Japanese intensive method for growing figs

17 years ago

This originally comes from a Hawaiaan site but describes the method used in Japan. The trees are bent over when young, and pruned closely each year. Sort of like an espallier type method. I extracted a couple of photos so that it wouldn't be necessary to go through the whole original site, but the link is there with more photos.

Seemed interesting to share. The Japanese method seems to be in greenhouse or similar shelter, but it could be done outdoors as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: Intensive Japanese method for growing figs.

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Comments (6)

threejsmom31
17 years ago
Very neat. I may be able to can some yet :). Just kidding.
3js
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elder
17 years ago
While viewing the original site I was dizzied just thinking of the potenial for an operation like that here in the States. After all, we grow tons of tomatos under glass, why not figs.
Does anyone have info on the Masui Dauphine fig? All I could find out was it is the most important fig in both Japan and China, and appears to be a brown variety. No mention if it needs the wasps, etc.....Elder
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The rockwool is kept with the cutting, forever! On the contrary you will break the roots. It isn't a problem, the roots haven't problems to go through of it. The rockwool is a material easy to rip by the roots. It is not a problem for an herbaceous cuttings, so you can imagine how easy is to go through and to break it for the vigorous and woody roots of a fig.
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So interesting the different cultures and how they went about doing things. My friends father was so upset not to have a male heir. It was so important to him, but as he died, he finally told his girls he loved them and so forth. Very hard family life my friend had to grow up in. My friend is descended from Samurai she said her relations guarded kings or something, I will have to ask her more questions about that when she comes over tonight for our weekly Domino Match/game. My friends family on the Chinese side was rich shipping merchants. When her mother and father fell in love ect, the Chinese side disowned her mother for marrying a Japanese, disowned her family and never got a penny. Never even got acknowledged. Anyway, I will be curious to see what your fig is like, I absolutely never really heard of Japanese figs, may have came somewhere else, but like my friend said, That wouldn't be something you would find too often with their cuisine or what they would be growing. Very interesting. Ciao Let us know how it goes for you, your cutting. I want to see what it looks like oneday. Ciao
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:( those are my seedlings in that topic in 511, and they are still kicking, now have two to three sets of true leaves. what's worse i now have... pfff probably more than 40 cups of seeds germinating or already out. first i put in some known for long germination times: trinidad scorpion butch t, 7pot jonah, chocolate bhut, douglah, chocolate scorpion... and then some easier ones, limon, numex suave orange, aji panca, habanero san remo... probably some more, dunno i sow them in waves because my germination space is limited. the first group is already out, except chocolate scorpions. i've had only two seeds not germinate (out of 5 of each variety), and those were blackish to begin with so i believe they were dead in the start. i feel bad now because i feel maybe i've misled you with my pictures? i might've been just lucky with mine, who knows. i don't know what to say other than it works for me... one thing i noticed i do different from what i see recommended here, is the germination temperature. i don't have a heat mat, but i was determined to have bottom heat for the containers.then it dawned on me that my low tech fluorescent light fixture gives off heat on the top, right over where the ballasts are. so i put my containers there, avoiding the hottest spots but keeping them on the area that is 33-34 oC. that's what, about 90ish F? anyhow, even superhots germinate really fast on that. oh, and that light is on for 18 hours, and off for 6, so it cools down during that time. i think it is closer to a natural temperature cycle, maybe it suits the seeds better to have a cool period. here are some pictures, please don't laugh at my "high tech" setup :)) these are i think the 4 from the last picture and some in small cups and the lamp thingy. yeah it's not pretty but it works, and was cheaper than a heat mat :/ (was laying around broken in the garage, i fixed it). there are a bunch of cups waiting in line for the "heater" position, they just don't fit.
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threejsmom31
17 years ago
I was wondering if the greenhouse was heated or just a large cold frame. I think that this pruning method would also be easier to protect in winter, using insulation or straw and reflective tarp. Hmmm... I can see daffodils coming up between the gnarled branches in the spring and then hostas coming in later with the foliage from the figs.... has anyone trained a fig to grow along the ground? I know many northern growers espalier them or grow against walls to help with warmth in winter. I am still studying all I can about them. Thanks for any information.
Good health and happy figging to all,
Threejsmom31 :)
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bjs496
17 years ago
I think its interesting to note that the most commonly used fert used on these trees is a 10-8-10. This flies in the face of what has been batted around the walls of this forum. Most suggest a high phosphorus to encourage fruit production, however this article suggest that increased root growth (another benefit of Phosphorus) detracts from fruit production.

I don't understand how mulching reduces root production unless whatever they are using as mulch suppresses growth. The two trees I have in the ground seem to grow more roots in the mulch layer than they do in the ground soil.

Any thoughts?
~james
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andrea_san_diego
17 years ago
I'm just thinking of how many extra fig trees that I'll be able to "SQUEEZE" into my backyard using this method.
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elder
17 years ago
james: according to my sources, and my own experience bears it out, higher phosphorous increases the production of flower buds, fruit, AND roots. The logic of our neighbors to the west escapes me.
As for mulching to limit roots, you may have answered your own question - roots tend to grow most heavily under a mulched area, and perhaps they are simply interested in limiting the outward distribution of the root system.
andrea: wishful thinking on my part came up with the following - if you had one acre of ground (43,560 sq ft) and allowed a space for each tree of 18 x 4 (as per the two branch intensive method) I believe you could squeeze in roughly 570 fig trees. If you allowed a twenty foot spacing using regular planting methods the same acre would support only 108 trees. Intensive it is!!!.....Elder (Lou)
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Japanese intensive method for growing figs

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