Location
Choose a location that receives full sun at least 6 – 8 hours a day.  Morning sun is especially important so that dew dries quickly from the leaves; otherwise, they are prone to rust disease.  Give each tree space that allows the tree to grow at least 12 – 20 feet wide.  Since they can occasionally be injured by frost, a location on the south side of a building can provide extra warmth in winter.

Pruning/Maintenance
Fig trees do not like heavy pruning.  For example, mature Celeste trees will produce fewer fruits in the spring after a winter pruning.  Weak, diseased, or dead limbs should be pruned out in winter.  Fig trees prefer regular composting instead of fertilizing.  Apply a 2” to 3” layer of high-quality compost in the spring and fall over the entire root zone, especially if your fig is a freeze-sensitive variety.  These shallow-rooted trees will also benefit from a layer of mulch during the hotter summer months to maintain even soil moisture.  Fig fruits have “eyes” or ostioles that, when open, can be susceptible to souring and insects such as the dried fruit beetle. New cultivars with closed eyes have been introduced.

Production & Harvesting
The fruit must ripen on the tree.  Harvest figs when the fruit changes color and becomes soft.  The stem should separate easily.  Consider using holographic scare tape to keep the birds from harvesting the fruit before you do, or try hanging old CDs to help scare them away.

Certain varieties of figs may produce more than one crop per year.  A breba (or more commonly breva in Spanish) is a common fig that develops in the spring on the previous year’s shoot growth.  In contrast, the main fig crop develops on the current year’s shoot growth and ripens in late summer or fall

After harvest as fall begins, reduce watering.  This will encourage the tree to go dormant.  After dormancy, water deeply every 3 – 4 weeks, and a few days in advance of a freeze for greater frost protection.

Propagation
Figs are one of the easiest fruit crops to propagate.  Hardwood cuttings taken when the plants are fully dormant will readily root and are most commonly used for propagation of figs.  Cuttings should be six to ten inches in length and approximately one-half to one inch in diameter. Place the cuttings in a warm, humid environment such as wrapping them in a moist paper towel and placed in a plastic bag for 10-14 days to encourage callus formation.  Cuttings can then be planted in pots in a commercial potting media to encourage rooting and shoot formation. Softwood cuttings can also be used for propagation, but a mist system is usually needed for successful plant production.