Ficus

House Plants - There are a wide variety of Ficus plants. There are evergreen or leaf losing trees, shrubs and climbing plants. Some are large trees found wild in tropical forests, and several are good for outdoor cultivation in southern Florida and southern California. A milky sap (latex), which soon coagulates, seeps from different kinds of Ficus when injured. At one time, the latex of one or two kinds had a market value as rubber. Ficus is the Latin name for the Fig tree, which belongs to the Mulberry family, Moraceae. An interesting fact of this tree is that the Sycamore of the Bible is Ficus Sycamorus and the wood of this tree was often used by the ancient Egyptians for building coffins. Specimens are commonly found in old tombs. One of the most common Ficus grown as an ornamental pot plant is F. elastica, known as the Rubber Plant. Native of India and Malaya, it forms a large widely branched tree with large, oblong, glossy, dark green leaves and in some varieties is beautifully variegated. Aerial roots are produced from the branches and these descend down to the ground and form regular roots as do those of the famous Banyan Tree, F. benghalensis. They grow from a single stem but will branch if they're cut back, which is what will have to be done once it reaches the ceiling. F. pumila (repens) is a native of China, Japan, and Australia. It is a creeping plant with small, leathery, dark green leaves less than an inch long. They cling like Ivy with supporting aerial roots. When it reaches the top of its support, it takes on a bushier form with larger leaves. At this point it begins to flower and produce fruits. F. lyrata is a tree with wavy, green, fiddle-shaped leaves. The leaves may grow a foot across and 18 inches long. This plant is native to West Africa, therefore, it will thrive outdoors in warm climates such as southern California or southern Florida. F. retusa nitida is a thick-topped small tree native to Malaya. Its leaves are waxy, green, and shiny. It can easily be trimmed and shaped for formal settings. F. benjamina is similar to F. retusa nitida, except its branches are droopy.

Edible Fig - F. carica, the edible-fruited fig, is a native to the Mediterranean region. It is a leaf-losing tree that flourishes in mild, semi-arid regions. The leaves are thick, large, and rough on top. More than most fruits, unsatisfactory weather conditions such as, high temperatures, frost, high humidities, and unseasonable summer rainfall can easily damage the fig. The production of this fruit is limited to only a few areas, one of the most renown is California. Although the fig has limitations to its commercial cultivation, they can be grown in gardens over a large part of the U.S. In the areas where there are harsh winters, Figs can be grown in large pots or tubs and be stored in a cellar or similar place until they can be fruited outdoors in the summer. Some types of Figs will not mature their fruits unless the small female flowers that are produced inside the enlarged fleshy receptacles (we know as the fruits) are fertilized by pollen brought from a special kind of Fig tree called a Caprifig. This process is called caprification. The pollen is transferred by a tiny wasp that lives for part of its life in the fruits of the Caprifig and then, covered with pollen, enters a tiny hole or pore in the immature edible Fig and fertilizes the female flowers. As a result, the fruit develops and matures. In regions where caprification is needed, Caprifigs are grown to supply the pollen and host the Fig wasps for the fruits to be pollinated. The fruits of the Caprifigs are picked just before the wasps are ready to leave and they are hung in baskets or strung on wires from the branches of the Fig trees to be pollinated. New Caprifigs are strung among the branches every 4 days over a three-week period.

Pot Cultivation

House Plants - They require a well-drained soil with reasonable fertility, temperatures between 60 and 72 degrees (plus or minus a few degrees won't hurt), and moderate light. Shade from really harsh sunlight is advantageous; they will thrive without any direct sunlight. It is a good idea to repot small plants whenever their roots fill up their pots with soil. Late winter or early spring is the best time to repot. Healthy plants that have filled their pots with roots should be fed every two weeks with a dilute liquid fertilizer. Washing off their leaves with soapy water removes the dirt that accumulates. Older plants that have become spindly or too tall can be pruned way back in the spring. When this is done, they should be given a moderate amount of water until they start growing good again. Repotting of plants in large containers is needed after several years only. Small plants benefit from being transferred to slightly larger pots whenever theirs become thoroughly filled with healthy roots, which usually means repotting yearly. Late winter or spring is the best times to repot.

The edible Fig-outdoors: These trees may successfully be grown in a variety of soils, from light, sandy soil to heavy clays. The best for them to grow on is rich alluvial or river bottom lands where the water table is not closer than 6-8 feet from the surface. Soils with alkali are not good for these plants especially those that contain sodium carbonate or black alkali. Planting should be done in winter or spring. In California, trees of the strong-growing Mission variety should be spaced 40-50 feet apart; less wide-spreading varieties, 30-40 feet apart. In most other parts of the U.S. closer planting is the rule; in the South small-growing varieties are spaced 10-12 feet apart; stronger-growing varieties, such as Celeste and Brunswick, 15-20 feet apart. During planting, the roots must not become dry. The trees should be set 2-4 inches deeper than they have been growing, their roots need to be spread out and good soil packed between them and made firm. They should be watered immediately and kept moist throughout the first growing season. After planting, they should be pruned back to a height of 2 feet. Deep cultivation should not be done because it destroys the surface roots of the trees, rather, keep the ground around the trees free of weeds and mulched frequently. Rotted manure and compost should be the fertilizer to use because too much nitrogen will encourage leafy growth at the expense of the fruit crop and splitting of the fruits may occur. The trees may also be more susceptible to the cold. Lime may be applied, if the soil is acidic. In dry climates, or in periods of drought, the trees benefit if they are soaked at weekly or ten-day intervals. Fig trees need to be pruned to produce strong trunks and branches. The amount of the cutting depends on the variety and growth of the trees. In severe climates, winter protection is advisable. After the leaves have dropped, any unnecessary branches should be cut out and several layers of burlap or paper should be wrapped around the remaining branches. They should be carefully tied in as tight a bundle as possible without breaking them and then surrounded with blankets, mats, or burlap. A final layer of tar paper, oilcloth, or plastic film should then be wrapped around and secured, making sure the top is closed so that water cannot enter. The wrapping should be removed before growth begins in the spring. Another way is to grow them in large tubs or pots and store them in cool temperatures of about 40 degrees in a frost-free cellar or out-building during the winter.

Edible Figs in pots: Trees should be potted in the fall, using 10-inch or larger pots for well-developed trees, smaller pots for younger trees. Good topsoil with dried manure and bone meal added is suitable compost to use. Firm potting and adequate drainage is required. Every other year, the trees should be repotted. In the alternate years, the surface soil and some from the sides should be replaced with fresh compost. The time to repot, if necessary, is right after the leaves have fallen. All loose soil should be shaken from the roots and coarse roots should be trimmed. Renew the drainage material and compost. Older trees can be kept small and compact for several years in a 9-inch pot by carefully pruning thick roots and repotting them in the same-sized pot. When growth begins in the spring, the trees should be placed in a greenhouse, light sunroom or some other similar area, watered and sprayed frequently. When the danger of frost is gone, they may be set outside and buried to the rims of their containers in a bed of ashes or sand. Regular feedings with diluted liquid fertilizer is necessary and so is the removal of unwanted shoots. Winter pruning should not be severe; it is sufficient if older growths are pruned off to supply enough room for the young shoots that will produce fruit the next year.

Propagation

House plants: The Rubber Plant (F. elastica) and its relatives can be increased from shoots 6-12 inches long, or single eyes or buds can be removed from the branches and rooted. In the spring, these cuttings can be inserted in sand and placed in a warm, moist propagating frame in a greenhouse with the temperature 60 to 65 degrees.

The edible Fig: These trees may be raised by seeds but this is done only when the production of new varieties is desired. Seeds sprout readily in light, well-drained soil in 65- to 70-degree temperatures. Figs produce fertile and sterile seeds; they can easily be separated by immersing the seeds in water. The fertile ones sink while the sterile ones float. Usually, cuttings are taken. Two or three year old shoots, 8 to 10 inches long, should be cut cleanly across their bases just beneath a node or joint and at their tops just above a node. The bottom cut should be cut at right angles to the stem and the top cut should be slanted at 45-degree angles so to distinguish top from bottom at planting time. It's a good idea to remove all buds from the lower part of the cuttings to prevent sucker shoots from developing later on. Cuttings can be taken from the time the leaves fall to early spring, but if they are taken in early spring just before new growth begins, they should be tied in bundles of 25-50 and be buried bottoms up in well-drained sandy soil several inches deep. The soil needs to be packed well in between the cuttings. Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. As soon as the ground can be made ready in the spring, the bundles are dug up and planted tops up in rows spaced 2-4 feet apart and 3-4 inches apart. They should be buried so that only an inch is sticking out of the soil. Suckers that appear from underneath the soil and on the lower part of the trunk should be removed to promote the growth of a single trunk. At the end of the year, the young trees can be transplanted from the nursery bed to their permanent location. Grafting is practiced to change the variety of old trees. Air layering is another way to produce more Fig trees.

VARIETIES

• House Plants:
  F. aurea;
  F. benghalensis (Banyan Tree);
  F. benjamina and its variety exotica;
  F. Cannonii (heart-shaped or tri-lobed leaves colored rich purplish-bronze);
  F. diversifolia (Mistletoe Fig);
  F. elastica (Rubber Plant);
  F. elastica decora;
  F. elastica Doescheri;
  F. elastica variegata (has green and cream leaves & isn't as hardy as the green leaved kinds & doesn't do well in living rooms); F. lyrata (Fiddle-leaved Fig);
  F. macrophylla (Moreton Bay Fig)
  F. parcellii (bears varicolored fruits);
  F. pumila;
  F. pumila (repens) ( a climbing plant);
  F. radicans;
  F. religiosa (Bo Tree or Peepul Tree);
  F. retusa;
  F. rubiginosa;
  F. sycamorus;