How to Grow a Brown Turkey Fig (Ficus carica)

This easy to grow fruit tree is ideal for home gardeners

Ripe brown turkey figs in late summer

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When it comes to easy to grow, low maintenance fruit trees, it’s hard to beat the brown turkey fig (Ficus carica).

While not particularly rare, or hard to grow in most of the climate zones in the Americas (or anywhere else for that matter), a lot of people continue to think it’s some sort of exotic they could never grow at home. The truth is, there are few fruit trees that are more widely adapted or easy to grow than the brown turkey fig. It’s an ideal both for less experienced gardeners looking to get started with fruit trees as well more experienced growers who want something that isn’t an apple or a stone fruit.

Here’s everything you need to know to grow a brown turkey fig and enjoy fresh figs every year.

Planting and care

My 20-year-old brown turkey fig between the shed and chicken coop

The origins of the fig are subject to debate, but most scholars believe that it’s a native of western Asia where it’s been cultivated for at least 6500 years—long before other foods like olives, grapes, and dates.

The brown turkey fig is widely adapted to many climates and will grow pretty much anywhere except the coldest areas (USDA zone 4 and below). In Europe they can be found throughout the Mediterranean and as far north as the British Isles. Here in the United States, they can be grown outdoors all the way from the tropics and as far north as New England (although they appreciate some protection from deep freezes).

Location and Height

The trees do best in full sun, but will also grow just fine in a sun/shade mix. With too much shade they tend to become leggy and thin as they reach for sunlight.

Grown in the ground full sun, a mature turkey fig tree can grow to be 25-30 feet tall with a 20-foot-wide canopy, making it an eye-catching landscape tree (but messy when fruiting).

Grown in a pot, the tree will remain much smaller – usually around two-to-three times taller than the pot is round (e.g., if you grow it in a pot that’s 3 feet wide, it’ll grow to be 6-9 feet tall).

Regardless of whether it’s in the ground or a pot, if you’re growing a brown turkey fig for the fruit, you’ll want to keep the tree trimmed to a reasonable height that keeps the fruit within reach. Not only is it much easier to pick the fruit, but it’ll keep the competition with the many birds who also love figs to a minimum.

This fig is a 3-year-old volunteer some bird planted. It’s about 20 feet tall now.

Care and Feeding

When it comes to care, the brown turkey fig is about as easy as it gets. Equally happy in the ground or a pot, other than not liking really alkaline soil, the tree has no special feeding requirements and will thrive even in marginal conditions.

For trees growing in the ground, a good mulching around the tree’s base every fall is more than enough fertilizer to carry it through the next year. If you’re growing a brown turkey fig in a pot, a well-balanced fertilizer in early spring is all it needs for the year.

As for watering, if your tree is in the ground, it will produce a large tap root that will seek water deep in the soil, so, once established, it needs very little additional water. I live in arid San Diego where there is no rain from April to November, and my fig trees thrive even though I don’t water them at all.

If you’re growing a turkey fig in a pot, a deep soaking once every few weeks is all it needs.

Keep in mind that those roots can be very aggressive, so you don’t want to grow a fig in the ground near hardscape or your house’s foundation or it will lift and crack the concrete.

When to Prune

The brown turkey fig is deciduous and sheds all its leaves in late autumn, leaving its smooth, white trunk and branches bare. Although you can trim the tree any time of the year, winter is the best time to prune because the branches are visible and its easier to shape the tree to your liking.

Additionally, unlike other fruit trees that produce fruit on second year wood, the fig produces fruit on green, first year growth. So, if you prune in winter, you can trim the small offshoots all the way back to the larger branches. Those branches will produce new growth in spring and fruit in mid-to-late summer.

One other thing to keep in mind when pruning your fig is that the green wood has a milky white sap which can irritate the skin, especially if you’re allergic to latex (latex is actually made from the sap of a different member of the ficus family), so make sure to wear gloves.

Propagation

Propagating a brown turkey fig from a young tree branch

Figs are among the easiest fruit trees to propagate and will reproduce both from seed and cuttings. The easiest method of propagation is to simply cut a small branch that’s no longer green, stick it in some soil, and keep it moist until the branch roots and shows new growth (usually in 6-8 weeks).

If you propagate from a cutting in late fall, the new tree will produce its first fruit the following year.

Brown turkey figs will also grow readily from seed, although it takes an extra year to begin fruiting. Around here, the bluejays and mockingbirds love figs, so I find (and remove) plenty of fig seedlings every spring.

A fig seedling planted last year by birds

Pests and Diseases

Figs grown in the ground have few if any pests. Aphids and scale insects are most common and are easily controlled by wind, rain and predatory insects like lady bugs. Figs grown in pots, especially if they’re grown indoors, are more susceptible to aphids, scale and spider mites because indoor conditions are more favorable to these pests.

If you see aphids or spider mites, the best control is to take them outside and give them a good hosing with water. This dislodges the insects and washes them away. If you’re dealing with scale or heavy infestations of spider mites (which leave a spider web-like netting), separate the fig from other plants, prune the affected areas and dispose of the cuttings.

Other pests such as mealy bugs and gnats are less common, but easily treatable. Check out this article for various pest control methods.

Harvesting and Storage

Brown turkey figs are parthenocarpic, which means they produce fruit without the need of a pollinator. Fruit grows from the leaf junction on first year (green) wood, and usually appears in mid-spring after the tree has leafed out.

As brown turkey figs ripen they turn purple and begin to droop on the stem

Fruit ripens in late summer, turning from a firm green to either a deep purple or brown. As the fruit ripens it goes from sticking out upright on the branch to swelling and sagging off the stem. Once it becomes soft and slightly cracked, it’s ready to harvest.

Fresh figs do not store well, so if you’re not going to eat them fresh, it’s best dry and place them in an airtight container for longer storage.

Figs are healthy too. Fresh figs are a good source of dietary fiber and trace minerals. Dried, figs are not only high in fiber but vitamins and minerals such as manganese, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K.

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