Seasonal fruit to savour: Discover the delicious fig produce

The production season for figs in the Southern Hemisphere is typically around late April. These sweet fruits are the quintessential autumn fruit savouring up the last days before winter comes.

Knowing when to expect your figs to ripen is important, as it will make you more prepared for their harvest. The harvest timing needs to be perfect, depending on the variation in your garden.

Growing figs in your garden

The advantage of growing figs is they can either be grown in containers or directly in the ground. This is an advantage as it accommodates gardeners with smaller gardens, and encourages them to grow the plants so they can enjoy the fruits of labour. Growing them in containers is fantastic as it is easier to move indoors during colder months and can thrive in smaller spaces like your patios or balconies. If you are lucky enough and have ample space combined with warm weather, planting your fig tree in the ground allows it to spread its roots and yield more fruit.

In perfect conditions, the fig tree can grow into a small tree with wide branches and good root development. Ensure your soil is well-draining and like many other fruit-bearing trees, figs don’t don’t like wet moist soils. If the right growing conditions are met with at least six to eight hours of sunlight and solid conditions, fig trees can grow well-ripe fruits come autumn.

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Understanding the importance of harvest timing

The exact month and the number of days each fig takes to ripen can vary depending on several factors, these can include the fig variation you’re growing, climate, and location. The fruits usually start ripening in the middle of the summer and can be ready for harvest in early autumn but depending on the variation grown, some fig varieties can categorized as early, midseason, and late.

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This is why it is important to time the harvest correctly. Knowing when to expect your figs to ripen is important, as it will prepare you more. When you see these changes, it may be time to harvest:

You’ll know your figs are ready to be harvested when the necks of the fruit are soft and start to droop
Once they start to swell and become softer
Depending on the variation you are growing, the skin will be slightly wrinkled.
When the fruit has a rich colour change.
When you notice sugar droplets on the fruits

ALSO SEE: FRUITS TO CULTIVATE THIS SEASON