Common fig bonsai

Placement

A fig bonsai is grown outdoors. It needs full sun, at least eight hours of direct sun a day during the growing season, in a warm spot sheltered from wind; a south- or southwest-facing position near a wall that reflects heat suits it perfectly. In a Mediterranean climate it can stay outside all year.

Elsewhere, winter needs attention. In the ground a fig survives moderate frost, but in a pot its roots are far more exposed: protect the bonsai from freezing. Leave it outdoors at first so it goes dormant with the first cold. After the first hard frost, remove any remaining leaves and unripe figs, then move it to an unheated, insulated and preferably dark space: a garage, shed, cool basement or cold greenhouse. Do not bring it into a heated room: it needs a period of chill to fruit and to grow back strongly. Move it back outside in spring, once the last frost has passed.

Feeding: from the start of growth until fall, feed regularly. A high-potassium liquid fertilizer every two weeks works well, especially if the tree is carrying fruit; a solid organic fertilizer placed on the soil surface is another option. A fertilizer richer in nitrogen in spring and low in nitrogen in fall follows the tree’s rhythm. Cut back if growth becomes excessive or if the figs fail to ripen, and give nothing during the winter rest.

Pests and diseases: scale insects, aphids, spider mites and mealybugs can move in, especially under cover. Fig rust turns the leaves yellow-brown, and they drop in late summer; rake up fallen leaves in fall to reduce spores. A pink growth on dead twigs inside the canopy signals another disease: cut out the affected branches and open up the canopy.

Soil mix

A fig needs a mix that drains well, because excess water rots its roots, especially in cold weather. Pure akadama works, as does akadama mixed with about one fifth volcanic grit. The classic mix of akadama, pumice and lava rock in equal parts is another sound base; add more akadama if you cannot water often.

Watering

During growth a fig drinks a lot: keep the mix evenly moist, never soggy. Do not follow a fixed schedule: push a finger into the mix and water as soon as the surface feels slightly dry. Then water thoroughly, until water runs from the drainage holes. In hot, dry weather, check the pot every day, because a small volume of soil dries out very quickly. Leaves that yellow and drop, or fruit that falls before ripening in hot weather, often point to a lack of water.

In fall, needs drop as the leaves fall. During winter storage, moisten the root ball lightly and only now and then, just enough to keep the roots from drying out, and never leave the pot standing in a full saucer.

Pruning

A fig grows fast and is shaped mainly by pruning.

• Structural pruning: in late winter, after the coldest weather and just before growth starts. Cut back to a bud or branch without leaving stubs, which let rot in. Seal large wounds with cut paste.
• Pinching: when a shoot has grown six to eight leaves, cut it back to two leaves with scissors. Repeated through the season, this builds dense ramification.
• Defoliation: leaf size is the main difficulty with this bonsai. On a vigorous, healthy tree, removing some of the leaves in summer triggers a new flush of smaller leaves and increases ramification. Never remove more than about a third of the foliage at once.
• Fruit: the first figs form at the shoot tips in late summer, overwinter at the size of a pea and ripen the following summer. At the end of summer, remove any fruit larger than a pea, which will not have time to ripen.

The white, milky sap irritates skin: wear gloves and prune from the bottom up to avoid drips.

Styles and propagation: a fig naturally grows several stems and many suckers at its base, which suits multi-trunk forms well. It propagates easily from cuttings of one-year-old wood, 8–10 in long, taken in fall or early spring and buried so that only one or two buds show. Layering a low branch in spring or fall and lifting a rooted sucker also work.

Wiring

A fig can be wired at any time of year. It is easiest in late winter, though, when the bare tree shows its structure. Use anodized aluminum wire, which suits deciduous trees, about a third the thickness of the branch, wound at roughly 45 degrees.

A fig thickens quickly: wire can mark the smooth, silver-gray bark in as little as one to four months. Check it often and remove it as soon as it starts to cut in, snipping it at every turn rather than unwinding it. Wire scars stay visible for a long time on such smooth bark.

Repotting

Repot a young fig every two years in early spring, as the buds begin to swell and the tree is still dormant; an older tree can wait longer. If roots are circling the root ball, it is time. Trim overly long roots without removing more than about 30 % of the root mass, then return the tree to a pot only slightly larger, or to the same pot with fresh mix. After repotting, keep it out of wind and harsh sun, keep the mix moist but not wet, and wait for it to recover before feeding or pruning hard.