High Density Fig Tree Planting?

15 years ago

I have already cut down seventeen trees and I still have more trees than I have places to plant them.

I have read a lot about high density fruit tree planting popularized by nurseries like Dave Wilson Nursery. High density fruit tree plantings are a common topic in the Fruit and Orchard Forum. However I have never seen a discussion on high density fig tree planting. As far as I know its never been done.

Has anyone here every planted more than one fig tree in one hole or multiple fig trees within 1-2 feet of each other?

If you have what where the results?

Featured Answer

archon218

15 years ago

Ive grown up around fig trees my whole life. You can plant different kinds together in the same whole as my family has before(An early medium and a late large). Suckers will come out over time and become new trees. So you may end up with what looks like 15 trees planted in the same hole.

If your trees are in ground and pruned to be bush type, then you will likely have his happpen anyway. You can plant as close as you wish but over time you will be forced to seperate and prune to keep them happy. Figs grow between rocky soils and are ok with confined places. But the closer you plant the more aggressive you should prune, water and fertilize to maximize fruit. Full sun is a must also if your planting close. I would recommend mulching the area to keep moisture up.

30x30 is huge are depending on the height you plan on having your fig trees grow.

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Comments (7)

rafed
15 years ago
Thisisme,

You opened a very good topic.

Several years ago I purchased two 3gl. potted Brown Turkey figs. Each pot had two trees growing out of it.

Turns out, They were each with one B/T and one Negronne/VDB.

Of those two pots I planted one in a 25gl pot and the only figs producing are the VDB and they are by the dozens.

The other pot was planted inground and after two years there is nothing.

Hope this was helpful.

Rafed
thisisme
Original Author
15 years ago
That is helpful Rafed. I was thinking more like planting two or more figs in a 30"X30" raised bed. They would not be raised in the same pot before planting so their roots would have more room to grow before being intertwined. Not sure if the results would be any different than yours. Hopefully someone else will chime in.
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thisisme
Original Author
15 years ago
archon218 thank you for your post. I am planting all of my trees in 30"X30" raised beds. There is roughly 4' between the outside dimension of each raised bed before they come in contact with the next bed on their right and left. All of my trees are trimmed so the fruit is at a reachable height. The over all plan was to allow each tree to get no more than 8' Tall by 5' Wide. The trees are around the perimeter of my yard in full sun with lots of space for the roots to roam in front and in back of the trees. I see other types of fruit trees grown with as many as four trees in this size raised bed but I have not seen it done with figs. Do you think I could get away with planting four rooted cuttings in this kind of setup? If not how about two or three?
archon218
15 years ago
Yes should be fine
MrClint
15 years ago
I mentioned in your other post that espaliers are a high-density way to plant figs. Pleaching as many as three fig trees together is another possibility.
thisisme
Original Author
15 years ago
mrclint as I said in my other post. planting one espalier in each 30"X30" raised bed does not increase the number of varieties in my planting. Planting four figs in each 30"X30" raised bed does. Pleaching has no value for me either since I will culling unfruitful and unwanted varieties later.

Espaliered trees have their place. To me that would be in narrow spaces which is not the case here.

Pleaching looks cool but when you don't know what varieties you will be keeping and which ones you will be chopping its not something that should be done.