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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.

With a fig tree in a pot, you can quickly conjure up a Mediterranean flair in your home

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

Fig trees also thrive in pots with the right care and they can even be kept as houseplants. In the pot, however, the plants also require a little more care than fig trees planted outdoors, as they cannot take care of themselves. On the other hand, potted fig trees have the advantage that they can be brought indoors in winter and the danger of freezing can be banned.

Small fig tree varieties for the pot

Fig trees in pots or tubs should not usually get too tall unless overwintered outdoors with the right protection. Varieties that are not too vigorous or sprawling are therefore particularly suitable.

Suitable varieties for the pot, which also bear fruit here, are the following:

  • 'Dalmatie': Compact growth habit and relatively tolerant of wind, which is an advantage for balconies
  • ‘Dauphine’: Small fig tree variety with sweet fruits, which should be sheltered and does not tolerate wind
  • 'Bananenfeige' (also 'Longue de Août'): Brings a good harvest even in the pot and grows slowly

You can find other varieties suitable for pots and hardy fig tree varieties here.

Compact fig tree varieties can even be grown in pots as bonsai

Planting a fig tree in a pot

A fig tree needs soil that can store water well and is loose and permeable at the same time. So just take some garden soil - for example our peat-free Plantura organic universal soil - and mix it with about a third of sand. It is for optimal long-term fertilizationWe recommend adding a portion of our Plantura organic universal fertilizer right away. So your fig has an optimal start. The pot should also have a drainage hole so that there is no waterlogging when watering. Now pot the figs 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 need to be repotted from time to time. Roughly every two years, the motto is: “Get 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. You can find out more about planting fig trees and the best location here.

  • Choose pot with drainage hole
  • New pot should be about 4 - 6 cm larger in diameter than the old one
  • Make substrate from two thirds of garden soil and about one third of sand
  • Mix a long-term fertilizer like our Plantura organic universal fertilizer into the substrate
  • Pot fig
  • Fill the pot with soil
  • Press lightly and pour on

Caring for a fig tree in a pot

While fig trees planted out require little maintenance apart from winter protection and pruning, potted fig trees depend on us. Their roots cannot develop freely because they have much less space available. Potted fig trees do not have the ability to reach water and nutrients from their wider environment. They only have what is inside their pot at their disposal. Watering and fertilizing are therefore absolutely necessary.

In the pot, fig trees must be watered regularly

Watering the fig tree in the pot

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

Pruning a fig tree in a pot

The same rules generally apply to pruning figs in pots as outdoors. The fig should be pruned in spring in February or March. Make sure the crown is balanced. Do you want thatLimit height growth, cut back the shoots to the last node. It can make sense to only cut back the shoots every other year, so that you always have shoots of different ages. Both the new shoots and those from the previous year bear fruit. Learn more about pruning fig trees 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 apply long-term fertilization with compost, manure or our Plantura organic universal fertilizer once in spring at the beginning of the growing season and a little later in early summer. During the dormant phase in winter, when the fig tree has no more leaves, you should not fertilize the fig tree. For more information on fertilizing fig trees, see this special article.

If you want to fertilize your fig tree in an environmentally friendly way, then our Plantura organic universal fertilizer is just right for your fig tree

Winter fig tree in a pot

Fig trees need a hibernation period during which they shed their leaves. Therefore, overwinter your fig tree cool at 5 to 10 °C. The place doesn't have to be bright, but there should still be some light. The plant should be admitted between the middle or end of autumn until April. We have prepared further tips for overwintering your fig tree for you here.

For more information on caring for fig trees, you can read more here. And if you are interested in other fruits for growing in pots, you will find them here.

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Fruit