n eep, ertile oams nd

on well-drained lluvial oils han

on infertile sands and poorly

drained, hallow oils. ig rees

are oderately olerant f aline conditions ut ay e eriously

damaged y elatively mall

amounts f lack lkali. hey

thrive n igh ime r alcareous

soils nd re ne f he ew ruits

that o ot how evere ime

chlorosis when grown on he black-

land prairie soils of Texas.




FIGURE 10.—Fruits of he San Piero California Brown Turkey) variety. alifornia

nurseries ometimes hip rees f his ariety o outhern rowers or he rue

Brown Turkey.

Fig trees normally have extensive

shallow-root systems, ut hey re

able o evelop eep oots where

the oil ermits. n exas, n

Lake harles lay, oots f he

Magnolia ariety ere ound o

have 0-foot oot pread, ith

roots penetrating as deep as feet.

An extensive system of feeder oots

was found close o he surface. In

California, ig oots ave een

found at a depth of 2 0 feet. hese

deep oots re very mportant, s-

pecially uring rought. er-

meable, ell-drained lay ubsoils

are preferred, s hey etain mois-

ture nd ermit eep ooting.

Deep ands lso permit eep oot-

ing, ut nematode amage n such

sands s generally serious.

TEMPERATURE ELATIONS The ig as haracteristics f

both ropical nd emperate one

plants; owever, ow emperatures

are enerally ore imiting han

high ones.

GROWING SEASON

TEMPERATURES

High summer emperatures favor

vegetative growth. ptimum tem-

peratures or ruiting nd ruit

quality re ot o ell efined.

Satisfactory ruiting f ome varieties ccurs ven n he ool

Figs mature apidly n he Gulf

Coast area during hot, humid days

and arm ights. nder hese

same onditions, he agnolia

variety produces n xcellent an-

ning ruit. aximum empera-

tures n his rea ommonly ange

from 5° o 00° F. nd lightly

above.

Consistent ay emperatures

much bove 00° . ause re-

mature ipening nd oughness.

Excessively hot, ry periods esult in a heavy fruit-drop of the Celeste



10 AGR. HANDBOOK 19 6, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

DORMANT SEASON

TEMPERATURES

In he South, ig rees enerally

lose heir eaves n he ate fall and

early winter nd ecome ormant for everal onths. hen ully

dormant, hey will withstand on-

siderable cold. he ability o sur-

vive ow emperatures epends n

the variety, ree condition, ype of

wood, and degree of dormancy.

From he tandpoint f ctual

wood amage, he Celeste ariety

is omewhat more hardy han re

Brown Turkey, Magnolia, Kadota,

and reen schia. ission nd

Hunt re eportedly omewhat

more usceptible o old han re

other ommon arieties. ature

trees

f Celeste

re

arely

njured

at 0° o 5 ° F. f fully ormant,

and hey have withstood empera-

tures lose o °. rown Turkey,

Magnolia, nd adota roduce

reasonably ood rops n ucker

wood; ut Celeste, reen schia,

Lemon, and Mission do not. ail-

ure o produce n uch wood s decided arietal eakness here

freeze damage s common.

Young rees and sucker wood of

older rees are more usceptible o

freeze amage han re ld rees

and he lower rowing ew wood

of mature rees. he more succu-

lent ood esulting rom evere

pruning s also more susceptible o

cold han hat f npruned rees.

Plants prematurely defoliated by

fig rust or drought are considerably

more usceptible o reeze amage

than thers nd may e amaged

by emperatures no ower han 5 °

to 20° F.

Fig rees re xtremely uscep-

tible o ow emperatures n he

spring and fall.

pring frost

dam-

age o reas round he uds and

to he ambial ells ay ccur

without damage o he wood tself;

however, leaves and fruit are under-

sized n uch imbs nd he imbs

ultimately die.

FIGURE 1.—Limb on eft was amaged

by old. hort, weak ranches har-

acteristically orce ut nd may lti-

mately die. he vigorous shoot on he

right arose from an undamaged limb.

METHODS OF PROTECTION FROM COLD

In ommercial rchards ittle s

done o rotect ig rees gainst

cold. oung rees re ometimes

wrapped with orn talks, ut r-

chard eaters re ot ommonly

used.

In cold climates several methods

of rotection re sed y ome

gardeners nd mall rowers. n England nd he nited tates

some igs are grown in greenhouses.



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 11 Some are grown in pots or tubs and

stored n ool ellars uring he

winter. he rown urkey nd

Magnolia varieties re particularly

suited o this practice.

In moderately old limates igs

can be trained against he southern

exposure f alls s an-shaped

espaliers. hey can also be grown

in protected places s ow ushes.

Another way o protect ig rees

in old reas s o prune he ut- ward rowing aterals n he all,

cut the top down, and ie the bran-

ches together. he trees should be

wrapped with several layers of

paper nd with olyethylene ilm

and he ases mounded with oose

soil. his rotective overing

should e eft n ntil he ollow-

ing spring.

A more elaborate procedure hat

is uitable nly with well-drained,

light-textured oil s o ead he

bush at o 2 nches and o keep

all ut he ow ranches runed

off. n he late fall or early winter

the limbs should be bent down, any remaining ruit or eaves emoved,

and he ntire plant overed with

soil. he oil hould e emoved

in he spring.

ESTABLISHING HE ORCHARD PROPAGATING

Fig rees re propagated n our

ways: By cuttings, by air layers, by

graftage budding nd rafting),

and by seeds.

Cuttings hould e made n he

late winter rom he previous ea-

son's growth. owever, any wood

up to or 3 years old and not over

% nch n iameter an e sed.

Immature wood s pithy nd len-

der and should not be used. ate-

maturing wood t he erminals of

the revious eason's rowth s sometimes amaged y ow winter

temperatures nd hould ot e

used for cuttings.

Cuttings o 0 nches long are

made ith runing hears. he

basal cut should be made just below

a oint r ode. n well-drained

soil, he cuttings are rooted directly

in he nursery ow or n he garden

FIGURE 2.—Fig cuttings A" nd

are from

vigorous

growth

and

will

well and grow fast. Cuttings "Cfrom weak, spindly growth. They

1049

"B"

root

are

root




that nly he op ud emains

aboveground. he oil hould e

kept moist but not excessively wet.

Cuttings ooted n ell-drained

soil nd iven dequate oisture make remendous rowth. he

Everbearing ariety ften ro-

duces ew igs he ame um-

mer it is ooted.

Home ardeners an oot heir

cuttings n ontainers illed ith

well-drained nd well-aerated oil.

The uttings hould e planted o

as to leave only he op bud above-

ground. he basal end of the cut-

ting hould e lightly bove he

bottom f he ontainer. oles

should be made n he container o

assure roper rainage. he ut-

tings should

be watered

when

hey

are placed in the container and again

when hey have eafed out. fter

that hey may be watered ike any

other potted plant.

Figs an e ropagated uring

the growing season by rooting leafy

cuttings under mist or by air layer-

age. he se of hese procedures, however, s seldom warranted.

To make n ir ayer, ing f

bark % inch wide should be removed

from a arge wig or mall branch.

Moist phagnum oss hould e

placed ver he ounded rea

and covered with polyethylene film,

and he film should be ied at both

ends.

Fig rees can also be propagated

by several methods f raftage, n-

cluding he patch bud, he T-bud,

and he ark raft. owever, his

type of propagation s seldom used.

Fig rees

an

e

propagated

y seed from hose ypes hat produce

PX-1060

FIGURE 13.—Rooted cutting of fig. ote

rooting t he oints r nodes nd he

vigorous shoot.

seed ormally nd rom partheno-

carpic ypes f properly pollinated.

The esulting plants ontain har-

acteristics of both he male and the female arents. ropagation y

seed s f value nly o he plant

breeder.

SPACING AND PLANTING

In ommercial rchards igs re

spaced nywhere rom 0 y 0 to 2 0 by 2 0 feet. The more



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 13 common pacings ange rom 5 by 0 o 0 by 0 feet.

Where mall creages re rown

in he more rid reas, he 0- y

20-foot

pacings

hould

e

sed

unless irrigation is available. ven

wider pacings re equired n

very ich lluvial soils, f he rees

are ot ept mall y pruning.

For ooryard lantings, igs

should ot e et lose o uch

plants s ulberry, hinaberry,

hackberry, lm, lack ocust, nd

privet ecause hese lants orm

very ense, idespread, hallow

root ystems hich ompete

strongly for moisture and minerals.

For est esults, ushes hould e

planted here hey eceive ull

sunlight most f he ay. here

fig rees or bushes are o be grown

against he ide f uilding, southern

exposure

s best.

Fig rees hould e lanted

during he ormant eason, nd

the ime f lanting epends o

some extent n he everity of he

winter. arly inter lanting s

advantageous in the South, because

root rowth s ade uring he

mild winters; and a well-established

root system can be developed prior

to eafing out. ate winter plant-

ing s est n old reas ecause

this reduces the possibility of freeze

damage.

FIGURE 14.—Large fig tree growing next to the south side of a house.

PX-1051

Protection from




Unlike most rees, igs should be

set r 4 nches deeper han hey

were rown n he ursery. his

protects hem gainst esiccation

and old. ertilizers hould ot be dded ntil r weeks fter

the plants have leafed out.

TRAINING TO TREE AND BUSH FORMS

Trees btained rom ursery

have sually een rained o single eader. f a ree form s o

be eveloped, bout ne-third f

the eader s cut off when he ree

is lanted. uring he rowing

season he asal prouts re ept

pruned off, and three to five

scaffold r main ranches re l-

lowed o evelop t eight

compatible ith ultivating nd

harvesting.

In he South early ll igs re trained to the bush form or develop

into bushes either because hey are

left unpruned or because hey have

been rozen o he round. o

obtain ell-formed ush, he

young plant should be headed back

to bout alf ts eight t he

time f lanting nd llowed o

grow ne eason. prouts row

out rom he ase f he ain leader; nd, uring he inter following lanting, hree o ight

vigorous, upright, widely spaced

PN-1062

FIGURE 15.—Fig rained o ree form. Frequent freeze damage n he South makes it

difficult o maintain his form.



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 15

PN-1053

FIGURE 6.—Figs rained o he bush form. Bushes have been frozen o he ground

several imes.

sprouts should be selected as leaders. Special are hould e aken ot

to elect prout hat ends o

turn downward or grow parallel o

the round. t s xtremely m-

portant that he eaders be paced

far nough part o llow hem o increase to 3 to 4 inches in diameter

without rowding. f he eaders

are rowded t he ase, ne r

more ay plit ff uring igh

winds.

MANAGING HE ORCHARD Fig rees re nlike ther e-

ciduous fruit trees in that the shoots

continue o longate o ong s

environmental onditions or

growth re avorable. oreover,

fruit continues

o set

n

he axils

of

the ew eaves hroughout he

growing eason. For this eason,

conditions avorable or hoot

elongation hould, f ossible, e

maintained throughout the summer.

CULTIVATING Fig orchards should be cultivated

lightly ecause many eeder oots

are near he surface, and hey may



16 AGR. HANDBOOK 196, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

PN-1064

FIGURE 17.—Closely spaced leaders often esult in splitting during stress of high winds.

be damaged f deep illage s used.

Light ultivation s ecessary o

break p urface rusts aused y

heavy ains ollowed y ntense

sunlight. eeds hould e on-

trolled o onserve oisture. f low branches are allowed to develop

parallel o he round, ultivation

close o he ase f he ree s difficult.

MULCHING

Mulches f hay, orn cobs, ine

needles, sawdust, and other types of

coarse rganic matter ave een

used with figs; and he results have

been xcellent. eports rom

Georgia nd ther arts f he

South how n ppreciable n-

crease n size of fruit as well as an

increase n ield nd egetative growth where mulches are used.

Mulching enerally esults n

exceptionally ood oil oisture,

temperature, and aeration. nder

a hay mulch, here s a eaching of

available mineral elements from the

slowly ecomposing rganic mate- rial. ulching lso elps ver-

come r revent he ll ffects f

nematodes.

Since nder mulch ome oots

grow on he surface of the soil, he

mulch hould e t east o inches deep and should extend from

the trunk to several feet beyond the

extremities of the branches. ow-

ever, good results are obtained even

where he ulch s laced nly

under he branches.

Mulching s ot sed om-

mercially o any xtent because of its high cost and also because of the fire azard. However, with oor-



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 17

FIGURE 8.—Commercial planting of Magnolia ig bushes.

long fruiting shoots.

PN-1055

Note stocky eaders and

yard plantings, mulching s highly

recommended.

COVER CROPS

Use of cover crops helps prevent

erosion y ater nd ind nd

helps

mprove

ater

enetration.

They should not be rown n com-

mercial rchards uring eriods

when oil moisture eficiencies re

likely.

A over rop hat s usceptible

to oot not ematodes hould

never be used as a cover crop n a fig orchard.

Consult your ocal ounty gent

for ecommendations s o he

specific cover crop o use.

FERTILIZING

Little esearch has been done on

the use of fertilizers for figs. owever, here s certain basic nforma-

Fig rees haracteristically ro-

duce ood rops nder ather ow

fertility evels. owever, n-

creased vigor and fruiting can often

be chieved y se f ertilizers.

This s articularly rue here

figs re rown n nfertile, andy soils nd where hey re rown n

competition with awn rasses nd

ornamental plants.

Fig rees abitually row

vigorously, and the leaves are large.

Below-normal eaf ize nd ermi-

nal rowth ndicate he eed or

fertilizing.

Fig rees hould e ertilized, n

general, as are other fruit trees such

as peaches nd plums, xcept hat ñg rees arely experience ron and

zinc deficiencies.

Nitrogen is usually the only min-

eral n short supply. or arge ig bushes, o '/2 pounds of nitrogen




winter r arly pring s enerally-

adequate; but more frequent appli-

cations may e equired n eavy

rainfall areas. his amount can be

increased or decreased as ndicated

by he ize f he ush nd he

response btained. n hose reas

where complete fertilizers are need-

ed, a mixed fertilizer applied n an

amount hat will ontain o /2 pounds of nitrogen should be used.

The

atios

f phosphorus

nd

o-

tassium to nitrogen should be about

the same.

Where ommercial creages re

concerned, onsult our State x-

periment tation or ecommenda-

tions.

WATER REQUIREMENTS For ighest ields, igs eed

large, ontinuous upply f water

throughout he ummer. his s

more mportant or Magnolia nd

Brown Turkey varieties, which tend

to ear ontinuously uring he

growing eason, han or Celeste,

which roduces ittle ruit n ate

summer and early fall.

Rainfall s sually ufficient n

the South o produce easonable

crop, ven when ack f water n

late summer and fall esults n dis-

continuance f hoot longation

and fruiting.

The ommercial agnolia r-

chards re ocated n reas where

the average rainfall is high and little

irrigation s used, lthough supple-

mental rrigation would requently

be beneficial.

The frequency and the amount of

irrigation vary according to the soil. Soils hat are shallow or ess eten-

tive of moisture need more frequent

irrigation. oisture s adequate if

shoot elongation continues and eaf

size s normal. n awns, he grass

beneath ushes r rees may wilt

in he heat, while he est f he

lawn does not. his ndicates he

need or ater. ome ig rees

grown n awn grasses need one or more waterings week uring he

summer. ooryard trees are some-

times overwatered,

and

his

esults

in yellowing and dropping of leaves.

From he standpoint of survival,

figs are surprisingly drought esist-

ant. uring severe droughts rees

will hed heir eaves efore wig

injury ccurs nd will o nto drought-induced ormancy. ub-

sequent ains often esult n a ate fall growth, nd his growth is like-

ly to be njured by. cold weather.

PRUNING

The main reasons for pruning are

to roduce echanically trong

bushes, o open he bushes to un-

light and air movement, to facilitate

spraying and harvesting, to lengthen

the harvest eason, nd o ake

cultivation easier.

Care should be aken n pruning

to cut back to a bud or lateral grow-

ing branch o avoid decay. run-

ing differs

somewhat

with

he vari-

ety; however, ll uckers nd ow - growing ateral branches should be removed. he enter hould e

thinned out o permit he entrance

of sunlight and air. his helps o control eaf and ruit iseases nd

makes spraying easier.

From he standpoint of pruning,

figs rown n he South fall loosely



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 19 into wo categories: 1) Those that will ot olerate eavy nnual

pruning nd 2) hose hat an e

pruned eavily nd till roduce

large crops.

The first roup ncludes Celeste,

Green schia, ission, and unt.

These varieties, with he exception

of Hunt, branch freely and produce

an bundance f aterals. ince

breba rops re nsignificant, igo-

rous, previous season's wood s not

needed. f he ranches re ut

back heavily, the resulting vigorous

sprouts are only ightly productive ;

and yield s severely educed. or

this group, nly eneral mainte-

nance type pruning is needed. his

includes eading he ree ack

occasionally o eep t n ounds, an nnual hinning ut f weak

growth in he center, and emoving

dead wood.

The Hunt variety produces ong,

unbranched rowth, which hould

be headed back o make t branch.

The Celeste variety ends o ro-

duce dense ush, nd he nside

growth should be hinned out.

The econd roup f arieties

includes Magnolia, Brown Turkey,

and Kadota. hese arieties will

produce ood rops ven f illed

to he round. hus, hey an

be pruned severely and still produce well. he main rop s produced

on ew wood, ut n ppreciable

breba crop will also be produced on

the old wood. hus, some vigorous

previous season's wood s desirable.

However, ith he xception f

Kadota, ooryard rees f hese

varieties re best handled similarly

Kadota oes ot ranch reely

and ften ruits xcessively n relation to the available leaf surface.

Heading ack ll igorous rowth

from ne-third o ne-half f ts length esults n ranching nd more favorable eaf-fruit ratio.

Commercially, Magnolia trees are

pruned ore eavily o acilitate

harvesting nd praying han re

dooryard rees. lso, he arvest

season s engthened ecause he

vigorous hoots hat esult rom

heavy runing ontinue o row

longer. onger arvest eriod

is mportant ecause early ll f

the rop s anned r made nto

preserves, nd t annot e roc-

essed conomically n hort

time. n he ther and, eavy pruning educes otal ield on-

siderably, nd smaller portion of

the rop s roduced arly n he

season hen rices re ighest.

In years past. Magnolia rees were

pruned ack nnually o hort

stubs. ow, ost rowers ead

back he previous eason's rowth

about ne-third o ne-half. his

lengthens he eason ppreciably

but oes ot educe otal yield o

drastically s oes ore evere

pruning. he bushes are kept ow

by frequently utting ack o p-

right rowing aterals hat rise from lder ood loser o he

ground. igorous uckers rising

from elow he round evel re

used o eplace ld eaders hat have become damaged.

CAUSES OF UNFRUITFULNESS

Fig rees generally produce arge

crops f ruit very ear. When




they do fail to produce a crop, t s

usually because f selection f un-

suitable arieties, iseases, r n-

favorable weather conditions.

Quite ommonly, rowers n he South istakenly urchase ari-

eties hat equire ross-pollination

(caprification). igs rom uch

trees ttain ppreciable ize ut

fall efore maturity. hese rees

should e emoved nd uitable

variety f he ommon partheno-

carpic) type planted. Fig rust causes the leaves to drop

off; and he fruit withers and fails

to mature, ither ecause f un-

burn r ack f ood roduced y

the leaves.

In eep, andy oils, ematodes

reduce he igor f he rees nd

fruiting is poor.

The ops f he rees re re -

quently rozen ack. ome ari-

eties ail o roduce n he ew

sucker ood. lso, he ood s

sometimes damaged

but not killed.

Fruit nd eaves re ormed, ut

the eaves re mall nd he fruit

fails to mature.

During xtremely ot eriods,

figs f he eleste ariety re - quently hed ortion f heir

crop rior o aturity. his s true ven when plentiful upply

of soil moisture s available.

Lack f oil moisture esults n

premature fruit-drop and a discon-

tinuance f rowth. ecause igs

are orne n he ew wood, otal

yield s educed f shoot rowth s stopped.

F IG ESTS ND ISEASES INSECTS ND MITES

The most serious insect pest of figs

in the South is he dried-fruit beetle

or our ug, arpophilus pp. These mall, lack eetles nter

the ruit avity hrough he ye,

and the micro-organisms they carry

produce ouring nd mut. e- lecting arieties hat ave losed

eyes t aturity r arvesting

before he yes pen ffords he

best rotection gainst hese

insects.

Two ther eetles ometimes

cause damage. he ig beetle Co- tinis exana asey ften auses

severe damage n he western part

of Texas. t s airly arge 0.75

to .3 nches ong), s elvety- green, nd feeds on fresh and dam-

, „ - . « » < * * * * ' ' •

PN-1067

FIGURE 19.—Dried-fruit beetle merging

from he ye of he fruit. his nsect

carries souring organisms.

aged ruits. t lso xcretes greasy ubstance hat uins he

fruit.

The green June beetle or ñg eater

Cotinis ítida L.) s ound throughout he South ut eldom



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 21 causes damage. t s similar o C.

texana ut s omewhat maller

and differs slightly n ts markings.

These nsects reed nder iles

of rass lippings, anure, nd other rganic rash. emoving

these reeding laces educes he

population ubstantially. lood-

ing he oil or 8 ours ills he

eggs and some arvae of C. exana. The itrus ealy-bug seudo-

coccus itri Risso) s ound n

areas where he winters re mild.

It ucks uice rom he ruit nd

secretes quantities f honeydew on

which the sooty mold fungus grows.

This ungus xcludes ight nd

hampers eaf function.

Mealy-bugs verwinter n eaf

trash t he ase f rees nd n cracks n he ark. hey an e

controlled y leaning p eaf

trash nd runing nd urning

infested parts.

Scale nsects, present ometimes

in he Gulf Coast area, uck uices

from

he

lants

nd

ause

ome

damage. praying ith -per;

cent dormant oil during he winter

controls hem ffectively. ow-

ever, natural predators will usually

control he cale efore erious

damage s one. here ew

small imbs f ooryard rees re

infested, runing nd urning he

infested parts are advisable.

The hree-lined g-tree orer

Neoptychodes rilineatus L.)

sometimes causes considerable dam-

age in Texas and Louisiana. t has

three calloped white tripes hat extend almost the full length of the adult beetle. amage is caused by

limbs, eeds ear he urface or

several months, nd hen urrows

deeply nto he wood.

Borers usually attack only weak

or amaged rees. hey an e controlled by maintaining vigorous

trees nd ushes nd y emoving

damaged branches.

The fig mite Aceria ficus (Cotte)

is mportant as a vector for he ig

mosaic irus. he tatus f his

mite n he outh s omewhat

clouded. n arly eport ndi-

cated he mite to be n Florida, but

the State lant Board as ever

recorded its presence. n the South,

numerous observations indicate that

there s no spread of the disease n

plantings where ccasional mosaic-

infected ushes re present. his indirectly ndicates he ack of he

fig mite n he South.

NEMATODES

The ig s xtremely sensitive o

root ematodes. he ost om-

mon damage

ssociated

with

hese

tiny worms is the root-knot or galls

caused y eloidogyne pp.

Other nematodes attacking fig roots

are ratylenchus offeae Zim-

mermann) oodey, richodorus Christiej llen, nd iphinema spp. hese ematodes esult n

various ypes f amage uch s

root esions, tubby oots, nd

root otting. ecause f he oot

distortion nd otting, he mpor-

tant functions of water and mineral

uptake nd onduction nd he

storage f ynthesized oods re

reduced. his esults n tunting and ecline. he amage ay



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 23 OTHER ESTS

Bird amage rom mockingbirds

and rackles s ometimes erious,

particularly with solated ig rees.

Where ommercial creages re involved, rganized hunts y ird

control ssociations elp. here

is no atisfactory ontrol or oor-

yard rees.

Gophers nd abbits, hile ot

causing idespread rouble, ay

cause erious amage n n ndividual rchard. ophers an e

controlled by rapping and poison-

ing. ommercial epellents ive

effective abbit ontrol hen

painted on tree runks. ndividual

trees may e protected y rap-

ping he runk with wire screen or

by using a paper ree wrap.

DISEASES

Undoubtedly the most widespread

fig disease n he South s ig ust,

Cerotelium ici Butl.) rth., disease aused y ungus whose

life cycle s not completely known.

The ungus s elieved o ver-

winter n he allen eaves rom

which he redospores re arried

to he young, eveloping eaves n

the spring. hese spores germinate

and ause mall, ellowish-green

spots n he eaves. he pots

enlarge slightly and urn yellowish-

brown, often with a reddish margin.

On he nderside f he pots,

pustules are formed from which the

fine, dustlike uredospores are again

emitted. hese uredospores esult

in dditional nfection f he ew,

tender leaves. ature tissue is not

PX-1058

FIGURE 20.—Fig rust. esions are on the

underside of the eaf, and sprays must

cover this surface if the disease is to be

controlled.

Infected eaves wither nd urn

brown. evere efoliation ften

occurs, preventing proper ruit de-

velopment nd aturation. he

fruit s ndersized nd ough r

falls prior to maturity.

Fig ust has een ontrolled or

many years by a 4-4-50 Bordeaux

spray. he pray s pplied when

the

irst

eaves

ave

xpanded

o

full size but have not yet hardened.

Additional prays re pplied o

the ater eveloping eaves t intervals f o weeks. hen

rainfall s articularly eavy nd

frequent, spraying at closer intervals

is necessary. t s very mportant

to pray he ndersides f he

leaves s well s he ops nd o



24 GR. HANDBOOK 196, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

time. There is no resistant variety

or rootstock and no known control. Anthracnose, aused y Glom-

erella cingulata (Ston.) Spauld. &

Schrenk, s isease f he ruit and foliage that is sometimes serious.

Often, he nly amage s he formation f unken, iscolored

areas on he fruit. t other imes

many of the fruits become shrunken

and all. he ffected reas f

the ruit re unken nd ray,

often ith ink pore asses n

the center.

Cercospera eaf pot, aused y

Cercospera ci eald. E olf,

sometimes appears n ate summer.

Irregular, reddish-brown spots form,

followed y ellowing f he leaf and

eaf drop.

Several minor iseases ound n the Gulf Coast area are closely

associated with the extremely humid

climatic conditions. Pink blight,

produced by Corticium salmoni- color Berk. 8E r., an e ecog-

nized by the dirty white to salmon-

pink incrustations of fungal mycelia on the twig. Thread blight, caused

by Pellicularia olerga Cke., is

evidenced by dark brown strands or rhizomorphs hat extend long he stem. Matted foliage hanging

from he wigs nd attached nly

by the rhizomorphs is an identifying symptom. Another species of Cor- ticium, C. microsclerotia Weber,

attacks fig trees and causes a

disease known as web blight.

Brownish, dead, and dying areas of

the eaf are covered with extremely

fine strands of rhizomorphs that may give the eaves a silvery sheen.

FIGURE 1.—Leaves t he ase f he

tree ere overed ith ordeaux

spray n une nd ig ust ontrolled.

As hoots longated, he ew eaves

were ot prayed nd ave allen

because of ig ust. eaves at he ips

of he hoots re nfected ut ave

not yet fallen.

So ong s n ppreciable mount of ew oliage s eveloping nd

the eather s onducive o he

spread f his isease, he prays

should be continued.

Fruit ouring s ery erious

problem rought n y acteria

and easts. t s ften ccom-

panied y smut" aused y he

fungus Aspergillus niger v. Tiegh.,

which ischarges masses f lack

spores n he avity f he ruit.

Both souring and "smut" organisms

are arried nto he fruit primarily

by he ried-fruit eetle, nd on-

trolling he nsect ontrols he disease.

Fig rees are very susceptible o

cotton root rot, Phymatotrichum omnivorutn Shear) ug. n some reas f Texas otton oot

rot s he imiting actor. he

roots re estroyed nd he ree or bush withers and dies n a short



FIG GROWING IN THE SOUTH 25 The wigs and sometimes the fruits

are overed ith umerous mall

brown bodies called sclerotia.

In general, raking up and burning

fallen eaves nd ruit, runing

infected wigs, nd voiding x-

cessively haded nd amp oca-

tions ill argely liminate he

various eaf spots and wig blights.

Where ig ust s ontrolled with

Bordeaux sprays, ther ungal eaf

spots nd lights re sually ontrolled also.

The only known virus disease f

figs s ig mosaic. he eaf symp-

tom s mosaic attern f ight

green reas hat ontrast harply

with he ormal reen f he eaf.

Sometimes the leaves are malformed.

Less pronounced ight reen pots

may or may not appear on the

fruits. ll eaves do not show he

pattern, nd sually production s

not noticeably affected. hile this

disease s widespread n California,

only solated cases have been found

in the South. ecently, shipments

of ig rees nto Florida rom he

Mediterranean area ave een e-

stroyed ecause hey arried he

mosaic virus. lorida State Plant

Board officials fear that some of the

many pecies f rnamental igs grown n that State might ecome

infected. everal rnamental pe-

cies ave een nfected ith he

virus y udding hem with uds

from he nfected dible ype.

This isease s ransmitted

through nfected cuttings and buds

and y he ig mite Acería icus (Cotte).

HANDLING RESH RUIT Ripe figs are extremely perishable

and are difficult o ship and handle

commercially n rdinary hannels of istribution or resh ruits.

The arger arieties ave een

shipped nd etailed n mall, lat,

wooden ontainers hat old nly

one ayer of fruit. he percentage

of oss n etail tores aused y

soft

ots

f various

inds

s

igh.

Small igs, articularly hose f

the Celeste type, have been handled

satisfactorily n int- nd uart-

sized erry ups. he eleste

stands up better than most varieties

because t s firm and ends o dry

out omewhat. or ocal se, t

can e andled with ood esults

when very

ipe.

PROCESSING Because resh igs an e ept

only a short ime without spoiling,

they are usually processed.

In he rid, rrigated ig reas

of the world, a arge portion of the

crop s sun dried nd marketed s

The atter product s sed argely

in he akery rade, hich on-

stitutes n mportant ommercial

outlet.

In he Southeastern States, igs

are tilized argely s ooked pre-



2 6 AGR. HANDBOOK 19 6 , U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE

because f he igh humidity nd

rainfall n his rea. ome igs

are also canned, frozen, and candied.

VARIETIES FOR

PROCESSING

A ood ommercial anning a-

riety hould have moderately arge

fruit with ew eeds. n ddition,

it hould peel asily, emain whole

when ooked, nd ake lear,

light-colored roduct. agnolia

and Kadota meet ll hese equire-

ments nd re he nly arieties

used o ny extent or ommercial

canning nd reserving, lthough

some eleste gs re reserved

with the stems attached and sold as

a specialty product. ll fig varieties

make ood preserves or home se.

STAGE OF MATURITY

For anning r preserving. Mag-

nolia igs re arvested while till

firm; ut hey hould ot e o

green and immature that the quality

of the inished product will e n-

ferior. s t pproaches maturity, the ruit

will

hange

n

olor

rom

a dull, dark green o a paler, ome-

what mottled green. he fruit ap-

pears nripe o he nexperienced

person, ut t ust e icked t this stage f it s o e irm nough

to retain ts hape n he ooking

process.

For ome reserving, igs re usually icked hen ully ipe.

They make very good preserves but do not emain whole.

PICKING

hands rom he rritating ilky

juice. icking uckets f - o

3-gallon apacity re sed. he

fruit s transferred from the buckets

to ooden ield oxes nd rans-

ported o the processing plant. o

prevent rushing, ough andling

should be avoided.

PEELING

In ommercial ractice, he ig

fruit

s peeled

by the use of lye,

and

only the very thin skin of he fruit

is emoved. he ruit s placed n

a vat f oiling ye water 1-per-

cent olution) nd llowed o e-

main bout inute; 0 o 0

seconds n -percent olution s

also satisfactory. here a stronger

solution, uch as percent, s used,

the ime nterval s o hort hat it s hard o obtain uniform esults;

and or his eason he ow on-

centration s preferred.

The aturity f he ruit n-

fluences he ime equired o eel

it y se f ye. enerally, he

riper he ig, he ess ime s e-

quired. t s ood ractice o test ew igs n he olution o

determine he ime eeded or

peeling.

Figs re sually peeled y hand

when aking ome reserves e-

cause f he austic nature f he lye solution.

Figs may lso e peeled y ip-

ping hem n oiling -percent

sodium bicarbonate olution or 5

to 5 econds, epending n he

Fig Growing in the South

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