Fig tree in a pot: everything you need to plant and care for

You don't need a lot of space to create a Mediterranean flair with a fig tree. We show how to plant and care for a fig tree in a pot.

Real fig trees (Ficus carica) impress with their beautiful, spreading leaves and sweet fruits. If you don't have a garden or if you fear cold winters, you don't have to do without this pleasure. Fig trees can also decorate terraces, balconies and even winter gardens in buckets or pots.

Fig trees also thrive in pots with the right care and they can even be kept as houseplant. In the pot, however, the plants require a little more care than fig trees planted outdoors, as they cannot take care of themselves. Potted fig trees have the advantage that they can be brought inside in winter and the risk of freezing to death can be averted.

Small fig tree varieties for the pot

Fig trees in pots or pots shouldn't usually get too big unless they are wintered outside with the right protection. Therefore, varieties that are not too vigorous or spreading are particularly suitable.

Suitable varieties for the pot, which also bear fruit in our country, are the following:

• ‘Dalmatia’: Compact growth habit and relatively tolerant of wind, which is particularly advantageous for balconies
• ‘Dauphine’: Fig tree variety that remains small with sweet fruits, which should be protected and not tolerate wind
• ‘Banana fig’ (also ‘Longue de Août’): Bears a good harvest even in pots and only grows slowly

Other suitable varieties for the pot and also hardy fig tree varieties You will find here.

Plant the fig tree in a pot

A fig tree needs soil that can store water well and at the same time is loose and permeable. So just take some garden soil - for example our peat-free one Plantura organic universal soil - and mix this with about a third of the sand. For optimal long-term fertilization, we recommend adding another portion of our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer to add. This will give your fig a great start. The pot should also have a drainage hole so that no waterlogging occurs when watering. Now pot the fig and fill the pot with the mixed substrate. Finally, you should press the whole thing down lightly and pour it on.

Fig trees are very vigorous and have to be repotted from time to time. Every two years it is said: “Out of the old pot and into a new one”. The best time is early spring. Choose a pot that is about four to six inches larger in diameter than the old one. More on the topic Plant fig tree and find out about the optimal location here.

• Choose a pot with a drainage hole
• The new pot should be around 4 - 6 cm larger in diameter than the old one
• Make the substrate from two thirds of the garden soil and about one third of the sand
• A slow release fertilizer like ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer mix into the substrate
• Pot the fig
• Fill the pot with soil
• Press lightly and pour on

Maintain the fig tree in the pot

While fig trees that have been planted require little care apart from winter protection and pruning, fig trees in pots depend on us. Their roots cannot develop freely because they have much less space available. Potted fig trees have no way of accessing water and nutrients from their wider area. They only have what is inside their pot. Watering and fertilizing are therefore essential.

Water the fig tree in the pot

Fig trees planted in pots require significantly more water than fig trees planted out. Your roots only have the water available in the pot. For this reason, you should water your fig regularly. The earth should always be moist, but waterlogging damages the fig tree. You may need to water your fig every day, especially on hot summer days. The fig tree only needs little water in cool winter quarters. Water very little, but don't let the soil dry out completely.

Cut the fig tree in a pot

The same rules generally apply to pruning figs in pots as in the field. The fig should be cut in the spring in February or March. Make sure you have a balanced crown. If you want to limit the growth in height, cut the shoots back to the last node. It can make sense to cut back the shoots only every other year so that you always have shoots of different ages. Both the new shoots and those from the previous year bear fruit. More about the Pruning fig trees find out here.

Fertilize the fig tree in the pot

Fig trees in pots should be fertilized with liquid fertilizer in the irrigation water about every two weeks from April. It is even better to use long-term fertilization once in spring at the beginning of the growing season and a little later in early summer compost, Crap or our Plantura Organic universal fertilizer to undertake. During the resting phase in winter, when the fig tree has run out of leaves, you should not fertilize the fig tree. More information about the Fertilizing fig trees you get in this special article.

Hibernate fig tree in a pot

Fig trees need a dormancy period in which they shed their leaves. So overwinter your fig tree in a cool place at 5 to 10 ° C. The place doesn't have to be bright, but some light should still fall in. The plant should be cleared between mid or late autumn to April. More tips on Wintering your fig tree we have prepared for you here.

For more information on the Care of fig trees you can read on here. And who is up for more Fruits for growing in the pot interested, you will find it here.