1． Propagation and planting: Fig branches are easy to take root and root tillers occur. When propagating seedlings, cutting, layering and division methods can be applied. In production, cuttings are used to propagate seedlings in large quantities, and the survival rate is extremely high. The application of hardwood cuttings in the Yangtze River Basin is carried out in mid-to-late March. All branches with short internodes and branch thickness of 1 cm to 1.5 cm can be used as cuttings, and each cutting has 2 to 3 buds. For specific operating techniques, please refer to Grape. Avoid continuous cropping in the cutting area to avoid the spread of nematodes. If you use plastic greenhouses to raise seedlings in nutrient bags in winter, the seedlings can grow early.
When building a garden, appropriate varieties should be selected according to different requirements and site conditions. For example, yellow varieties should be selected for canning processing, cold-resistant varieties should be selected in places with low winter temperatures (around minus 15 degrees), salt-resistant varieties should be selected in tidal flats, and large-fruited varieties should be selected for fresh fruits. Avoid continuous cropping in the garden.
The planting distance is generally 3 to 4 meters. In areas with good soil quality or warm climates with large tree crowns, the spacing between rows can be expanded to 5 to 7 meters. Planting time can be either autumn planting or spring planting in the Yangtze River Basin. Autumn planting should be done earlier, and spring planting should be done in mid-to-late March. Coastal tidal flats should be planted in autumn, while those in Huaibei should be planted in spring.
2. Plastic pruning and fertilizer and water management In general, the branches in the fig tree crown are not dense, so it is suitable for cultivating a layerless tree with a central trunk or a natural open-shaped tree with multiple main branches. It can also branch directly from the ground to form a bush-like crown. . When shaping, set the trunk of the seedlings at a height of 40 cm to 50 cm. In the future, the whole tree will retain 4 to 6 main branches, with or without the central trunk. Maintain a certain spacing between the main branches. The main branches should be pruned to 40 cm to 60 cm every year, and 2 to 3 secondary main branches should be arranged at appropriate intervals to expand the fruiting surface.
(4) Characteristics of cultivation technology
1. Propagation and planting: Fig branches are easy to take root and root tillers occur. When propagating seedlings, cutting, layering and division methods can be applied. In production, cuttings are used to propagate seedlings in large quantities, and the survival rate is extremely high. The application of hardwood cuttings in the Yangtze River Basin is carried out in mid-to-late March. All branches with short internodes and branch thickness of 1 cm to 1.5 cm can be used as cuttings, and each cutting has 2 to 3 buds. For specific operating techniques, please refer to Grape. Avoid continuous cropping in the cutting area to avoid the spread of nematodes. If you use plastic greenhouses to raise seedlings in nutrient bags in winter, the seedlings can grow early.
When building a garden, appropriate varieties should be selected according to different requirements and site conditions. For example, yellow varieties should be selected for canning processing, cold-resistant varieties should be selected in places with low winter temperatures (around minus 15 degrees), salt-resistant varieties should be selected in tidal flats, and large-fruited varieties should be selected for fresh fruits. Avoid continuous cropping in the garden.
The planting distance is generally 3 to 4 meters. In areas with good soil quality or warm climates with large tree crowns, the spacing between rows can be expanded to 5 to 7 meters. Planting time can be either autumn planting or spring planting in the Yangtze River Basin. Autumn planting should be done earlier, and spring planting should be done in mid-to-late March. Coastal tidal flats should be planted in autumn, while those in Huaibei should be planted in spring.
2. Plastic pruning and fertilizer and water management In general, the branches in the fig tree crown are not dense, so it is suitable for cultivating a layerless tree with a central trunk or a natural open-shaped tree with multiple main branches. It can also branch directly from the ground to form a bush-like crown. . When shaping, set the trunk of the seedlings at a height of 40 cm to 50 cm. In the future, the whole tree will retain 4 to 6 main branches, with or without the central trunk. Maintain a certain spacing between the main branches. The main branches should be pruned to 40 cm to 60 cm every year, and 2 to 3 secondary main branches should be arranged at appropriate intervals to expand the fruiting surface.
After the tree shape is completed, only useless leggy branches, dense branches, drooping branches and dry branches should be thinned out every year, and as many strong branches and fruits as possible should be retained. For varieties that mainly harvest autumn fruits, since the fruiting parts are mostly in the middle and lower parts of the new shoots of the current year, the branches can be shortened appropriately. The flower buds of summer fruit varieties are mostly on the tops of branches. It is not advisable to shorten strong branches in winter to avoid affecting the yield. For fig trees with few branches or with fruiting parts moving outward year by year, they can be pruned appropriately in winter to promote new branches. Some branches can be cut off to leave 2 to 3 leaf buds at the base.
The branches of fig trees are loose and the cuts heal slowly. After winter pruning, the branches below the cuts often dry up, which affects the growth of the cut buds. Therefore, any large cuts should be covered with wax or other protective agents, and small branches can be appropriately shortened.
Fig base fertilizer is applied before and after leaf fall combined with winter plowing. It is better to apply top dressing in stages before the rapid growth of new shoots and during the period when the torus and fruit are rapidly expanding. Figs do not have strict requirements for moisture, and attention should be paid to draining water during the rainy season. In coastal areas, it is best to set up support pillars on the branches for protection during the typhoon season.
3. Overwintering protection: Figs like warm and slightly dry climates and have low cold resistance. When cultivated in temperate areas, their branches are often susceptible to freezing, especially for saplings under 5 years old. When encountering a low temperature of 16 degrees to 18 degrees in winter, there are Danger of whole plant freezing to death. During the winter in Huaibei area, it is advisable to build soil at the base of the trunk to prevent freezing, with a height of about 35 cm. The soil should be removed after thawing in spring. Large branches can be covered with grass to protect them over the winter. As the tree age increases, its overwintering ability gradually increases. Once the plant is frozen, the frozen branches should be cut off in time, and new branches should be selected to replace them after germination. Sometimes even if all the aboveground parts are frozen to death, strong branches can still sprout from the root neck of the soil in the next spring to form a new crown.
(5) Main pests and diseases and their control
Figs have few pests and diseases. Common ones that cause greater harm include mulberry beetles, root-knot nematodes, and fruit anthracnose. For the prevention and control of beetle, please refer to the apple part and use poison swabs to block it. The current prevention and control of root-knot nematodes mainly involves avoiding continuous cropping in old orchards and conducting quarantine and disinfection of seedlings. When conditions permit, the soil can also be disinfected. Fruit anthracnose should be prevented and controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture with 200 times of lime or 600-800 times of 75% chlorothalonil as early as possible before the onset of fruit disease in summer and autumn. The safety interval of the latter application (the distance between the last application and Harvest days) 7 to 14 days. .
(6) Harvesting, storage and processing
Figs have a long maturity period and the fruits gradually mature in summer and autumn, so they should be harvested in batches. Fully mature fruits have slightly open holes at the top and obvious netting on the skin. They have the best flavor, but are not resistant to storage and transportation. Fruits sold fresh in the market should be harvested in advance. Fig fruits are juicy, and long-term exposure can easily cause skin inflammation. You need to wear silicone gloves when picking fruits.
Ripe figs are very easy to rot and change flavor, and red varieties are easy to change color. Even short-term storage requires a low temperature of about 0 degrees and a relative humidity of 85% to 90%. ~ It should be handled as harvested and not stored for a long time.
For short-term storage and transportation, the fruits can be soaked in SM preservative, taken out to dry, and then placed in fruit boxes for transportation. If you use a fruit turnover box with a silicon window and a seal, the freshness preservation effect will be better.
Peel fully mature figs, soak them in concentrated sugar liquid for 1 to 2 days, then take them out and dry them to make candied figs, which have a special flavor. In addition, fig jam can be made.