- Which fig varieties are suitable for the garden or balcony?
- The optimal location
- The right time to plant
- Propagating a fig tree
- Implement fig trees
- Which substrate does the fig love?
Even in our latitudes, figs can thrive and, with good care, produce many juicy, sweet fruits every year. How and where to plant the fig in your garden or on the balcony is answered in this article.

Which fig varieties are suitable for the garden or balcony?
Fig trees no longer thrive exclusively in the Mediterranean climate. Self-pollinating and hardy figs also bear numerous fruits in autumn in our latitudes. When choosing a fig tree for the garden or balcony, pay attention to the following points:
- it must be a real fig tree, not an ornamental fig
- since the fig gall wasp cannot survive in our latitudes, the fig must be self-pollinating
- Hardy fig trees survive cold periods well
- High-yielding and resistant varieties guarantee a good harvest
The optimal location
Figs love warmth and need a sunny spot in the garden. The chosen place should also be sheltered from the wind. Figs thrive particularly well if you plant them in front of a heat-retaining house wall or in a sheltered courtyard.
You should also choose a sunny and sheltered location for the fig on the balcony. Windy balconies with little sun are not suitable for figs.
The right time to plant
Spring is the best time to plant a fig in the garden. The ground should no longer be frozen. Wait for the time after the ice saints, because experience has shown that no more night frosts are to be expected then. A fig planted in summer or autumn does not have enough time to develop enough roots and get used to the environment. Therefore, refrain from planting fig trees outdoors at this late point in time.
Propagating a fig tree
You can propagate figs by cuttings or seeds. The offspring succeeds well and it is worth trying to pull offshoots yourself from a well-bearing fig tree.
Implement fig trees
Potted figs only have to be transplanted when the fig has become too big for the planter. Both repotting and planting a potted fig outdoors should always be done in spring.
Move a fig tree in the garden
If you have to transplant an already rooted fig in your own garden, this should be done in early spring. It is important to cut back the tree so that the supply of the plant is secured by the inevitably reduced root mass. Transplanting is easier if the fig is on a rather loamy soil, as it forms a smaller root system in this subsoil than in a sandy soil.
Which substrate does the fig love?
Fig trees cultivated in tubs can be planted in commercially available potting soil or good quality balcony potting soil. In the garden, the fig loves permeable and nutrient-rich substrate. A mixture that consists half of topsoil and half of sand mixed with fine gravel has proven itself.
tips
First cultivate frost-sensitive young plants in a bucket on the balcony and overwinter the figs in a frost-free room. Since they do not freeze back, the plants bear fruit in the first few years.