How to Plant a Brown Turkey Fig

Overview

The brown turkey fig is a heavy bearer of large figs and is suitable for USDA agricultural zones 8 to 11. It has few pest problems, although birds and squirrels can consume much of the fruit if not picked when ripe. Picking the ripe fruit helps increase the amount of figs produced and decreases the chance of disease. The brown turkey fig produces the best figs for making preserves. Plant in early spring when leaf buds begin to swell.

How to Plant a Brown Turkey Fig

Step 1

Locate an area of the garden that is close to a source of water and has enough room for a large spreading shrub that can grow 10 feet tall by 15 feet wide or larger.

Step 2

Dig your hole wide and deep enough so the fig can be planted 1 or 2 inches deeper than in the nursery pot or previous location. Look for previous soil line at base of plant.

Step 3

Place fig shrub in planting hole spreading out the roots if the plant was root bound in the nursery pot.

Step 4

Back fill or refill your planting hole with a mix of one-quarter compost and three-quarters soil and the amount of organic granulated compost recommended on container. Slowly add water during the back fill process to eliminate air pockets around the roots.

Step 5

Cover the area around base of fig with 2-inch-thick layer of mulch to control weeds and to conserve moisture, leaving a 1-inch space between the mulch and trunk of plant to prevent fungal problems.