Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Companion Plants for Fig Trees
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
BronxFigs

Registered:
Posts: 1,864
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Never saw this being discussed in relation to fig culture.

Are there certain plants, herbs, flowers, etc. that emit volatile, scented, oils from the leaves, that will repel insects that prey on fig trees?  I'm thinking that if these are planted around the base of our trees, these plants may provide natural, non toxic, repellants for aphids, nematodes, leaf-hoppers, borers, etc.  I dislike the use of chemicals being sprayed on anything that I will eventually eat.  There's enough poison in our food supply already.

I know certain insects hate marigolds, and certain scented geraniums, herbs, mints, but I have never read anything about this in reference to fig trees.  All my trees are containerized, and I have to constantly remove weeds from around the base of my trees.  I think I will plant some marigolds around the roots to cut down on heat, weeds, etc.  I think the containerized figs will look nicer with some colorful flowering plants, but if I can get the added benefit of natural insect repellants, I'd rather plant something that will help the figs.  In nature, some plants can help other plants, when grown as companions. I want to keep it natural.

Any thoughts, recommendations, etc?



Frank
__________________
Bronx, NYC
Zone-7
bullet08

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 6,920
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
don't they compete for the resource in the container? i know the container gets packed with fig trees roots really quick. but i would love to see some color on the container also.
__________________
Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
The_celt

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 874
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Marigolds also protect against Rkn
__________________
http://sumosteaks.com/
JackHNVA

Registered:
Posts: 519
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
I usually plant impatients, scented geraniums, and marigolds for added color and use the pots as accent around the yard
__________________
Zone 7
Celeste, White Marseilles, Beer's Black, Green Greek, White Italy one unknown, Chicago hardy, White Naples, Portuguese Black, Italian Honey.Black Bethleham, Sal's C, Several unknowns.

Looking for dark sweet types from Azores and southern Spain (figs, not women), 2014 goal is to acquire Kathleen Black
BronxFigs

Registered:
Posts: 1,864
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Nice to see some response and suggested plants. 

For containerized trees, I don't think nutrient competition will be too much of a worry.  The trees and plants will be fertilized with much diluted nutrient solutions each time the figs are watered, and the added color is easier on the eyes.  Besides, how much surface space can the flowers take?

I'll give it a try with some low-growing marigolds, portulaca, thymes, etc.  So, now I'm off to the Garden Center.

Thanks,


Frank
__________________
Bronx, NYC
Zone-7
Pattee

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,417
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Also root competition , I think is minimal for the amount of time they would be in the pot for summer. As long as the fertilizing regimen is continued , I don't see a problem. 
__________________
7a & 9b ►I assume all my figs carry FMV ◄

Seeking :  Italian 376,395 , Galicia Negra, Negretta,UNK Pastilliere ,Pananas Purple,  Malta Blk+purple/red, Italian + Calabrian UNK's , Catanzaro, Malone, Sucrette(Baud)


"We may have our private opinions but why should they be a bar to the meeting of hearts?"
-  Gandhi
Dieseler

Registered:
Posts: 8,252
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Nothing to add but rarely get weeds growing in the figs pots and if and when i see i pull it out.
JackHNVA

Registered:
Posts: 519
Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Here is one of my smaller pots

Attached Images
jpeg aux_plants.JPG (779.65 KB, 142 views)


__________________
Zone 7
Celeste, White Marseilles, Beer's Black, Green Greek, White Italy one unknown, Chicago hardy, White Naples, Portuguese Black, Italian Honey.Black Bethleham, Sal's C, Several unknowns.

Looking for dark sweet types from Azores and southern Spain (figs, not women), 2014 goal is to acquire Kathleen Black

Pattee

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,417
Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Really pretty!!
__________________
7a & 9b ►I assume all my figs carry FMV ◄

Seeking :  Italian 376,395 , Galicia Negra, Negretta,UNK Pastilliere ,Pananas Purple,  Malta Blk+purple/red, Italian + Calabrian UNK's , Catanzaro, Malone, Sucrette(Baud)


"We may have our private opinions but why should they be a bar to the meeting of hearts?"
-  Gandhi
Tonycm

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 922
Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Jack in your picture it looks like a shoot of bamboo coming up on the left of the pot. I'm still pulling bamboo out that pops up from time to time. I can't get rid of it. Maybe some day.
__________________
Zone 6a Sarver, PA Wish list; Rafed's Genovese Nero
Centurion

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #11 
I am trying clover as a "living mulch" and groundcover.  It supposedly adds nitrogen to the soil and helps retain soil moisture and temperature.  Trouble is...I waited too long to try it.  Temps here at the casa are into the 100's nearly every day now, so I am unsure if they will survive.

If not...next year maybe... 
__________________
Dave
Verde Valley, AZ
Zone 8
BronxFigs

Registered:
Posts: 1,864
Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Thanks for the interest, and some great ideas,  The flowers will certainly beat that bare, weedy-soil "look".



Frank
__________________
Bronx, NYC
Zone-7
JackHNVA

Registered:
Posts: 519
Posted Reply with quote  #13 
This tree had died down mostly and left dead twigs, so the shoots are growth coming up through from the roots
__________________
Zone 7
Celeste, White Marseilles, Beer's Black, Green Greek, White Italy one unknown, Chicago hardy, White Naples, Portuguese Black, Italian Honey.Black Bethleham, Sal's C, Several unknowns.

Looking for dark sweet types from Azores and southern Spain (figs, not women), 2014 goal is to acquire Kathleen Black
AaronT

Registered:
Posts: 185
Posted Reply with quote  #14 
I have discovered that figs are great companion plants for mulberry trees. I have a giant mulberry that came with the house and the thing is so tall I can't reach any branches to pick them. Luckily a one limb overhangs my lattarula. The large fig leaves do a great job of catching the ripe berries without smashing them. So now I at least get a nice handful of mulberries to tide me over when I go out to check on the figs.
__________________
Pittsburgh, Pennsyltucky
Zone 6b give or take
garden_whisperer

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,613
Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Dave as i understand it clover itself dont add nitrogen it just pulls the nitrogen in the soil to a singular place. my whole back yard is clover and the front burmuda grass (i hate burmuda) but i use all the clover for compost along with any thing else i can add.

now i may be wrong here but its just what i have always been told by the old timers around here. Having a horse poker run at the bar across the street this weekend so i will be getting some freash poo for the compost as well.
__________________
Dave Zone 6b Illinois

"Be the change you wish to see in the world"
Centurion

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 810
Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Thanks, Dave.  The clover planted in my test areas has sprouted, but it isn't impressing me a whole lot.   I may try this next fall.   I'm gettin tired of looking at straw.  Clover (if it survives), would be so much prettier.  And cooler, too I think.
__________________
Dave
Verde Valley, AZ
Zone 8
Womack

Registered:
Posts: 262
Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Clover can fix atmospheric nitrogen through a symbiotic relationship with a bacteria that lives in its roots. It is advisable to use inoculated clover seed so you are sure the bacteria will be there. Without the bacteria there is limited to no nitrogen fixation. You can tell if your clover is fixing nitrogen by pulling up a plant and looking at the roots. If you see little nodules on the roots you know you have nitrogen. The more nodules the more nitrogen that will be released when the roots die and decompose.
__________________
Womack
Northwest Georgia 7b
Wish list: Col de Dame Gris, Black Tuscan, Socorro Black
lisascenic

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 121
Posted Reply with quote  #18 
I've got strawberries planted under a couple of my fig trees.

It makes harvesting more fun.
sirlampsalot

Registered:
Posts: 258
Posted Reply with quote  #19 
All the companion plantings in my pots have been done by varmits.  Small pecans, acorns, maple, sweet gum, Chinese dogwood, smilax.  I may give hens and chicks a try in some of my smaller pots if they don't take too long to cover the soil surface..  They take little water and might catch some unwanted seeds.  Oaks and pecans take some effort to pull out of pots due to tap roots. I have planted Zinnias near my fig trees and both seem happy with the relationship..I have some alpine strawberries I got from the Montreal fig a few years ago and planted a small fig cutting nearby  that has figs on it now. Not sure if the strawberries and now ripe blueberries are telling the birds to hang around and eat the figs and pears when they finish with the other berries for a Spring thru Fall feast.
__________________
C.H.
Zone 7a East Tn
Listenstohorses

Registered:
Posts: 13
Posted Reply with quote  #20 
This is a topic I would like to resurrect. I love the idea of companion planting and read somewhere that figs like mint. I planted chocolate mint in one pot to see how it went. Both fig and mint looked till cold set in. I am wondering about my topset onions, any ideas?
__________________
Zone 6, south central Missouri ...wishing for yummy figs that grow well here.

Have Desert King, Celeste, Amber, and Alma?... plus one unknown variety I got from my father in CA
FrozenJoe

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 1,115
Posted Reply with quote  #21 
Last year I had some basil growing underneath a Mineola Tangelo.  I don't know if it helped the tree but I really enjoyed the smell and it drew honeybees and other pollinators to my yard.  I'll be seeding basil under several of my fig trees this year.
__________________
Joe
Phoenix Area (Zone 9)
I am MrFrozenJoe on YouTube.
I am arizonafigs on eBay.
brackishfigger

Registered:
Posts: 270
Posted Reply with quote  #22 
I planted Guardian marigolds by seed late in the season under my inground tree and was surprised by how quickly they filled in the area under the tree. They are a few dollars per pack of several hundred seeds and look to be self seeding thereafter. They are not as pretty as the more ornamental marigolds and get rather leggy, falling over, but create a ~2foot tall mound.  THis variety is one of the best for RKN and other marigold-averse critters (according to the seller).  I also have many volunteer basil plants under the tree which I encourage.
donpaid

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 216
Posted Reply with quote  #23 
My grandmother likes to plant mint around the base of her fig trees. I think she does it for the insects, and I don't know if it is placebo effect, but figs from trees with mint around the roots seem to taste slightly minty and fresh to me.

Now don't get me wrong, it's not like chewing a piece of minty gum, it is still very figgy, but just this slight hint of sweet mint. Listentohorses, I second the motion. This would be a great topic to resurrect. 
BronxFigs

Registered:
Posts: 1,864
Posted Reply with quote  #24 
I forgot all about this topic....

I decided to plant herbs in combinations with some marigolds in each of my containers.  The herbs had a subtle fragrance, and the marigolds looked beautiful when they spilled gently over the rims of the containers.  This also gave me a ready supply of herbs for cooking.  I planted some Basil, Greek Oregano, Lemon Thyme, etc.  The bees were happy, I was happy, and the fig trees couldn't have cared less. 

Besides, it just looked nicer.  I'm sure the companion plantings must have helped keep the temps down and the roots cooler.


Frank
__________________
Bronx, NYC
Zone-7
aphahn

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 321
Posted Reply with quote  #25 
I grow Rosemary and Thyme with my big trees. Since I am storing those pots in the garage for the winter, it lets me keep my Rosemary alive for the winter with no extra work. 
I tried growing basil with them one year, but it used too much water and made it hard for me to keep the pots well watered. Rosemary, Thyme, and probably Oregano aren't as thirsty. 

I can't say the herbs have any direct effect on the figs, but they do keep the soil covered, look great and are tasty.
__________________
Andy - Zone 6a Lat 39.9º N, Alt 5390' Westminster CO ⚘ Scion List
GregMartin

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 550
Posted Reply with quote  #26 
Aphahn,
I was thinking the same thing...plants that need to come in for the winter in my zone 5 might make nice companions.  I thought about rosemary too, but it wants to get pretty large.  Do you use a prostrate cultivar or just cut it back a lot?
Thanks
__________________
zone 5 Maine
Seeking: Saint Martin, Naples White, Black Tuscan, Bécane, French Alps, Abruzzi, Tenica, Wild Mountain Figs from the coldest corners  (Iranian, Turkish or other...would love seeds too)
aphahn

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 321
Posted Reply with quote  #27 
I'm growing Tuscan Blue right now. I have been able to train it as a semi prostrate. We use so much of it, and it does die back a bit during the winter, that size has not been an issue. Max 12" tall so far.
I added Hill's Hardy last year and will probably get Arp and a couple others to try as well this year. They may not die back as much in the garage, time will tell. 
__________________
Andy - Zone 6a Lat 39.9º N, Alt 5390' Westminster CO ⚘ Scion List
ascpete

Registered:
Posts: 1,942
Posted Reply with quote  #28 
I haven't tried growing them in the containers with the Fig Trees, but my ground cover is Peppermint, Spearmint and GroundIvy. Mints in the Planters may be beneficial in winter storage to help deter mice and voles, I use it as mulch in storage...
M1cheleB1and

Registered:
Posts: 1
Posted Reply with quote  #29 
Hello, I live in France. At the moment we have two fig trees, one against a south facing wall with catmint underneath it and the other against an east facing wall with nothing planted underneath it. They are two different types of fig, but as we inherited them we do not know their names. The tree facing south with the catmint is very productive, the other one less so. Whether this is due to their different positions, their different types and/or their different underplantings, I do not know.
Looking at other gardens in the U.K. this site interested me
http://www.independent.co.uk/property/gardening/anna-pavord-fig-trees-are-robust-flexible-and-of-course-the-fruit-is-delicious-9563219.html
where A. Pavord describes an old fig in the company of two clematis and two roses; also there is a photograph of a fig with what looks like nastursium growing up into the fig.
BronxFigs

Registered:
Posts: 1,864
Posted Reply with quote  #30 
Wow!....Don't even remember starting this thread, way back in June 2013.  Little did I know at that time, that most of my fig trees would be killed by the brutally cold, now infamous, "Winter of 2013-2014".... ending my 10 years of growing figs with minimal protection, if any.  Replaced just some of the trees, and now I keep my fingers crossed, and the trees go into a storage shed, early.

Back on topic....I did manage to plant herbs, and dwarf marigolds in my fig-tree containers, and the plants added some sparkle, color, and fragrance.  There's nothing like some fresh herbs sprinkled onto your food.  Portulaca also does well, and looks nice when the flowers spill over the edge of the containers.

Thanks for the comments and interest.


Frank
__________________
Bronx, NYC
Zone-7
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply