Or Figs

Family - Mulberry - Mogaceae.

Parts used: leaves, roots, fruits.

Common names: fig, fig tree, common fig tree, wineberry.

Pharmacy name - fig - Carica (formerly Caricae).

Botanical description

A tree 8-10 m high with a low, wide crown, thick branches and light gray, smooth bark.

Large, alternate, 3-5-7 palmate-lobed or separate, hard, dark green above, grayish-green below, pubescent, up to 15 cm long, up to 12 cm wide. The leaves are attached to a thick, long petiole. In the axils of the leaves, shortened generative shoots develop, bearing inflorescences (syconia) of two types - caprifigs (male) and figs (female). Syconia are pear-shaped, hollow, with a small hole at the top, which are intended for blastophagous wasps (pollinating the tree) and in which small, inconspicuous dioecious flowers are located.

Small black blastophagous wasps carry pollen from male trees to female ones, they themselves cannot reproduce without figs. A female blastophagous wasp, fertilized by a wingless male inside a male fig inflorescence, emerges through a hole at the apex of the male inflorescence. At the same time, it takes pollen from male flowers onto its body. In search of male inflorescences, some of the females end up inside the female inflorescences. The pollen brought by them ends up on the stigma of the pistils, due to which pollination of the flowers occurs.

Fruits (figs) are sweet, juicy pear-shaped fruits (up to 9 cm long, up to 5 cm in radius, weighing 40-80 g) with small seeds inside. They are covered with thin skin with small hairs. At the top there is a hole - a peephole, covered with scales. The color of the fruit (from yellow to black-blue), color and size depend on the variety.

Originally from the Mediterranean, grown in all warm climates. It has many subspecies and races. All of them are tree-like or shrubby with pear-shaped fruits.

Active ingredients

The chemical composition of fresh figs is water - 83%, sugar - 11.6% (mainly glucose and fructose, in small quantities - sucrose), proteins, fiber, pectin. Organic acids (citric, malic and acetic), vitamins A, C, B1, B2, many trace elements - sodium, potassium, iron, etc.

Healing effect and application

It is used for colds, inflammatory processes of the respiratory tract, anemia, diseases of the cardiovascular system and as a rinse for gum inflammation. Fig fruits improve the condition of the stomach, kidneys, liver, spleen, are useful for venous insufficiency, play an important role in the prevention of hypertension, reduce blood clotting, and promote the resorption of vascular blood clots.

Figs serve as a diuretic, have a laxative effect, and have long been used as a diaphoretic and antipyretic for colds. Fig leaves and roots are used as an astringent for cystitis and urolithiasis.

Recipes

1. Boil 2-3 figs in 1 glass of milk. Boiled figs are used for coughs, whooping cough, colds, sore throat, take the decoction warm at night.
2. The milky juice of figs, when taken orally, expels sand from the kidneys; it is recommended for difficult to resolve tumors and ulcers.
3. Steam your foot, wipe it dry, and apply it to the callus. inside cut figs. Do it daily at night. Chew the berry and tie it to the corn. Change daily. To speed up the opening of boils, ulcers and quick cleansing, apply steamed figs to the sore spot. Or a paste of chopped fruits to treat abscesses and boils.
4. Take the fruits soaked in olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach for constipation.
5. Fresh fruits - for anemia.

One of the most interesting plants in the world, perhaps, the fig tree. It is unusually ancient. Even the biblical ancestors of humanity - Adam and Eve - covered their intimate parts his fig leaves. In Greece they say that if a fig tree grows in the yard, the family will not starve, its fruits are so nutritious. That is why travelers always took dried figs with them on the road. What kind of fruit is this and what are the benefits of it?

Why is the fig tree?

The plant about which we're talking about, has many names, each country has its own. The Russian version is a fig tree, because its fruits are figs. In another version, they are called figs, and the tree, by analogy, is called a fig tree. Its most famous and common name is fig. IN scientific world This is Ficus carica. It is believed that the homeland of the plant is ancient Caria, which existed before the Trojan War. For a long time there have been no Carians or Caria, only the ficus that bears her name remains. Craftsmen make wine from figs (or figs). Therefore, another name for the plant is wineberry.

Where do fig trees grow?

Wherever there is no severe frost in winter. There are a lot of figs in the Balkans, they are found on the Black Sea coast (Georgia, Abkhazia, Crimea, Krasnodar), in Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Nobody takes special care of him there. The fig tree is completely unpretentious and grows on its own not only in the garden, but also along roads, near fences, in vacant lots, and on mountain slopes. Root system it is strong and powerful, capable of gaining a foothold in stones and seeping into any crevice. Since there is a lot of sun in the south, figs there have no shortage of light and therefore always bear fruit beautifully. They are not afraid of droughts, but with sufficient moisture, the yield is much higher.

Description

Some have never seen what a fig tree looks like. In nature, it reaches a height of 7-8 meters. Its branches are spreading, the crown is thick, and the bark is light brown. Sometimes figs grow as a lush, tall bush. Its leaves are hard, quite large, vaguely reminiscent of maple. According to its biological rhythms, the fig tree is deciduous. In regions with a subtropical climate, where in winter average temperature does not fall below +5 +10, the plant may not shed leaves at all or shed them only for a couple of months. This phenomenon is also observed in other deciduous plants, for example, poplar. In Russia, it bares branches already in October, and in the south of Greece only in December, only to be covered with young foliage again in February. Fig trees live up to 100 years (according to some sources, 30-60). Some specimens live up to 200 years. In India there is one fig tree, which, according to the locals, is as much as three thousand years old.

Flowers

Figs are blooming, but few people mistake their flowers for such. Outwardly, they look like small immature fruits - round or pear-shaped, dark green, hard. The expression “get a fig,” that is, “get nothing,” according to one version, was born precisely because half of these “fruits” that abundantly strew the branches fall off. These are actually fig flowers. More precisely, the structure of the inflorescences. Real fig tree flowers can only be seen if the fruit is cut in half. Inside there will be dozens of inconspicuous small flowers, which will later turn into grains on whitish fibers, immersed in a sweet, viscous pulp. The fig, or common fig tree, has flowers of both sexes. The female ones, called figs, have five tiny petals and a pistil that looks like a snake's tongue. The male ones, called caprifigae, have three petals and three stamens.

Pollination

In the fig tree, pollination is complex and is carried out by a single species of insect - a small (up to 2 mm long) blastophagous wasp. The females of these wasps have wings and fly freely. The males are wingless and spend their entire lives in the fig flower. How is this possible? The fact is that three types of inflorescences grow on a fig tree, as already noted: male, female and mixed. Female figs inside have flowers with long pistils, while mixed ones have short ones. They are not used to obtain seeds, but to feed wasps. All three inflorescences appear on the tree 2-3 times a year, in autumn, spring, summer, or spring and autumn. Autumn ones do not fall off. Having laid eggs in them, the wasps die. The eggs develop into male and female larvae. Grown-up females crawl out through a small hole and fly away, while the males remain in place. Their raison d'être is to fertilize. After mating, the females leave the flower occupied by the male and look for a free one, climbing into all the fig inflorescences. At the same time, in men's and mixed colors Pollen falls onto their bodies from the stamens. They do not lay eggs in female figs because the long pistils get in the way. Of course, nature did not come up with this for us, but to prevent wasp larvae from eating ripening seeds. Once in female flower, the wasp involuntarily pollinates it and leaves to look for a more suitable one. Clutches are obtained only in mixed and male clutches. New larvae hatch from the eggs and the cycle repeats. There are self-pollinating varieties of figs (“date”, “Magarach”) that are suitable for growing plants in apartments and in gardens in the northern regions.

Fruit

The fruit of the fig tree when ripe is soft and very sweet, but not juicy. Its pulp is densely filled with tiny seed grains, of which, according to some people, there are up to 900 pieces. The outside of the pulp is covered with a peel. They don't eat it. The fig tree has many varieties, but popularly there are only two of them - green (green-yellow) and black (dark purple). In both cases, the fruits are small and quite large. The latter are not as sweet, but have a better presentation.

What's in figs

Figs - very useful plant. The fruit of the fig tree in its ripe pulp contains:

Microelements (calcium, iron, magnesium, a lot of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and sodium);

Vitamins (A, B1,2,3,6,9, C, E, K);

Alimentary fiber;

Disaccharides, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides;

Flavonoids, glucosides;

Citric, quinic, oxalic, malonic acids;

Triterpenes;

Amino acids;

Carbohydrates;

Figs in cooking

The sweet fruits of the fig tree are eaten in fresh and dried (dried) in the sun. Chilled figs are much tastier than warm ones. The fruits are used to prepare liqueurs, preserves, and jams; they are used for fillings in pies and added to meat dishes as an exotic ingredient.

Sun-dried and dried fruits until hard are ground. This makes powdered fig coffee. Unripe figs are not eaten because they contain a sticky, bitter milky juice. Some consider it poisonous, others advise baking unripe figs to obtain a particularly valuable product.

...and in medicine

The beneficial properties of figs were known to the ancients. The ripe fruits have been used for hundreds of years to treat bronchitis and liver disease, as a diaphoretic and antipyretic. Boiled in milk, they help reduce dry cough, and rinsing with figs treats sore throat and hoarseness. The high iron content in figs allows it to be used effectively for anemia, and the high potassium content for heart diseases.

The milky juice of unripe fruits also comes into play thanks to the ficin it contains. ethnoscience uses it to treat warts (they are smeared with juice). Ficin, in addition, has the ability to curdle milk, so figs were used in the production of cheese and meat dishes. This enzyme has also found its way into cosmetics. It is added to preparations after hair removal (reduces hair growth), to creams that stimulate skin cell renewal, and to products for oily skin. And another important ability of ficin is that it prevents the formation of blood clots and atherosclerotic plaques. The average fruit of a freshly picked fig contains approximately 120-150 mg of ficin.

Fig tree leaf is used to treat certain skin diseases. It is part of the Psoberan ointment. Healers use the leaves for scabies, cystitis, furunculosis, and inflammatory processes in the throat. Decoctions and tinctures are prepared from them. The leaves are collected after the berries ripen and laid out thin layer and dry in the shade.

Crushed fresh leaves can be used to treat vitiligo and heal wounds. Paired with orange juice, figs are eaten to relieve fatigue and improve tone.

How to grow a fig tree in an apartment

Everyone can have figs on their windowsill or in their garden. This miracle plant is grown as follows:

1. Seeds. This is the most accessible method, since the seeds are easy to obtain from store-bought figs (even dry ones). Before sowing, they are washed, disinfected (in a weak solution of potassium permanganate) and dried. The land for sowing can be prepared by mixing leaf soil with sand in equal parts. Those who don’t want to bother can buy a ready-made soil mixture for seedlings. The seeds will sprout just as well in it. They are sown to a depth of 1.5-2.5 cm, watered and covered with film. The box with the sown seeds should be kept warm, but not in the sun. You need to wait 3 weeks for germination. Grown seedlings are transplanted into pots. Such figs will bear fruit in about 5 years.

2. Cuttings. This method is more profitable, since home-grown figs begin to bear fruit the very next year. Before planting the cutting, place its lower end in water and wait 2-4 hours until the juice stops releasing. Next, the wet end is cut in several places and planted in the ground (prepared in the same way as for seeds), watered and covered with a jar. Leaves emerging from the buds indicate rooting. Cuttings are prepared in the fall and planted in the spring. They can be kept in the refrigerator in the vegetable drawer all winter.

3. Layering. This method is practiced if the fig grows in open ground. Make a small depression (up to 25 cm) near the main plant and add good soil there. A branch from an old plant is tilted so that it is in the groove, and the top remains outside. It is secured in this position and the landing site is mulched. After about two years, a new plant will develop, which is planted in the desired location.

Growing in open ground

It's hard to believe, but even in the gardens northern regions In Russia you can see figs. Growing it in these conditions is associated with certain difficulties. Figs are planted in the ground as ready-made seedlings (with roots). Cuttings are prepared at home, for which they are first placed in water with honey. It helps the formation of roots. It is most convenient to place the cuttings in plastic bottles. Cut off about half empty bottle, fill with soil and place the cutting there. The earth around it is compacted. It should be damp all the time, but without excess water. Such improvised containers are placed on the windowsill, where there are no direct sun rays. The roots can be seen through the transparent plastic of the bottle or guessed about them by the blossoming leaves. When planted in the ground, the bottle is cut, and the lump of earth is preserved.

Seedlings should be planted only in sunny, windless places in specially prepared holes or trenches. Their depth is calculated as follows: the depth of soil freezing in your area + 50 cm. Drainage must be placed at the bottom of the hole. Figs sprout branches quickly. As they grow, they need to be tilted towards the ground and secured so that our fig tree does not grow upward, but rather spreads along the ground. When the air temperature drops to -3-5 degrees, the figs are covered. There are several ways (see photo).

One of the tested ones is this: throw twigs or other mulch on the figs (some throw a blanket), cover with polyethylene, and sprinkle a layer of earth on top. In the spring, when the temperature reaches above zero, the shelter is removed. You can do this earlier, when the days become warm and there are still frosts at night, but in such cases a greenhouse is installed over the figs.

General rules for growing figs

1. A potted fig tree needs to be replanted regularly (once a year). New pot should be slightly wider and deeper than the previous one.

2. Figs produce more fruits with regular watering and living in sunny windows.

3. In the fall, you need to give the plants a rest, for which you place them in a cool place for 2-4 months and reduce watering. In such conditions, figs shed their leaves.

4. Both in the house and in the garden the plant needs to be fed. In spring these are nitrogen fertilizers, in summer - phosphates, in autumn - potassium. Regularly - microelements.

5. The fig tree needs pruning and crown shaping.

6. Fig pests - gray mold, mosaic spotting, spider mite. The fight against them is the same as on all other plants.

Tree of two fruits

Do you know such a tree, is it familiar to anyone? Now many will say no. But this is not so, we all know it and even eat its fruits almost regularly. The only thing that many, including me, do not know is that this tree bears fruit twice. That’s why I decided to introduce you to him in more detail, and it wouldn’t hurt me to find out more about him. Since I really love its fruits and already buy them at the market, I need to know what we are consuming.

So, the tree of two fruits is nothing more than a fig tree or fig tree (Ficus carica). It produces early figs and figs, each fruit in its season.

The fig tree belongs to the mulberry family and grows in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions. This tree not only has tasty fruits, but also pleasant aroma, which can charm any of us.

Let's pay attention to the tree itself and its fruits, what they represent. The fruit of the fig tree is a fruit tree, like strawberries and blackberries. The fruits of this tree are early figs and figs. The early fig is the tree's first harvest and appears in June and July. It looks like a fig, but is larger, but it tastes less sweet than a fig.

Figs are the fruit of the fig tree and are harvested in August and September, smaller in size, less aromatic, but much sweeter than early figs.

There are several varieties. The most common are white, yellow-green, purple or black. (At our market they sell a purple variety and also a black one, but it would be more accurate to say - dark brown, very sweet, I can eat one or two fruits, but I can’t eat more). The shape of these varieties is oval or flat. The color of the fruit inside is whitish, pink or purple.

Why are early figs and figs beneficial?

- they are considered the most digestible fruits and are recommended for those who need extra energy. And all this is due to the fact that they contain carbohydrates (glucose, fructose, sucrose), fiber, vitamins (provitamin A and vitamin C) and minerals (magnesium, potassium and calcium), and are also rich in water. Figs have enveloping, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, laxative, carminative, restorative, expectorant, and secretolytic properties. Figs are useful for colds, anemia, chronic fatigue, and asthenia.

But there are also contraindications for some diseases - diabetes, gout, acute pathology of the digestive system, obesity.

We all know that diseases different types It occurs a lot, both in women and men. You can read about some of them. And, if you go to the website: womenhealthnet. ru, then here you will find a lot of interesting and useful information in psychology, gynecology, o medicinal plants, aroma and herbal medicine, about childhood diseases, nutrition and much more. Visit the site, you will not regret it, as this is a magazine about women's health.

It is better to eat fresh fruits; if this is not possible, then in dried form, since dried figs contain everything nutrients, loses only a few percent of water. And, the fruits of this tree are also used in preparing not only desserts, but also as a side dish for meat (pork, duck).

So we learned more about this tree. I think you liked this information and will find it useful.

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Botanical name: Fig or Fig, or Fig tree, or Fig tree (Ficus carica) - genus Ficus, mulberry family.

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Homeland of figs: Mediterranean, India.

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Lighting: photophilous.

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The soil: light, nutritious.

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Watering: abundant.

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Max Height: 10 m.

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Average lifespan of a tree: 200 years.

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Landing: seeds, cuttings, layering.

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Description of the fig plant: fruits, leaves and seeds. Figs are a subtropical fruit tree or a large shrub 8-10 m high with a low, wide crown and thick branches. The bark of the trunk and branches is light gray and smooth.

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Leaves large, alternately arranged, 3-7 lobed, almost entire, hard, dark green above, grayish-green below, pubescent, up to 15 cm long, up to 12 cm wide. Attached to a thick, long petiole. In the axils of the leaves there are inflorescences - syconia, pear-shaped, hollow, with a small hole at the top. This hole is intended for blastophagous wasps, which pollinate the tree. Male inflorescences are called caprifigs, female inflorescences are called figs.

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Fruit- sweet, juicy, pear-shaped, up to 8 cm long, up to 5 cm in radius, weighing 30-70 g. They contain small nut seeds inside. Fruit color, color and size depend on the variety. The most common are yellow, yellow-green, and dark blue figs.

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During the growth period, the fig tree often blooms. However, male inflorescences are formed only from early spring to late autumn, and figs only in summer and autumn.

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How and where figs grow.

The fig tree grows wild in Mediterranean countries, India, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Asia Minor, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Black Sea coast Krasnodar region. In the mountains it grows at an altitude of 500 - 2000 m above sea level, often on the southern slopes, as well as along river banks, forming thickets. Cultivated in many countries with subtropical climates. Large areas of fig plantations in Turkey, Tunisia, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and America. In Russia it is grown in the southern regions of the European part. The countries where figs grow have a warm, humid climate. The plant does not tolerate severe frosts, below - 12°C.

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The culture is also grown indoors as decorative tree. In this case, its height reaches no more than 3-4 m.

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Figs bloom 2-3 years after planting. High yield brings from 7-9 years.

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The culture is propagated by seeds, cuttings and layering. In nature, the fig tree reproduces with the help of blastophagous wasps, which penetrate through the opening of the infructescence. The females of these insects lay eggs in underdeveloped female inflorescences. Wasps hatch in male inflorescences. Leaving the inflorescence, the wasps become dirty with pollen. In the wild, they are attracted by the aroma of female inflorescences. Once in the female inflorescences, the wasps leave pollen carried on the body. Flowers with pollen on their stigmas bear fruit.

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Fans of this culture will be interested in the answer to the question “how do figs grow?” Fig trees are unpretentious, grow and bear fruit successfully on any soil, including poor and depleted soils. They often bloom throughout the year. The fruits are set 2 times a year - in summer and autumn. The fig plant is drought-resistant, and some varieties can withstand low temperatures down to -17-20°C. It is not affected by pests and diseases.

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One tree bears about 70-90 fruits per year. The lifespan of wild individuals is 150-200 years, of trees grown at home - 30-60 years

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What are figs

The fig fruit has yellow, black-blue, purple and black colors, depending on the variety. It has high taste qualities and contains a lot of valuable substances. Despite the sweet taste of this fruit, its calorie content is low. In 100 g fresh berries contains 49 kcal. Dried figs decrease in weight and volume, but at the same time sugars accumulate in them. 100 g of dried fruit contains about 95 kcal. Dried figs are highly nutritious. They contain 4.5 g of protein, 1.4 g of fat and 64 g of carbohydrates. In addition, figs are a source of vitamins, minerals, microelements, dietary fiber. The main vitamins included in its composition are vitamins A, B, B1, C, E, PP, beta-carotenes, fiber, pectins. Among the mineral substances in the fruit pulp there is iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium.

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The fruit of the fig tree is eaten fresh, canned, or dried. Jams, jams, pastilles, compotes and wines are made from it, for which the fruits of this plant are called “wine berries”. However, fresh figs are not transportable, so they are transported only unripe or dried.

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ABOUT beneficial properties Fig trees were known in ancient times. Today, wine berries are used not only for preparing various dishes, but also to replenish vitamin deficiencies, strengthen bones, and restore vitality, removing toxins from the body. Fig fruits are used to treat coughs, colds, liver and kidney diseases, and the cardiovascular system. In addition, this fruit increases male potency and fights sexual impotence. Fresh fruits are low in calories, which helps in the fight against excess weight. There are “fig” fasting days, when they eat 100 g of dried fig fruits, 1 kg of any other fruit and 500 g of vegetables per day.

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Wine berry is recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Figs help prevent iron deficiency in the body of a pregnant woman and prevent fetal anemia. At breastfeeding enhances lactation, serves as a prevention of mastopathy, saturates breast milk useful for the child vitamins and microelements.

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It has been proven that figs improve brain function, improve immunity, and prevent many diseases.

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Unripe fruits are inedible, as they contain caustic milky juice.

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Figs are a healthy fruit

Fresh figs do not harm a healthy body. However, this fruit is contraindicated for gout and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

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Due to their high sugar content, dried fruits are not recommended for overweight and diabetic patients.

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Wine berries should be excluded from the diet during pregnancy if a woman is gaining weight quickly or suffers from diabetes.

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Despite the minimal harm of figs, consume them in large quantities it is not allowed. A healthy person is recommended to consume 3-4 berries per day.

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How to eat figs correctly

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Everyone knows what figs are. However, not everyone knows how to properly consume this tasty and healthy berry.

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In the absence of any diseases, the fruit of the fig tree can be eaten in any form. This fruit perfectly satisfies hunger and replaces chocolate and other sweets. Dried fruits are used as dried fruits. Before use, they are doused with boiling water and allowed to swell. You can soften the figs by steaming them, so they will retain their shape and taste. Dried fig trees are added to compotes and used for filling cakes, pies and other confectionery products.

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Fresh figs are used as desserts and as an additional ingredient in meats, salads and snacks. Figs add an exotic taste and delicate aroma to any dish.

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Unripe fruits are inedible, but they can be baked by first cutting them, putting nuts in the cut and filling them with honey. This dessert is not only tasty and nutritious, but also very healthy.

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When choosing figs, you should pay attention to their color, size and softness. It is better to give preference to fruits that are equal in size, soft, light yellow. Hard flesh and a sour taste indicate that the fruit is unripe or past its expiration date.

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Fig leaves

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The leaves of this plant are used in medicinal purposes. They contain organic acids, furocoumarins, essential oil, steroids, flavonoids, tannins.

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Raw materials are harvested from June to October. The leaves are not plucked, but cut with a knife. The cut leaves are laid out on flat surface thin layer. Drying is carried out on outdoors. To dry quickly, they are turned over 2-4 times a day. During collection and drying, the leaves should be protected from getting wet. To prevent raw materials from getting wet from rain, they are covered with a tarpaulin and placed under a canopy or in a ventilated room. In clear, sunny weather, drying lasts 5-6 days. Overdried leaves turn brown and lose their quality.

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Store raw materials in a dry, ventilated area. Shelf life 2 years.

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Infusions and decoctions of the leaves are used to gargle for colds, rub the eyelids for trachoma, and treat scabies, cystitis, kidney stones, and furunculosis. In scientific medicine, the drug “Psoberan” is obtained from raw materials, prescribed for local baldness, as well as for restoring skin pigmentation in cases of vintiligo.

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Fresh fig leaves are applied to wounds. They draw out pus and promote rapid healing of the wound.

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Leaf extract is included in cosmetic products for skin and hair care.

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In addition to the leaves, fig seeds are used for medicinal purposes. They are used for constipation, 10-12 pieces at a time. Seed oil is valued for its moisturizing properties, so it is used to prepare creams, lotions, soaps, and shampoos.

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Economic importance of figs

Fig tree fruits are used as a coffee substitute. The wood is used to make crafts and also as fuel.

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Attractive and unusual in appearance trees serve as decoration garden plot. A plant grown in a pot makes the interior of the room unusual and pleasant.

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History of figs

History tells that humanity has long appreciated the benefits and taste of the fig tree. Archaeologists claim that this plant is more than 5,000 years old. The first description of figs was compiled in the Bible, the Koran and ancient Egyptian writings.

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As the ancient legend says, its leaves were the first clothes of Adam and Eve. IN Ancient Greece slaves wiped their masters' mouths with them after meals. Participants in the Olympic Games consumed large quantities of figs before their performances. There was a belief that this fruit gives strength and courage. That is why soldiers always took this delicacy with them on military campaigns.

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In Buddhism, the fig is considered a symbol of insight, because it was under this tree that the great Buddha realized the meaning of existence. IN Ancient Rome the plant was sacred, as it saved Romulus and Remus (the founders of the Roman Empire) from death. The Egyptian queen Cleopatra had wineberries as her favorite delicacy.

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The ancient Greeks revered figs as a symbol of fertility, and at holidays dedicated to the god of fertility, Dionysus, they supplemented the basket with food and wine drinks with the fruits of this plant.

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It's interesting that on Olympic Games in ancient Greece, instead of medals, winners were given fig tree fruits.

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The great writers and poets Leopardi, Dante, Pascoli praised figs in their works. The plant was credited with miraculous properties. Thus, the famous Roman doctor Dorante believed that almost all diseases could be treated with a decoction of figs. However, over the years, this statement was not confirmed in practice, so the fig began to lose its popularity, turning over the years into an ordinary tree.

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Not everyone is lucky enough to live in the Mediterranean. The fig tree is also called a fig tree or a fig tree - home cultivation has been practiced in Europe since the 16th century. The benefits of the fruits and the healing composition of the leaves do not depend on the place of cultivation. How indoor plant With proper care, figs look decorative and bear fruit twice a year.

Conditions for cultivating figs on a windowsill

When grown at home, adult figs in summer period requires abundant watering and spraying. If the plant does not have enough moisture, it can lose its leaves at any time of the year. When creating a humid microclimate around a tree, there is no reason for spider mites to appear - one of the main pests of flowers on the windowsill.

The plant, native to the subtropics, needs to be provided with wintering. From November to January, a dormant period is created for the fig tree. It is placed in a bright, cool place with a temperature below +15 degrees. The tree does not need additional lighting or fertilizing at this time.

If the tree does not fall asleep, watering is reduced so that the leaves fall off. Water the soil with slightly cool water at a temperature of 18 degrees.

Water the plant moderately so that the lump of earth does not dry out. As the buds begin to swell, light, watering, and fertilizing are required. It is necessary to create conditions for rapid vegetation. You can harvest two crops per season with good care for figs at home. The fig tree blooms for the first time in March and bears fruit in June. The following berries ripen from early August to late September. In the summer, trees can be transferred to the ground, they will be comfortable there, but in the fall they will need a larger pot.

A sign of fruit ripeness is their softening and the release of nectar from the eyes. Ripening lasts 2-4 weeks.

Growing a fruiting fig tree on a windowsill

How to grow figs at home? Several methods are used:

• they prepare cuttings by begging a sprig from good friends;
• buy a seedling in a specialized store;
• use seed material.

In any case, the first thing required is to select dishes and an earthen substrate. The soil is prepared from equal shares of steamed, calcined ingredients:

• leaf humus;
• turf land;
• river sand, wood ash.

Treated expanded clay is placed at the bottom of the bowl. Add a layer of sand on top. It is a good idea to use sphagnum moss on the surface to regulate humidity.

The container chosen for the figs is small at first, but the young plants are replanted every year for 5 years. You need to know that while the roots in the pot feel at ease, flowering is delayed. An adult tree needs 8 liters of substrate. A fig tree lives up to 30 years.

Growing figs at home from cuttings is the most effective method, preserving parent properties. The cutting is taken only from a fruit-bearing plant. Most adapted to room conditions growing varieties are considered:

• Shuisky;
• Dalmatica;
• White Adriatic;
• Sochi -7;
• Black Pearl;
• Kadata;
• Ogloblin seedling.

A cutting is selected with 3-4 buds, with the bottom cut 2 cm below the eye, and the top cut 1 cm above. On the part to be rooted, the bark should be scratched in longitudinal strips to the cambium, this will speed up root formation. Pour the prepared substrate mixed with sphagnum into a glass, moisten it and immerse the cutting up to the second bud. Pre-treat the cuttings with root or heteroauxin.

To form roots, cover the planting from above with a cap made from a PET bottle and place it on diffuse light, we use additional illumination for up to 12 hours. Watching the figs grow. After 2-3 weeks, the first leaves will appear; it is necessary to ventilate, accustoming the leaves to the air of the apartment, and spray with warm, settled water.

When the plant gets used to the surrounding air, it is carefully transferred to a liter pot with substrate. Two weeks after transplantation, the fig tree is fed with nitrogen fertilizers or a composition for indoor plants.

Fig seeds are small, they do not always inherit the properties of the mother plant, and not all of them germinate. But sometimes, other than from seeds, at home, there is nothing to grow figs from. The seeds are deepened into the soil by 2-3 cm, the soil is regularly moistened, the pots are covered from moisture evaporation, and after 2-4 weeks sprouts appear, which are allowed to grow and rooted in separate cups. Gradually changing pots, seedlings are grown for 4-5 years until flowering. By this time young tree there should be larger dishes already, better wooden box with a bucket fertile land. Time will tell whether indoor figs will bear fruit. But even without fruit the tree is very impressive and will live up to 30 years.

Fertilizers for figs

During the growing season, both growing and mature plant needs organic feeding and... The compositions are alternated once every 2 weeks. The fig tree gratefully accepts mullein and a fermented infusion of herbs - nettle, dandelion, midge. Once a season you need to give the plant iron sulfate and a complex composition with microelements. Figs require potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. You can make them yourself from bags, in packaging for feeding seedlings of outdoor plants.

Pest and disease control

As for insect pests, you need to protect the tree from spider mites, or do 2 treatments every other week with the Actellik insecticide. It is difficult to control the pest without chemicals.

There is only one common fungal disease in figs – coral spot. A sign of infection is the appearance of a reddish rash on the stem. All areas with affected shoots must be removed. The sections are treated with copper-containing preparations, and watering is carried out with a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

Growing indoor figs - video