Growing figs in open ground, care and propagation

The southern ficus plant - fig is popularly called a fig tree, or a fig tree. For those who have read the Old Testament of the Bible, it becomes known that Adam and Eve covered their nakedness with fig leaves.

Figs are loved because of the presence of vitamins, proteins, and fiber necessary for the human body. Doctors recommend consuming fig fruits at elevated temperatures, acute respiratory viral infections, and as a laxative. The fig tree thins the blood, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, maintains bone strength, and relieves spasms in cardiovascular diseases. One hundred grams of product contains 49 kcal. In terms of potassium content, figs rank second after nuts. The fruits should be consumed with extreme caution and in small quantities by those who have diabetes, gout, gastritis, or ulcers.

The fig tree bears fruit starting from the age of three. It produces tasty, nutritious and healthy fruits, which most of us used in dry and dried form. Sweet fresh figs appear on the market at the end of August. The color of the fruits can be: light green, dark blue, reddish, or brown. The fig tree is used to make jams, alcoholic drinks, and added to medicines.

Coral spot

For every gardener who has lovingly grown a fig tree, the real disaster is the discovery of signs of coral spotting. This disease, fortunately, does not occur very often in gardens, since today there is no panacea against the disease. When damaged, the fig rapidly weakens, the leaves wither, the development of the plant slows down, the shoots of which dry out over time. Coral spotting is caused by the spread of fungal spores along the tree trunk. Symptoms are defined as round, coral-colored growths. A particularly dangerous period for infected figs is wet weather with prolonged rains, when spores continue to expand the boundaries of infection.

How to fight:

Depending on how much the disease has taken hold of the fig tree, the gardener decides what to do next. If fungal spores are found on some shoots, then these should be cut off, and open wounds should be lubricated with garden varnish. If the tree bark is covered with growths, growth stops completely, treatment with fungicides will be useless, so the plant is uprooted and burned, and the soil is disinfected with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Gardeners note that coral spot tends to appear on figs with weak immunity, when there are not enough useful microelements in the soil to support the healthy development of the plant. To solve this problem, use specialized bait containing potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, iron, and other nutritional components that saturate the composition of the soil.

What vitamins are in dried figs?

Dried berries contain a whole bunch of different vitamins that have a positive effect on the human immune system. The benefits of dried fruits in slowing down the aging process.

In addition to vitamins, fruits are rich in minerals, thanks to which you can normalize metabolism and strengthen the skeleton:

• iron and potassium;
• zinc and selenium;
• copper and phosphorus;
• sodium, magnesium and calcium.

Dried figs contain:

• phytosterol;
• glyceric acid;
• pectins and coarse fiber;
• fatty acid;
• proteins and fats;
• sugar and carbohydrates.

Gray rot on figs

The disease is fungal in nature and causes damage to the fig tree's harvest, and also affects its appearance and overall development. In the presence of gray rot, massive rotting of mature and unripe fruits and death of shoots are observed. Conidiophores and fungal spores quickly spread throughout the tree, and then increase the area of ​​infection to neighboring areas. At the initial stage of the disease, fig fruits exhibit deformation of shape and a white coating, which over time turns into a rotting brown spot. According to external signs, the fig tree is noticeably weakening; the leaves and shoots do not have enough juice for normal growth. The disease most often develops when the air temperature drops and humidity increases.

How to fight:

Previously, gray mold was combated at the initial stage of the disease by spraying with an alkaline solution and drugs from the benzimidazoles group. After some time, gardeners noticed the ineffectiveness of using these products, as mutated gray rot fungi adapted to survive after applying the solutions to the tree. Bordeaux mixture has proven itself positive against gray rot of figs, but due to the direct effect on the quality of the fruit, spraying is best done only in early spring or autumn. Disease-resistant plants are those whose seeds have been pre-treated with sulfur-based fungicides before planting.

Preventing the further spread of gray rot on the fig tree begins by tearing off the infected fruits into a separate bucket with a small amount of water. Next, we proceed to trimming the unusable shoots, which will need to be burned along with the fruits away from the garden. Drugs with a wide spectrum of action, including against gray mold, include Actellik. For figs, one spray is enough, which is carried out before flowering begins.

Calorie content of dried figs

It’s not for nothing that fig trees are recommended to be included in the diet. These berries are very good for health. They contain a huge amount of essential substances. The energy value of 100 g of dried figs is 978.6 kJ.

How many calories are in 1 dried fig?

Since it is most often recommended to use the product individually, you need to know the calorie content of one fig. On average 1 piece. contains about 50-60 kcal.

How many calories are in 100 grams

100 g of product contains about 300 kcal. Therefore, for weight loss, it is recommended to consume no more than 4-6 fig berries.

Fig virus mosaic

This disease is quite common on fig tree plantations. When the plant appears, the integrity of the plant becomes deformed, and the leaves acquire marbled spots. The disease affects the quantity of harvest, the taste and size of the fruit, and the growth of the tree. The manifestation of symptoms of the virus can be confused with signs of potassium deficiency, since in both cases the veins on the leaves become discolored with the addition of yellow spots. According to some agronomists, figs, like all fig trees, initially contain the spotted mosaic virus. The only exceptions are those plants that are grown from seeds treated with sulfur components. Vectors of the disease include ticks, bedbugs and aphids, as well as rodents and birds.

There are fig trees on which the disease shows only external signs, but does not affect the quality of the fruit in any way. Even in specialized stores they do not guarantee that the seedling is not a carrier of the viral mosaic, so you have to hope that the tree will grow healthy.

The most effective ways to prevent viral mosaic are preventive measures.

What does dried fig look like?

When choosing dried figs, you need to know what high-quality fruits are:

1. Dried fruits should be light beige without shine, without dark spots. Dried figs should not be black inside. Sometimes there may be a coating of sugar.
2. The dried fig tree has a flattened shape and the same size.
3. The fruits should be soft to the touch.
4. The taste should taste sweet and have a slight crunch. The presence of salt or acid in the fruit, or a musty taste, indicate that they are spoiled. To taste the berries, you need to wash them, otherwise you can get an infection.

You should know that dried figs smell very strongly of iodine. This specific aroma in fresh fruits is almost imperceptible due to the large amount of juice.

Anthracnose

The causative agent of the disease begins its active action with the onset of spring warmth and dissipates on plants within a month. Signs of diseased figs appear in the form of brown spots with swelling in the center. In its neglected state, anthracnose causes necrosis of the tissues of the fig tree, as a result of which the leaves dry out and fall off, elongated ulcers are seen on the shoots, growth stops, and the fruits acquire convex spots and do not grow to the required size. Anthracnose has a strong effect on reducing the immunity of fig trees. During the summer months, fungal spores are carried by wind, insects and birds to other plants. If you do not intervene in time, it is likely that you will end up with a disease-infected area.

How to fight:

The appearance of anthracnose is prevented by special preparations until the formation of flowers on figs. Topsin-M is suitable as a spraying agent; it continues to act on the plant for fourteen days and is slightly toxic to humans. This fungicide is recommended for use simultaneously with growth regulators “Zircon” or “Immunocytophyte”.

When anthracnose on figs is noticed during the fruit ripening phase, poisonous drugs should not be used. The biological bactericide "Gamair" with an inhibitory bacterial effect will help contain the spread of fungal spores. During this period, it is important to constantly remove contaminated plant material.

Repeated spraying of figs is carried out after harvesting. In order to avoid fungi becoming accustomed to the same product, gardeners recommend using different solutions. The group of approved drugs includes: “Skor”, “Fundazol”, “Topsin-M”, “Previkur”, “Gold”, “Ridomil”.

Use in folk medicine

The beneficial properties of the fig tree have been known since ancient times. Back then they didn’t even know about medicine; all ailments were treated using traditional methods. There are many recipes for using dried figs to reduce fever, increase tone and as an expectorant.

Cough for children:

1. Boil 1 tbsp. milk, add 4-5 figs.
2. Leave for a third of an hour covered.

Take 4 times a day, ¼ tbsp. until the child gets better.

At high temperature:

1. 100 g of dried fruits are poured with boiling water (2 tbsp.), Cook for 15 minutes.
2. After infusion for 2 hours, the liquid is filtered off.

Take half a glass 3 times before meals.

Pests on figs

Fig fruits are tasty not only for humans, but also for various insects and birds. As mentioned above, these uninvited guests can not only spoil the harvest, but also cause diseases. For example, the fig psyllid lays a whole generation of eggs in cracks in the bark, or on young shoots of a fig tree. If the larvae get into the soil of the plant’s trunk circle, then in the spring they still end up on the leaves in the form of adults with wings. The psyllid pierces the leaves, from where it feeds on fig juice. Subsequently, such attacks cause the plant to dry out, stop developing, and the fruits curl and fall off. In addition, the danger of the appearance of psyllids lies in the unhindered flight to other fruit trees. These insects can easily transfer the mosaic mentioned above from one fig tree to another. Neonecotinoid drugs, such as Aktaru and Mospilan, are used to control pests.

The fig beetle also belongs to that order of insects that are not averse to feasting on the fragrant nectar of a tree. Although the life activity of these parasites is not very active, when the colonies cover the stem part of the fig, the living wood tissue dies over time. The larvae make holes in the tree bark and are carriers of cancer. To detect the pine beetle on the surface of a fig tree, you should regularly inspect the branches and leaves. If even small wounds are noticed, oil paint is prepared and applied to the affected areas.

Dried figs for weight loss

The beneficial properties of dried berries are highly valued by nutritionists. Those women who dream of losing extra pounds are recommended to introduce these dried fruits into their diet. The fact is that fruits are high-calorie foods. But thanks to them you can quickly get enough (it is enough to eat 2-3 fruits). The main thing is that the dried fruits are of high quality.

The fruits do not have to be eaten just like that; they can be added to salads, yogurt, and cottage cheese. Figs can be included in your diet no more than 3 times per week.

Important! A large amount of dried fruits per day can cause diarrhea, you need to remember this.

Fig care

The useful plant fig is an annual crop. Today, farmers and gardeners put a lot of effort into growing healthy trees and collecting as many ripe fruits as possible. It is important to apply the right fertilizers to your fig plant, as well as maintain its appearance. The appearance of some parasitic diseases contributes to the proliferation of others, so timely intervention is simply necessary when growing figs. Let's consider the basic rules for caring for a nutritious fig tree:

• During fruiting, figs need mineral bait;
• Anti-aging pruning in early spring gives new strength to the plant and prevents the occurrence of diseases;
• With stable lighting, the fig tree bears more fruit and grows faster;
• Before planting figs, the following crops are grown on the site: white mustard, calendula, nasturtium, marigolds. At the end of the dacha season, the soil is dug up along with these plants, and figs are planted the following year. Biologically active phytoncides secreted by the listed plants kill and suppress the development of pathogenic bacteria;
• It is worth watering a fig tree when the soil is dry. Excessive humidity often becomes a source of disease;
• For preventive purposes, in early spring, figs are treated with iron sulfate, or Bordeaux mixture. The soil should also be disinfected;
• Diseased fruits, leaves and shoots are removed and burned.

When growing ornamental figs at home, preventive measures are also required. For soil treatment, use a solution of potassium permanganate or laundry soap. This exotic plant grows well in temperate climates.

Dried figs for breastfeeding

After the birth of a child, many women review their diet and eat only healthy foods. After all, babies receive all the substances necessary for development through mother’s milk.

If some foods have to be removed from the diet, then dried figs are very necessary for nursing mothers. Moreover, it should become mandatory for use every day.

Attention! If, after the birth of a child, a woman consumes fig fruits for the first time, then she needs to monitor her condition and the child’s: whether there is any rejection of the product or an allergic reaction.

Popular varieties of figs

Experienced gardeners recommend choosing self-fertile varieties that do not require pollination. The most popular of them:

• “July early” - bears fruit twice per season, defenseless against cold weather;
• "Dalmatian" is the most frost-resistant. Fruits with a gray-green skin and a pleasant sweet and sour taste;
• 'Kadota' produces oval-shaped fruits with a sweet taste.

Interesting Facts

Figs emerge from an inverted formation called a syconium. The fig pulp consists of seeds; on the inside of the syconium there are flowers that bloom inward and are therefore never visible. Wild fig trees can live up to 100 years and reach up to 30 meters in height.

The leaves of the tree emit a pleasant woody aroma. They are also sometimes dried and used to make perfumes and scented sachets for the home. The trees produce natural latex, a sap that is used for both medicinal and household purposes.

Figs were so popular among the ancient Greeks that they even passed a law prohibiting their export. It is also a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, one of the healthiest in the world. In addition to a large amount of fiber, the fruit contains many beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Figs have a rich history. It is believed that in 5000 BC. e. Figs were the first plant to be cultivated by humans. In a Neolithic village, archaeologists have discovered fossils of figs, which predate other crops such as wheat and barley. The fig tree or fig tree is often mentioned in the Bible, since people were already actively growing this plant at that time. So, some people believe that the forbidden fruit for Adam and Eve was not an apple, but a fig. This fruit sometimes symbolizes peace, abundance and prosperity.

Figs have sweet and juicy flesh, tender skin and crunchy seeds. The fruits are easily damaged, so for better storage, they are often dried. And, unlike other fruits and vegetables, their nutritional value only increases after drying. Figs are actively used in cooking and go well with meat and cheese.

How to store dried figs at home

To store dried figs, it is necessary to create optimal conditions: temperature - from 0 to 10 degrees and a dry place. A large number of fruits can be placed in a hermetically sealed glass jar. But many housewives advise storing a small portion of dried fruits in a linen bag, hanging it in a cool, dry place.

Important! Insects often breed in fabric containers, so figs are stored in them, which can be eaten within 30-35 days.

The beneficial properties of dried fig berries last up to 2 years if the conditions are met. But it is advisable to eat the fruits within 6-8 months. From time to time the contents are inspected and ventilated.

Brief description of care

In order for indoor figs to fully develop, you need to know the basic rules of care:

• Temperature . In summer the optimal value is + 22°C + 27°C, in autumn and winter + 8°C + 12°C.
• Lighting . Loves bright, diffused lighting, without direct sun.
• Air humidity . High, about 70-80%. In summer, humidifiers and frequent spraying are used.
• The soil . Fertile, loose soil with good breathability and neutral acidity is preferred.
• Watering . In summer, water abundantly and often. Additionally, daily spraying is carried out. In winter, no more than once a month.
• Feeding . From spring to autumn, once every 14 days, apply organic matter or mineral fertilizers. During the dormant period (October - February) they do not feed.
• Trimming . The procedure is carried out every year in the fall.
• Rest period . Explicitly expressed. Lasts 3 – 4 months.
• Fruiting . 1-2 years after planting.
• Transplant . Growing plants are replanted annually. Specimens that have reached 5 years of age are replanted once every 3-4 years.

Fig leaves and their benefits for the body

The leaves of this fruit tree are also incredibly valuable for the health of the body, mainly due to their antioxidant abilities.

The leaves can be dried and used to make healthy teas or extracts, which is very common in the regions where this tree grows.

1. Antidiabetic effect

   Studies have demonstrated a decrease in blood glucose levels in rats when consuming an extract from the leaves of the tree. Further results from this study showed a reduction in cholesterol levels as well as normalization of antioxidant activity to combat oxidative stress caused by diabetes.

   Read also:  Why do tomatoes crack in greenhouses and open ground? How to deal with the problem?
2. Anti-age effect in cosmetology

   According to studies, scientists have found that fig leaf extract helps in the fight against wrinkles due to its antioxidant and anti-collagenase activity.

Fig propagation by cuttings

Both summer and winter shoots are used to create cuttings. Winter branches should only be taken from plants that are already one year old. The cuttings are planted with the onset of spring in light soil until buds appear.

Summer cuttings are planted in late May or early June in the sand. Shoots should be taken from plants that have already produced fruit. Until roots appear, they need to be kept in a container of water. When long roots appear, they can be planted in garden soil.

Diagnosis of pain in the coccyx

For many people, coccydynia is not a reason to seek medical help. They simply do not pay attention to its clinical manifestations or try to eliminate them using folk methods. However, pain can be caused by life-threatening diseases, including malignant tumors, the treatment of which is successful only in the early stages.

A specialized specialist will conduct a diagnosis, find out why the tailbone hurts and prescribe the optimal treatment regimen.

If you experience pain in the lower spine, you should consult a neurologist. At the first appointment, the specialist’s task includes examining the patient and palpating the affected area. It is also necessary to collect an anamnesis by asking a person about past illnesses, surgical interventions, and traumatic injuries.

The patient is then referred to:

• laboratory tests (blood, urine);
• radiography to detect changes in bone structure, fractures, bruises, cracks, separation of the coccyx from the joint, rupture of intervertebral cartilage and other injuries;
• computer and magnetic resonance imaging are the most effective methods that will help determine not only the condition of bones, but also soft tissues, blood vessels, cartilage, and intervertebral discs. The specialist has the opportunity to obtain clear information about all pathological changes, the presence of tumors, their exact location and impact on nearby structures;

• Ultrasound refers to a typical examination that is prescribed for the diagnosis of coccydynia.
• sigmoidoscopy is an endoscopic examination prescribed to detect hemorrhoids, polyps, and inflammatory processes.

Possible purpose:

• myelogram – morphological analysis of bone marrow cells in cases of suspected hemoblastosis and metastases of malignant tumors;
• densitometry - which allows you to determine the density and likelihood of damage to bone tissue;
• irrigography - X-ray examination of the intestines. When it is carried out, a contrast agent is used;
• evacuation proctography - x-ray examination for visual assessment of rectal emptying;

It is possible to schedule a consultation with a proctologist, urologist, gynecologist, oncologist, or traumatologist to identify pathologies in their area.

Figs: contraindications for consumption

Despite the rich chemical composition of figs, you should be more careful about sweet fruits if you have symptoms of the following diseases:

• obesity;
• insulin resistance;
• diabetes;
• gout;
• acute inflammatory bowel disease.

Dried figs are strictly prohibited for use in case of pancreatitis, due to the fact that they can contribute to exacerbations of this disease. However, it should be remembered that figs can reduce the effectiveness of some medications to combat diabetes.