Fig care calendar — zone 5

The year at a glance

1. April

   • Dormant pruningPrune · Apr 14 – May 5

     Prune figs while dormant in late winter, before growth resumes. Remove dead, weak, and crossing wood and shape the plant; main-crop figs form on new spring growth, so hard renewal cuts are tolerated. Note that heavy pruning reduces the early breba crop that forms on last year's wood.

2. June

   • Breba crop awarenessCare · Jun 1 – Jul 31

     In mild areas figs may carry an early 'breba' crop on the previous year's wood that ripens in early summer, ahead of the main crop. Breba is often lighter and less flavorful; if winter cold killed last year's wood, expect only the main crop.

3. August

   • Main-crop harvest windowHarvest · Aug 1 – Oct 31

     Pick figs when they soften, droop on the stem, and color fully; ripe figs do not improve after picking and bruise easily, so harvest gently and often. The main crop ripens from late summer into fall over several weeks.

4. October

   • Fall cleanupCare · Oct 16 – Nov 13

     After leaf drop, remove fallen fruit and mummies from the ground and plant to reduce sanitation and pest pressure into next season.

   • Winter cold protectionCare · Oct 30 – Dec 11

     In marginal zones, protect figs before hard freezes: mulch heavily over the roots, wrap or bundle the trunk and stems, or grow in a container that can be moved to shelter. Extension guidance is to protect wood so the productive breba-bearing stems survive winter.

Other zones and species

• Fig — zone 4
• Fig — zone 6
• Fig — zone 7
• Fig — zone 8
• Fig — zone 9
• All calendars
• Figs variety catalog