Figs (Ficus carica) are trees grown for their edible fruit, and the
cultivar ' Brown Turkey ' is a shrub that is adaptable to most
fig-growing climates and produces brownish-purple fruit. These shrubs
make good small-garden trees for U.S. Department of Agriculture plant
hardiness zones 7 through 9; however, you can grow ' Brown Turkey ' in
zones 5 and 6 if given a sheltered location. Figs, including ' Brown
Turkey ' are propagated by hardwood cuttings or softwood cuttings.
Propagation Using Hardwood Cuttings
- Take a cutting between 6 to 12 inches long from a fig branch about 1/2 inch in diameter. Rooting is easier if you take the hardwood cuttings while the fig tree is dormant.These cuttings are taken from the previous season's growth, which is lighter in color than the older wood.
- Dip the basal, or the cut end, of the cutting in rooting hormone. Make sure you dip the lower end and not the top in the rooting hormone.
- Wrap the cuttings in moist paper towels and place them in a plastic bag. The cuttings need a place that remains between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit for one week . This gives the cuttings time to callus over.
- Put cuttings in 6-inch pots that contain potting soil after one week, placing pots in an area where they receive indirect sunlight. Keep the soil moist to ensure the cuttings take root.
Propagation Using Softwood Cuttings
- Take softwood cuttings during the growing season, cutting of an 8- to 12-inch length of stem. When using softwood cuttings, remove all the leaves from the cuttings .
- Place cuttings in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks before planting them in 6-inch pots of potting soil.
- Plant fig tree seedlings outdoors in late winter to early spring. Prepare a place in full sun with well-drained soil and plant fig trees 2 to 3 inches deeper in the ground than in the pot, spacing fig trees 12 feet apart.
Tips Figs grow best and produce the
best-tasting fruit when grown in warmer climates. Fig cuttings can root
without rooting hormone, so its use is optional.
