The boom of growth in July and How I fertilize my fig plants

July is prime time for plants to fruit and put on some serious growth in Seattle. Such is the case with my figs. They have literally taken over my entire patio. You're looking at about 200+ plants.

Because of my busy schedule with work and photography. I've had to hire my nephew for the summer to help take care of off them. 2hrs to water all these guys can be pretty daunting. During this time of year I also fertilize on a regular basis to keep the plants well fed while they are using all this energy to grow.

My Soil Mixture:
1. Since I ammend all of my soil, Any potting soil that is on sale will do. 65%
2. HP Promix (the good stuff) 20%
3. Perlite 13%
4. Lime Granules - Eyeball
5. Osmocote Slow release fertilizer - capful for every few gallons
6. Few handfuls of Epsom Salt
7. Some handfuls of bark to stimulate the Mycorrhizae at the bottom and top


My Fertilization Schedule:

From March until Sept:
1. In March I will add compost and worm castings to top the soil. This helps reconstitute some of the used up nutrients from the previous yr.
2. I always make sure there's osmocote slow release fertilizer in the pots
3. Every 2-3 weeks I hit them with the water soluble Miracle grow solution.
4. I always spot heck certain plants visually to see if there's yellowing which means they need a little more attention
5. July I'll hit them again with compost and worm castings to prep them for the heat of july and August

(I've tried fish emulsion fertilizer but that stuff stinks and it attracts the flies.)

In September I'll stop fertilizing so the plant can lignify the green wood. A dosing of Silica blast helps the plant to strengthen it's cell walls, this will prepare for the winter.

This is about 4 months of growth on my Ronde De Bordeaux and we still have 2 more months of growing season to go.