Fig bush not really producing?

[frdnicholas]

This fig bush is at least 5 years old, stands 7 feet high and 3-4 wide. It is only making 3-4 figs each year and I'm wondering if there's something I can do to help it produce more. I've added compost and fruit spikes each year, water it every 3-4 days deeply depending on the weather. It gets full morning sun and afternoon sun till about 2:30 when our neighbor's tree shades it. It looks healthy to my untrained eye, but I'm hoping there's an answer to help it along.

 

[Chuck]

How many of those fert. spikes do you use and what is their NPK? From the picture it appears that it's getting either too much nitrogen or not enough phosphorus. You are also watering too often. Only water SLOWLY AND DEEPLY when the soil is DRY about 3 inches deep. Watering too often leads to a shallow root system. Watering deeply once per week is plenty. Encourage your roots to go downward, not outward. I think you will be much better served if you don't use spikes and use actual fertilizer. Those spikes only fertilize a small area and mostly downward. Fertilization should be continuous out to the drip line.

 

[frdnicholas]

How many of those fert. spikes do you use and what is their NPK? From the picture it appears that it's getting either too much nitrogen or not enough phosphorus. You are also watering too often. Only water SLOWLY AND DEEPLY when the soil is DRY about 3 inches deep. Watering too often leads to a shallow root system. Watering deeply once per week is plenty. Encourage your roots to go downward, not outward. I think you will be much better served if you don't use spikes and use actual fertilizer. Those spikes only fertilize a small area and mostly downward. Fertilization should be continuous out to the drip line.

Can you recommend a good fertilizer for figs? Can I apply some now or wait till the fall?

 

[Chuck]

Can you recommend a good fertilizer for figs? Can I apply some now or wait till the fall?

I don't know what is locally available in your area but Medina, Fox Farm, Dr Earth, Espoma etc. are all excellent organic fertilizers. With organic fertilizers you can apply it at any time and it is extremely difficult to use too much. On fruit trees the use rate is about 2-3 lbs per inch of trunk diameter but since figs are usually a multi trunk tree just eyeball it and get a decent guestimate of the combined inches of trunk. You will not apply too much. I would also get some bonemeal for added phosphorus and sprinkle it liberally around and out to the drip line as well. Then I would mulch fairly heavily out to the drip line for moisture control. Fertilize heavily twice per year or lightly fertilize 3 or 4 times per year. You've got a good healthy tree there. It just needs a little TLC to show its potential. Probably not this year but next year you will have more figs than you know what to do with.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Yeah so stop fertilizing except after it fruits. I know you think pushing it will get what you want, but only the potassium part helps that, the Nitrogen is your problem. And that grand statement assumes I know about the P which of course I do not. And always listen to @Chuck.

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