Looking for a beautiful houseplant that pumps out delicious fruit? Figs are perfect for jams, pastries, and charcuterie boards. But did you know you can grow them easily in your own home?
North American fig trees don’t need pollination to produce fruit, making growing a fig tree indoors ideal. The key to growing a healthy fig tree indoors is simply creating the right environment in which this light-loving, tropical plant can thrive.
Keep reading to see how easy it can be to start growing an indoor fig tree in your home!
How to Grow A Fig Tree Indoors
Follow the nine steps below to get started growing indoor fig trees like a pro.
1. Select and Buy Your Fig Tree
Here are some of the best fig trees you can buy today that are perfect for growing indoors.
Best Fig Trees that Can Fruit Indoors
You need ideal trees first for a growing fig tree indoors. For fruit-bearing fig trees that you can grow indoors, try a Little Ruby Fig, Black Mission Fig, Brown Turkey Fig, or an Italian Honey Fig Tree.
Best Ornamental Indoor Fig Trees
With big, dramatic, bright green leaves, a Fiddleleaf Fig can add a touch of beauty to any living space. These ornamental plants make a versatile design element simple enough to fit any interior decor style.
2. Choose the Right Container
The next step is selecting the right pot in which to plant your indoor fig tree.
Pot Size, Material, and Drainage
Ceramic pots with multiple drainage holes in the bottom are best for indoor fig trees, which don’t like to stand in water.
Fig trees will grow to fill their container, so consider how large you’d like your plant to grow. A five-gallon, twelve-inch diameter pot should be big enough for most starter indoor fig trees.
Wheeled Plant Stands
You might need to experiment with different places to keep your indoor fig tree to get it all the light it needs. A rolling plant stand will make moving your plant around much easier and reduce the likelihood you’ll drop or damage it in the process.
3. Plant in Well-Draining Soil
Start by loosely piling rocks or clay pellets in the bottom of the container to promote drainage.
Next, fill the pot with a high-quality, well-draining organic indoor potting mix.
Then mix materials like mulch, bark chips, coir, or perlite into the soil. This will help to keep it evenly moist.
4. Use the Right Fertilizer
When first planting your indoor fig tree, introduce trace minerals into the soil by adding about a cup of worm castings or kelp meal.
After that, you can fertilize your fig about every four weeks during the spring and summer. Use an organic fertilizer that’s approximately equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
5. Provide the Right Amount of Light
Getting fig trees with lots of direct sunlight is critical. About twelve hours daily is a good starting point.
Full Sun Placement
Live somewhere with long daylight hours? Position your plant in a bright window that faces south, east, or west. It’s possible that natural light in your windows will be sufficient for your indoor fig tree.
Grow Lights
If your windows don’t get enough sunlight, consider setting up some grow lights for your indoor fig trees. Use a light with a timer setting that stays on for at least twelve to fourteen hours.
Read our guide to the best grow lights for indoor plants to learn about and compare the best ones out there.
6. Water Consistently
Keep your container fig’s soil moist but not wet, and let it dry out between thorough waterings.
Flush Soil to Prevent Salt Buildup
About once a month, soak your indoor fig tree and let all the water drain completely through. This flushes out excess salt that can build up in the potting material.
How to Tell When Your Indoor Fig Tree Needs Water
An indoor fig tree needs water only when the top one inch of its soil is dry to the touch.
7. Keep Them Warm
Fig trees are tropical plants that prefer bright, warm, and humid environments. You can replicate the conditions of their natural habitat in your own home.
Temperature
Growing a fig tree indoors is best when you can keep the plant in a consistently warm area, where the temperature doesn’t fall below 68 degrees.
Humidity
Figs need both warmth and moisture to thrive. Keep your fig tree away from fans, vents, and drafty windows. You can also mist it in dry weather to keep the leaves from drying out.
8. Prune Strategically
Regular pruning keeps indoor fig trees to a manageable size and promotes healthy fruit production as well.
When to Harvest Figs
Familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the fruit on your particular variety of fig trees so that you can monitor changes in skin color.
Ripe figs can spoil quickly. Harvest them immediately before they over-ripen if they feel soft to the touch.
Pruning Tools and Techniques
About once a year after a fruit harvest is the right time to do regular maintenance pruning on your indoor fig tree.
Learn all about pruning techniques at our complete guide to pruning. And make sure always to use clean, sharp pruning shears to avoid damaging or contaminating your plants.
9. Pot-Up as the Plant Grows
As your indoor fig tree matures, the roots will want to expand. Restricting their growth is part of getting container figs to pump out fruit since the trees can refocus their energy on the fruit set.
But a young fig tree will benefit from being repotted into gradually larger containers about every year or two. Repot only in the spring, at the start of the growing season.
Common Problems Growing Fig Trees Indoors
Keep reading to learn all about the most common problems home gardeners have when growing fig trees indoors.
Leaf Drop and Discoloration
The most likely problems you will see with an indoor fig tree involve dropping or discolored leaves.
Fortunately, if you’re seeing leaf drops or discoloration on your indoor fig, it’s probably for a common reason with a known method to solve.
Dropping Leaves
Leaf drops can occur when a potted fig tree is not getting enough water.
Another possible cause for dropping leaves is fluctuation in temperature. Ensure your fig tree is not experiencing a draft, or consider moving it to a new location with a more consistent temperature.
Brown Spots on Leaves
Brown spots on the leaves of an indoor fig tree could be a sign of overwatering.
Dig into the soil to check the roots. Carefully prune off dead roots that are brown and mushy. Prune away the discolored leaves as well, then repot your plant into dry soil.
Yellowing and Bleached Leaves
Leaves turning yellow, brown, and crunchy? These are indicators of leaf scorch or sunburn. It’s your fig tree’s way of telling you it’s actually getting too much light.
Prune off the damaged leaves. Then, pull your plant a few feet away from its light source, or relocate it to a different area of your home.
Pests and Diseases
If you see dark spots on your fig tree’s leaves or small bugs lurking in the foliage, it might have scale insects or spider mites. Fungal or bacterial infections are also fairly common problems when growing a fig tree indoors.
Fortunately, you can take action for any pest and disease-related problems by using a fungicidal spray applied directly to the leaves of your indoor fig tree.
Get Started Growing Your New Indoor Fig Tree
Now you know all about how to plant and cultivate a healthy fig tree indoors.
All you need to do next is start working through the steps outlined above. Then you’ll be enjoying your new indoor fig in no time. And visit our Fig Trees page to learn more about all things figs!
- About the Author
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Ashley Lystne is a writer for Minneopa Orchards, a fiction author, and creator of interactive novel choice games. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. Ashley tried out living in just about every major city in America before settling down in Washington state, where she currently resides.
A lifelong vegetarian passionate about growing her own food, Ashley also has a local side hustle cultivating and selling ornamental house plants. She loves contributing to Minneopa Orchards, where she can share her passion for all things plants and gardening.