Irrigation and Fertigation for Healthy Figs

Whether you’re growing figs in the ground or in pots, mastering watering techniques like irrigation and fertigation can save time, boost growth, and keep your plants thriving. Figs, with their Middle Eastern roots, are hardy and heat-tolerant, but they still need consistent care—especially when it comes to water and nutrients. Here’s why and how to use these methods effectively.

Why Figs Need Water and How They Use It

Figs (Ficus Carica) depend on water for survival and growth, as it supports critical processes like photosynthesis, nutrient transport, and fruit development. Without water, the plant’s cells would dehydrate, leading to wilting and death.

Here’s How Figs Use It:

Photosynthesis: Water in the leaves combines with carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen (6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂), fueling growth.

Transpiration: Water evaporates from leaf stomata, cooling the plant and pulling more water and nutrients up from the roots.

Nutrient Uptake: Water dissolves soil nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, potassium), carrying them throughout the plant.

Fruit Growth: Water supports cell expansion in figs, making them juicy and plump. Figs thrive with consistent moisture, especially during fruiting, but overwatering can cause the fruit to swell, split or make it less sweet.

Plant Parts Involved with Water:

Several parts of the fig tree work together to manage water effectively, from absorption to utilization.

Roots: Absorb water via root hairs and store some for dry periods; deep roots help figs tolerate drought.

Xylem: Transports water and nutrients from roots to leaves, stems, and fruit like a pipeline.

Leaves: Host photosynthesis and transpiration; stomata regulate water loss, and leaves may drop in drought.

Stems: Distribute water upward and provide structure through vascular tissues like xylem and phloem.

Fruit: Relies on water for ripening and sweetness, supported by the plant’s water network.

Note: Well-draining soil is crucial, as fig roots prefer a steady moist environment, not a soggy one.

Potted vs Inground.

Figs are from the middle east so they can take a good bit of heat when they are established inground. Or in a pot with plenty of water.

Inground: Inground plants can take much more heat than potted plants, but they still need to be watered frequently or irrigated. There roots are relatively deep but even if they are established you may have to water if it is very hot and dry. Inground plants

Potted: Potted plants are not nearly as robust as inground and can’t handle the heat as well as plants that are inground. They can still take 100°F weather in the summer but can’t be in direct sunlight, we water 2 or more times a day and mist occasionally through the day.

Figs do not grow if it’s above 90°F, at this high a temperature they just stall.
Whether in-ground or potted, too much water on the leaves will likely lead to rust (seen in the photo below). Watering at the right time (mornings, so the leaves can dry quickly) and reducing the water on the leaf surface can help control rust. This is more of a problem in humid zones, so be on the lookout for this pest. You can read more about it on the Pest Control page.

Hand Watering

The first way you probably watered was with a can or cup pouring some water on a plant, whether or not it was a fig, am I right? You may have also watered with a hose. Most things are much easier to take care of when you irrigate them whether it’s tomatoes or grapes or something else.

Figs are pretty much the same we like to “hand water” them when they are young and before we pot them up into say a 3-gallon, then we hand water for about a month after to let them get established in the new pot. Once they are this age, we switch to watering with a hose which is much faster than watering by hand 300+ plants as you can imagine. Once they are inground we switch to irrigation that is automated. This cuts down the time we spend caring for our trees drastically.

…After all we are growing them for that tasty fruit and the less time we have to work the more time we have to enjoy the figs.

Why Should You Irrigate?

The first reason is you will not have to go out and water every plant, instead turn on a faucet and its done, or even better there are timers you can buy for a reasonable price which you can set the time and have it turn on the water for you. Irrigating is usually used if the plants are inground, but you can easily adapt it for potted plants, if you don’t mind moving it for the fig shuffle….

Irrigation System Options

Drip Irrigation:

- Used: For both inground and potted figs, drip systems deliver water slowly to the root zone, minimizing waste. For pots, use emitters; for inground, run lines along rows. This pairs well with fertigation for nutrient delivery.

- Setup: The system typically includes a main water line connected to a timer, filter, and pressure regulator, feeding into smaller tubing with emitters placed near the base of each fig tree. Emitters release water slowly (e.g., 0.5 to 4 gallons per hour) depending on tree size and soil needs.

- Placement: Emitters are positioned within the tree’s drip line (the area under the canopy where roots spread), often 6-12 inches from the trunk for young trees, expanding outward as the tree matures.
Soaker Hoses:
- What Are They: A soaker hose is a porous hose that “sweats” water along its length, releasing it slowly into the soil at a low rate, providing a broader, uniform watering zone compared to drip irrigation’s precise emitters. It’s laid in a spiral or loop within the drip line, delivering consistent moisture to prevent fruit drop or splitting, especially during fruiting season.

- Benefits and Setup: Simple and cost-effective ($15-$30 for 25-50 feet), it encourages root spread, works best with mulch to retain moisture, and suits sandy soils or clay soils. It mimics figs’ natural deep-water access, thriving in hot, dry climates when paired with low pressure (10-20 PSI), making it a reliable, low-tech option for keeping figs happy with minimal setup—just connect to a faucet and cap the end.

- Considerations: While less precise than drip systems and prone to overwatering if misused (e.g., too-long runtimes in heavy soil), soaker hoses offer a broader soaking pattern that’s easy to monitor but also wastes more water—watch for drooping (thirst) or yellowing (excess). Occasionally check for even flow, and pairing with a pressure regulator prevents hose damage, making it a practical choice for fig growers.

SIPs:

- Structure: A SIP typically consists of a container with a water reservoir at the base, separated from the soil by a barrier (like landscape fabric or wire mesh). A fill tube allows you to add water to the reservoir, and the soil wicks moisture upward to the roots as needed. This method is not as fertigation friendly since you would have to add fertilizer to every SIP.

- DIY Options: Many growers create SIPs using affordable materials like storage totes, 5-gallon buckets, or nursery pots, combined with items like weeping tile, plastic tubing (e.g., dishwasher drainpipes), and waterproof liners (e.g., contractor-grade plastic bags)

- Maintenance: Add mosquito dunks or liquid controls to the reservoir to prevent pests and ensure overflow holes prevent excess water buildup.

Why Should You Fertigate?

The first reason is it greatly accelerates the growth of the plant sometimes by as much as 100-150%.

Fertigating will also help the plant make foliage and roots faster and make them healthier, and more productive.

Fertigation Details

Fertilizer Choices: Balanced NPK (10-10-10) for general growth, or high-potassium mixes for fruiting. Liquid fertilizers (e.g., fish emulsion) work best for fertigation. We like to use Miricale Gro and sometimes Cal-Mag (Calcium and Magnesium) in our water.
Slow Release Fertilizers: Like Ozmocote or Schultz slow release granules (or other reputable brand) can also be used by adding a tablespoon or two to each of your pots or around your in-ground trees instead of adding nutrients to your water every time. This has worked well for us. Keep in mind fig trees are heavy feeders so you will probably have to repeat the process every eight to twelve weeks (follow instructions on your product).

Over-Fertigation Risks: There are some other things to consider the first one, you should not fertilize before potting up the plant, yellowing leaves or root burn are signs of over fertigation. So, you need to “flush” the pot once a month, which means to just heavily water for a little while to get the salts from the fertilizer out.

Caution: Over-fertilizing burns leaves—watch for brown edges and adjust accordingly.

What’s in Your Water

When watering there are a few things that you can do to help your plants along, give them an edge over the gnats, and more importantly, the fugus those pesky things carry with them.

Treatments to consider

Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT): You might find this under the product name Mosquito Bits from Summit Chemical and can be found in most garden suppliers. This product kills the fungus gnat larvae that spread disease and feed on roots by disrupting their life cycle. You can also use this to treat any rain buckets you might have or SIPs to cut down on mosquitos. Use to inoculate the water before watering.
MycoStop: A biological fungus control that can help or even stop many organisms that attack the roots of your tree. Definitely worth a shot if you plants are struggling for an unknown reason.
Captan: This common fungicide is widely available and, like MycoStop, can treat many or the fungi that attack the roots of plants, especially when they are young. We generally avoid chemical measure so we recommend only as a last resort. Be sure to read and follow label instructions carefully.