fig growing in LOS

[rice555]

Hello All, couldn't find a fig thread  to add to, so here's some pic's from

the May issue of Home Agrictural Magazine, as you see from the first

pic, there has been a Thai interest in Figs. And some of the new Thai

growing ideas.

The Wife's fig tree and some of the fruit.(pic was 10 min. ago)  and from

the pic's I see see needs to spray for bugs.

rice555

[Farang hunter]

Figs are very useful

[gomangosteen]

Hi, great topic and pics thanks; different varieties, but my late father was a keen fig grower on NZ's north island West coast, hardy trees they were about 120m from the sea. Don't recall any insect pest or disease problems, it was birds when they were ripening that were an issue. I had cuttings from his trees that grew well further inland.

 

Good luck with your growing project and look forward to progress report and more photos

[cooked]

I have two fig trees that originated as cuttings from Soidog's garden.

I believe that the ones that took were end cuttings of fairly ripe wood.

Anyway nothing much happened initially, after a year they started to grow as the rainy season started and I got one fig, which fell off.

No matter how much water I give, I only get fruit in any quantity when there has been a good tropical rain. I am trying to grow them as espalier bushes, with limited success as all I learnt training fruit trees goes for nought. On one picture a leaf is visible that is yellowing. This is rust and can be disregarded, I just collect them as they fall off, doesn't seem to make much difference. In the second picture a ripening fig is visible, changing colour and drooping; needs a day's sun to ripen.

The one in full sun does better than the one in partial shade. I intend to plant  many along a garden wall I just finished, about 50 metres, that should be financially interesting.

[khwaibah]

Looking good..

[CLW]

How is the taste of the figs grown in Thailand?

[JungleBiker]

Growing hydroponically in a greenhouse, as shown in the second image down from the top, can give 2 crops a year, and heavy crops - I think it was 80 tons/hectare that I read. Definitely worth trying I reckon.

[cooked]

3 hours ago, JungleBiker said:

Growing hydroponically in a greenhouse, as shown in the second image down from the top, can give 2 crops a year, and heavy crops - I think it was 80 tons/hectare that I read. Definitely worth trying I reckon.

The reason that you sometimes see figs growing in greenhouses is that the better cropping varieties need the presence of a particular wasp which enters the 'flower' in order to fertilise and then dies in there, to be eaten. There are two common varieties (I dunno, maybe there are more) that self fertilise and you don't have to worry about breeding wasps. I have one that turns purple  when ripe. I generally get a few figs a day off my two young trees and that's enough for me. They taste fine.

 

 

[FigFanatic]

Common figs growing in Thailand don't need a wasp to make fruit.  Greenhouses reduce the formation of rust on leaves during the rainy season.  We have almost 100 varieties growing here in our garden.

[djayz]

On 5/5/2017 at 5:46 PM, cooked said:

I have two fig trees that originated as cuttings from Soidog's garden.

I believe that the ones that took were end cuttings of fairly ripe wood.

Anyway nothing much happened initially, after a year they started to grow as the rainy season started and I got one fig, which fell off.

No matter how much water I give, I only get fruit in any quantity when there has been a good tropical rain. I am trying to grow them as espalier bushes, with limited success as all I learnt training fruit trees goes for nought. On one picture a leaf is visible that is yellowing. This is rust and can be disregarded, I just collect them as they fall off, doesn't seem to make much difference. In the second picture a ripening fig is visible, changing colour and drooping; needs a day's sun to ripen.

The one in full sun does better than the one in partial shade. I intend to plant  many along a garden wall I just finished, about 50 metres, that should be financially interesting.

Hi Cooked. 

I know this thread is a little older, but I was wondering how did your project to plant figs along your 50m long wall turn out? I'm asking purely out of curiosity. I have a few fig trees in Korat which are doing fine and giving us fruit on and off during the year (twice a year actually). 

At the moment they're growing in big pots, but I'm thinking of planting them in the ground as the roots are starting to grow out of the holes in the bottom of the pots. 

[cooked]

I am having difficulties propagating the bloody things and have just started again using another method (layering).

The trees I have are turning into monsters, full of fruit at the moment with a few figs every day, I will possibly begin drying them soon. 

[bowey]

First post, nice to see a thread about figs in LOS. I am currently running some trials and having good success, lots of delicious fruit and it grows rather quickly. Will add some more photos later with progress, experimenting with different pots/ air pruning and also trying to find optimum fertilizer blend. Currently using worm castings, compost, biochar and also added minerals. Will deffo get a greenhouse/ rain shelter set up as the figs don't like rain and too much water. happy days. 

[CLW]

Nice to see you guys growing figs as a hobby and for own consumption.
I was wondering a bit about the plantations up to commercial size of some Thais.
What they are doing with the fruits as I know most people here don't eat figs in any way...?

[JungleBiker]

15 hours ago, bowey said:

First post, nice to see a thread about figs in LOS. I am currently running some trials and having good success, lots of delicious fruit and it grows rather quickly. Will add some more photos later with progress, experimenting with different pots/ air pruning and also trying to find optimum fertilizer blend. Currently using worm castings, compost, biochar and also added minerals. Will deffo get a greenhouse/ rain shelter set up as the figs don't like rain and too much water. happy days. 

 

Hi Bowey,

 

"Optimum fertiliser blend" will be a complete nutrient solution that is used everytime you irrigate. In other words, a hydroponic system. In which case, you do not need to put all that fancy stuff (i.e. worm casts, etc) in your pots. I would go with a coir mix of say 25% coir chips and 75% coir peat. 

 

 

Hi All, 

 

So which varieties are working well?

 

JB.

 

 

[JungleBiker]

Hi Bowey,

 

I could not see your photos until after I pressed send for my message above. Your pots are huge and expensive. For an intensive hydroponic greenhouse system, you could use much smaller plastic pots but have many more plants per unit area, with the plants trained vertically, not spreading. That way you could get the yield much higher and better recoup the investment in your greenhouse system. The plants would be prevented from toppling over by using some high tensile wires and posts (simple trellis system). 

 

JB.

[cooked]

17 hours ago, CLW said:

Nice to see you guys growing figs as a hobby and for own consumption.
I was wondering a bit about the plantations up to commercial size of some Thais.
What they are doing with the fruits as I know most people here don't eat figs in any way...?

I made jam with plenty of ginger, best jam I ever tasted to be sure but I guess I have enough now for a year or until I get sick of it.

I started drying the figs, not too easy as my main crop comes in the rainy season, and discovered I will have to build a fly /ant proof box of some kind. The ants went along two metres of string and went down 10cm of wire to get at my figs, maybe I was being naive about that. 

Fig wine is horrible apparently but distilling is a possibility.

[CLW]

Nice to see you guys growing figs as a hobby and for own consumption.
I was wondering a bit about the plantations up to commercial size of some Thais.
What they are doing with the fruits as I know most people here don't eat figs in any way...?

By the way the same goes for dates.
But I think this hype is over...?
Guess what next (year)?
Something exotic maybe. Acai berry?

[bowey]

13 hours ago, JungleBiker said:

 

Hi Bowey,

 

"Optimum fertiliser blend" will be a complete nutrient solution that is used everytime you irrigate. In other words, a hydroponic system. In which case, you do not need to put all that fancy stuff (i.e. worm casts, etc) in your pots. I would go with a coir mix of say 25% coir chips and 75% coir peat. 

 

 

Hi All, 

 

So which varieties are working well?

 

JB.

 

 

Hi JungleBiker, cheers i will look into your suggestions re hydroponics. Reason for using worm castings is the wife has a company that produces them in bulk so cost wise its not such an issue. Biochar is something that i can make cheaply on location and is great for holding moisture and nutrients like nothing i have used before. About greenhouse, will be condensing the spacing significantly and growing vertically - idea is to eventually create a pick your own style space and maybe cafe in the vicinity of nonthaburi where we are based. Variety wise so far is BTM6 (a japanese hybrid), black jack, genoa and an aussie fig called horai. Am buying cuttings of many different types to see how they adapt to the tropics.

 

Bowey.

[djayz]

24 minutes ago, bowey said:

Am buying cuttings of many different types

Hi Bowey. Currently I have just 2 cultivars up in Korat, but, I've tried buying more on ebay - what a waste of money that was!! May I ask where do you get you cuttings from? 

I just have 5 or 6 fig trees in total, fruit is purely for personal consumption and we have absolutely no aspirations to grow it commercially. I'd love to have a few new varities. If you don't mind sharing your source that is... 

[bowey]

4 minutes ago, djayz said:

Hi Bowey. Currently I have just 2 cultivars up in Korat, but, I've tried buying more on ebay - what a waste of money that was!! May I ask where do you get you cuttings from? 

I just have 5 or 6 fig trees in total, fruit is purely for personal consumption and we have absolutely no aspirations to grow it commercially. I'd love to have a few new varities. If you don't mind sharing your source that is... 

hi, yes majority of the varieties I bought from a stall in chatuchak in Bangkok, their facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/ruanmaigarden . They also have an online shop but i have lost the address unfortunately. I believe you can get them to ems you the cuttings or better yet some small rooted cuttings in polybags.

[Wagon]

Hi Figfanatic,

      Hydroponic fig farming successful so far with 80 ton harvest/hac? Can you kindly provide me the link or those company successful done this? TQ

[djayz]

On 7/1/2018 at 8:23 PM, bowey said:

hi, yes majority of the varieties I bought from a stall in chatuchak in Bangkok, their facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/ruanmaigarden . They also have an online shop but i have lost the address unfortunately. I believe you can get them to ems you the cuttings or better yet some small rooted cuttings in polybags.

Just a brief update regarding the fruit tree guy at JJ Market: I've bought a few different trees from him over the past 3 or 4 months (so far, citrus only, no figs yet). Generally speaking, he has quite a variety of both citrus and fig trees. Average price is about Baht 300/tree and size and quality is good. 

Thanks for the tip. 

[djayz]

On 7/1/2018 at 6:21 AM, JungleBiker said:

Hi All, 

 

So which varieties are working well?

 

JB.

For me, Chicago Hardy, White Genoa, White Italian, Purple Jordan, King Fig, Conadria and one or two other varieties I can't think of. 

 

Next week I'll probably pick up a few more varieties and I want to air layer the existing trees - I really have to prune them back as they have been growing that rapidly since planting them out in the field.

 

I've planted them on a raised bed, but am a little concerned now about the amount of water they're getting almost daily due to the rain.

 

I've read conflicting reports about fertilizing figs, however, most reports inficate that they need very little, if any, fertilizer. 

 

[TWC5]

G’day, new contributer

 

can anyone give me a link where to buy fig cuttings in Chiangmai, or anywhere in Thailand?

i ordered off EBay, but suspect customs have confiscated my order

 

TC

[djayz]

I THINK it was fellow TV member Cooked who in a previous post, quite some time ago, wrote that his figs bear fruit mainly in the rainy season. Well, I can say the same now. After a few weeks of torrential rain, my plants are producing fair amounts of fruit. I really regret not having stuck these plants in the ground last year; heavens only knows how much fruit I'd have had by now. Photos attached (ignore the weeds in the background. Honda 4 stroke and I shall take care of those soon). 

 

 

 

[drtreelove]

On 5/28/2019 at 6:51 AM, djayz said:

 

I've read conflicting reports about fertilizing figs, however, most reports inficate that they need very little, if any, fertilizer. 

 

I would say that this is a bogus statement. Soil fertility and plant nutrition should always be considered, for all plants, in respect to plant health, resistance to pests and disease, and productivity.  Especially where monsoon rains heavily leach important plant nutrients from the upper soil profile. 

 

Most discussion on fertilizer, and general statements like this are oriented to chemical NPK fertilizers.  If you are using intelligent soil building with slow release organic amendments, the high NPK fertilizer observations don't apply. 

 

Consider at least using gypsum for the Calcium and Sulfur, which are both used in abundance by plants and are vulnerable to leaching. 

 

And consider neem pest repellent sprays (if organic program, or abamectin if not)  to prevent mites and the fig mosaic virus that they transmit. 

[cooked]

4 hours ago, drtreelove said:

I would say that this is a bogus statement. Soil fertility and plant nutrition should always be considered, for all plants, in respect to plant health, resistance to pests and disease, and productivity.  Especially where monsoon rains heavily leach important plant nutrients from the upper soil profile. 

 

Most discussion on fertilizer, and general statements like this are oriented to chemical NPK fertilizers.  If you are using intelligent soil building with slow release organic amendments, the high NPK fertilizer observations don't apply. 

 

Consider at least using gypsum for the Calcium and Sulfur, which are both used in abundance by plants and are vulnerable to leaching. 

 

And consider neem pest repellent sprays (if organic program, or abamectin if not)  to prevent mites and the fig mosaic virus that they transmit. 

I certainly won't be adding calcium to what is already an excessively alkaline soil. 

The only pest my figs have every year, is rust, the leaves turn brown and drop off, doesn't seem to make any difference to the plant.

Any nutrients that they get are from the soil that I have carefully managed over the years, every year I find that the crop has more than doubled, one tree may have to go.. 

I transplanted layered cuttings just before the rainy season, they didn't like that but none have died. 

Actually, I decided not to eat fruits for health reasons so it's the kids that get to eat the figs and passion fruit, 

 

[bowey]

Just an update on my earlier posts in this thread form a year ago, here are some pics of the trees out of the rings and planted in ground in Suphanburi.

Far better tasting fruit and more bountiful crops too. Slow irrigation daily with worm tea and the odd sprinkling of crabmeal & lime after the heavy rains. 

Had a real problem with birds eating literally everything so I have resorted to bagging the fruit individually with brightly coloured mesh bags - did the trick. Eating fresh figs is something else!

The leaves all get the brown spots and fall off but the new leaves are always replacing them. Gave a few trees to friends in large containers, they also like pots but the soil has to be amended to something with quick drainage. 

Wife sells the small fig trees/saplings if anyone is interested shoot me a pm. Have focused on a few varieties that do well here.

 

cheers, Bowey

[fruitman]

I've bought thai grown figs several times but they were far from nice....nothing at all compared to a fresh fig in Greece.

 

So do you guys grow nice ones?

[cooked]

7 hours ago, fruitman said:

I've bought thai grown figs several times but they were far from nice....nothing at all compared to a fresh fig in Greece.

 

So do you guys grow nice ones?

It is a matter of varieties. The self fertilising variety that you generally see in Thailand is easy to grow but isn't up to the quality of the Greece grown figs.

The hybrid varieties need the help of a wasp, which goes inside the fruit (which is actually a flower which doesn't open), pollinates the fruit and then dies in there. (You get to eat it). I have seen and read about greenhouse raised crops here in Thailand, doubtless the grower releases the specific wasp inside this enclosed space. The wasp presumably isn't to be found in Thailand. 

The figs we grow here are just OK, not anything special, I am happy to be living in a climate where I can grow them at all, once established they are easy. Before I decided to stop eating fruit, I was making fig jam, the best jam I ever tasted for sure. The kids of the neighbourhood enjoy them.