A little while back the Lord put it on my heart to plant a tree. What kind of tree? A fig tree. That sounded good to me. It’s what the Israelites lived on at least somewhat so it has to still be a good idea. So I ordered one, a Chicago Hardy fig tree. It was cheapest and very hardy fig tree in that it could be grown in my zone 6 grow zone. It was only maybe one foot tall. I potted it and let it grow inside until after the frost and cold goes away.
I wound up planting it permanently in the ground outside around the first of May. I give it a dose of miracle grow every two weeks and even though the advertising for the tree said, plant now, have figs by late August. I didn’t see how I could get fruit from a tree that was a foot tall, if that. But there’s always next year and that’s ok. Every little bit helps.
I went out there and checked on it a day or two ago and it’s doing good, big leaves and healthy looking, praise the Lord. Now I’m no learned Gardner, but I have planted stuff before abd I’ve even had Tomatoes and a garden a few times. But it’s not like I have a green thumb or anything, I just plant stuff and I water it and keep the weeds away, that’s all I really know how to do lol.
I was thinking that the advertising for it saying plant in Spring, have fruit in August was advertising hype. Most trees take 3-5 years or more before bearing fruit. My skinny little one foot tall tree would certainly not fruit this year. I know it takes time for a tree to establish it’s root system and so forth, so no way will I see fruit this year.
I was looking over my new tree that has been in the ground for only two month’s or not quite, and what’s that bump on the stem? O looked closely and…it is a fig starting! Hey there’s another one starting, and a third one! Wow. How can this tree be growing Figs already? It hasn’t gotten any taller yet, just sprouting leaves and establishing a root system.
There’s 3 Figs on it so maybe it has itself established?
I’m stoked. I have Figs, praise the Lord!
How long does a tree take to establish a root system? Anyone know?
Generally speaking, a fig tree takes about 1 to 2 years to establish a solid, dependable root system when planted in the ground under the right conditions.
Because figs are naturally vigorous and aggressive growers, they prioritize root development right out of the gate. Here is what I found.
The First 0–12 Months (The Critical Phase): During the first growing season, the tree puts most of its energy into pushing out fine, fibrous roots to secure water and nutrients. Above ground, you might see some top growth or even a few light “test” fruits, but the real work is happening underneath.
Consistent watering during this first year is vital to prevent the young root system from drying out. Year 2
Then you have the Established Phase: By the second summer, the root system has expanded significantly—often spreading up to double the width of the tree’s branch canopy. At this point, the roots are deep and wide enough to handle short dry spells, and the tree will begin pushing heavy top growth and a meaningful fruit harvest.
Years 3–4 (Full Maturity): The root system is fully mature and robust. In cold-winter climates, a root system this well-established acts as an insurance policy: even if an extreme winter freeze kills the top wood of the tree down to the soil line, the established roots will survive and vigorously send up brand-new, fruit-bearing stalks the following spring.
I would love to try one of your figs. Happy growing.
Peter
I enjoyed your story! I can’t answer your question.
I live in an apartment facing Northwest. That means I get full on sun around 4 pm till sunset. It hits the hardest around 6 pm. So not much sun, but one year I tried for cherry tomatoes. I got four tomatoes. They were really good but not worth the bother.
So this year, I once again got a cherry tomato plant and a strawberry plant. Both are producing fruit that is not yet edible. I’m also in zone 6. I’ll see how it goes. Kudos to you on the fig tree. That’s amazing.
Wow, that’s awesome! God’s creation is amazing. As a fellow (amateur) gardener, I can relate. I also think this is so wonderful for all the spiritual metaphors you can draw from it.
I had a very difficult and traumatic birth with my oldest child, and after I brought his placenta home, buried it, and planted a blackberry bush over it. Some may think that’s weird, I suppose, but it was very healing for me. Blackberry bushes are both thorny and sweet, and that metaphor has been a gift from God to me. I think God often uses his creation to minister to us spiritually. Hope your fig tree continues to flourish!
1 to 2 years?! I thought it would be weeks or months, lol. It gets consistent watering. It’s been raining real regularly still. I fed it miracle gro today and a couple of them are a wee bit bigger than they was, so that’s good. I couldn’t believe it when I seen them figs! That isn’t no more than 1 Ft tall. I’m starting to get the feeling that maybe I should have 2 or 3 more fig trees!
Me too and I talk nice to it too and tell it to grow strong and be fruitful and multiply!
I had it cross my mind to curse it like Jesus did and see if it withered, but by then it’d be too late so I wont! .
Besides, when I had several large pots of tomatoes going one year, I got up at night for a drink and was in the kitchen looking out the window and I started talking to them, and then they were swaying back and forth? I looked at the other vegetation outside and the wind wasn’t blowing. So I thought, were they reacting to my kind words? SO I went outside for a closer look and walked up to them and began blessing them and talking nice to them, and they started swaying again, but no wind. So I kept on talking to them and watching them, they were may as well say dancing to my words! It both surprised me and didn’t surprise me at the same time. I bet I talked to those tomato plants for a full 20 minutes and just watching. That was a good feeling. I had a wonderful crop of tomatoes that year.
I thought long and hard where to put it. The middle east where they are native to (pretty sure) gets more sun than us, I think. SO I watched yard shadows all day for a couple days and picked the spot that gets the early morning sun and then the rest of the day too, a perfect spot I think.
Only slightly more than 1/2 of my yard is fenced. So I put it right on the other side a little ways of the fence near the driveway, for two reasons. It seems to be the area of longest sunshine from early to late, and…I know a famine is coming and you can’t have a fruit tree not approached with hungry neighbors, lol. The Lord told me awhile back that when I am doing my prepping to buy a little extra food because when the famine hits the fan, hungry people will come. Well I want to obey that and when I buy for my pantry and food storage, I get an extra one or two and put them on the shelf. And my hungry neighbors can have some figs too, and their accessible!. They don’t have to come inside the yard close to the house. I thought that was a good idea all around. Thanks, Lord.