Celestial Fig- Fertilizer

Q: My two-year old Celestial fig already has small figs on it. I have few other varieties but they have not yet fruited? When should I fertilize them?

A: I bet you have a ‘Celeste’ not a Celestial fig. Figs try to bear two crops per year. After a mild winter, a small breba (early) fig crop will be produced in summer on ^old wood^ (twigs that grew the previous autumn). The main crop occurs on ^new wood^ (twigs that grew and matured in the previous six months). If you severely prune a fig in the winter, you remove all of the old wood. No breba figs will be produced the following early summer. ‘Celeste’ doesn’t usually have much of a breba crop, and the small figs that do appear fall off readily before ripening. Winter cold typically kills the breba flowers but our recent mild winter explains what you’re seeing now. As for feeding, spread two cups of 10-10-10 under the canopy of a well-established fig plant in March, May and June; half the amount for younger plants.