Crops › Fig
How to grow Fig
in the US
Sow March to November, plant out December, harvest June to September. About 365 days from seed to plate.
Shown for zone 6. Zone table further down.
Figs, eh? Proper cracking fruit, sweet and sticky, a real treat from your own backyard. They take a bit of looking after, you know, but the taste of a fresh fig, still warm from the sun, is just something else. I'm always chuffed when mine start ripening on the plot.
Sowing
Figs are a bit of a long game if you're starting them from seed, taking about a year to get to harvest, but it's proper rewarding. You'll want to sow your seeds indoors, about 1/4 inch (6mm) deep, in small pots with a good quality seed compost. Keep them nice and warm, around 70-75°F (21-24°C), maybe on a windowsill or a warm spot, somewhere bright. For us, general sowing is March to May, but your best months depend on your USDA zone; the GrowMore CookMore app has all the specific timings for zones 3 through 10, from late winter to late spring.
Growing on
Once your little fig seedlings have a couple of true leaves, carefully prick them out and pot them on into larger individual pots. Keep them growing indoors, giving them plenty of light, until all danger of frost has well and truly passed in your area. Then, gradually get them used to the outside world – hardening off, we call it – over a week or two before planting them out. Figs love a sunny, sheltered spot, and they do cracking in large containers too, especially if you're in a cooler zone and need to move them indoors for winter. Give them a bit of space, like 6-10 feet (1.8-3m) if they're going in the ground.
Looking after it
Figs are pretty thirsty when they're growing and especially when the fruit's developing, so water them regularly. Give them a balanced feed every month or so during the growing season. A good mulch around the base helps keep the moisture in, you know what I mean. Pinching out new growth can encourage more fruit, but don't go mad with it.
What goes wrong
Like a lot of plants, figs can sometimes get a bit bothered by aphids, especially on the new growth. A good blast of water can often sort them out, or some insecticidal soap if it's really bad. Slugs can be a nuisance too, particularly with young plants; keep an eye out and use your chosen slug deterrent.
Harvest
You'll know your figs are ready when they feel soft to the touch and start to droop a bit on the stem, usually from August through October. They often change color too, depending on the variety. Gently twist them off the branch. They don't keep for ages, to be honest, so eat them fresh, or you can refrigerate them for a few days. You can dry them or make jams if you get a proper glut.
I always grow one of my figs in a big pot on the plot, you know. It means I can tuck it into the greenhouse for winter if it gets really nippy, which gives me a cracking head start for next year's crop.
Dates for your plot
Type your zone and the plant-out advice shifts to your frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Brown Turkey Brown Turkey is a widely grown fig, a truly reliable performer for many climates. It's known for its sweet, reddish-brown fruits. | No club votes yet |
| Chicago Hardy Chicago Hardy is a popular variety, a truly reliable performer even in cooler zones. It's known for its good cold tolerance and sweet, dark fruit. | No club votes yet |
| Celeste Celeste is a cracking fig, a truly reliable performer with small to medium, very sweet fruits. It's often called the "Sugar Fig" for its intense sweetness. | No club votes yet |
| Desert King Desert King is a fantastic fig, a truly reliable performer especially for folks in cooler, coastal areas. It produces large, yellowish-green fruits with strawberry-red flesh. | No club votes yet |
| Violette de Bordeaux Violette de Bordeaux is a top-notch fig, a truly reliable performer known for its rich, sweet flavor. It produces small, dark purple fruits, great for containers. | No club votes yet |
| Kadota Kadota is a classic Italian fig, a truly reliable performer with a mild, sweet taste. Its green-yellow skin and amber flesh make it popular for canning and drying. | No club votes yet |
| Black Mission Black Mission is a much-loved fig, a truly reliable performer producing rich, sweet, purplish-black fruits. It's excellent eaten fresh or dried. | No club votes yet |
| Ischia Green Ischia Green is a sweet and flavorful fig, a truly reliable performer with greenish-yellow skin and red pulp. It's a good choice for those wanting a rich taste. | No club votes yet |
| Lattarula Lattarula, also known as Italian Honey, is a fine fig, a truly reliable performer with delicious, sugary fruit. It's known for its pale green skin and very sweet amber flesh. | No club votes yet |
| Olympian Olympian is a hardy and productive fig, a truly reliable performer with large, sweet, purple-brown fruits. It's well-suited for many climates and can produce two crops. | No club votes yet |
| Hardy Chicago Improved Hardy Chicago Improved is, as the name suggests, a better version of a reliable performer. It offers enhanced cold tolerance and sweet, dark fruit, great for zones where figs struggle. | No club votes yet |
| Ronde de Bordeaux Ronde de Bordeaux is a cracking fig, a truly reliable performer with small, very sweet, dark purple fruits. It's a good choice for container growing and early ripening. | No club votes yet |
| LSU Gold LSU Gold is a lovely fig, a truly reliable performer from Louisiana State University's breeding program. It produces large, sweet, golden-skinned fruits with amber pulp. | No club votes yet |
| LSU Purple LSU Purple is another excellent fig from LSU, a truly reliable performer with medium-sized, reddish-purple fruits. It's known for its rich flavor and resistance to splitting. | No club votes yet |
| Panache (Tiger) Panache, often called Tiger, is a distinctive fig, a truly reliable performer known for its striped skin and sweet, red flesh. It's a real looker and tastes fantastic. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Fig seeds
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Sowing by USDA zone
| Zone | Sow / plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April to May | August to September |
| Zone 4 | April to May | July to September |
| Zone 5 | March to May | July to September |
| Zone 6 | March to November | June to September |
| Zone 7 | March to November | June to September |
| Zone 8 | February to November | May to September |
| Zone 9 | February to December | May to September |
| Zone 10 | November to February | April to September |
Cook the harvest
Fresh figs halved, drizzled with balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, then roasted until jammy and caramelized, served warm over cold vanilla ice cream. The contrast of warm, syrupy fruit against cold, creamy ice cream is one of the most effortlessly elegant desserts you can make in 20 minutes flat. This is summer entertaining at its simplest.
20 min · easyAn elegant tart with a buttery, shortcrust shell filled with a creamy, tangy goat cheese custard and topped with fresh halved figs that caramelize slightly in the oven. Finished with a drizzle of honey and fresh thyme, this tart works beautifully as an appetizer, a light lunch with salad, or the centerpiece of a wine-and-cheese gathering. The combination of fig and goat cheese is one of the great pairings of the season.
80 min · mediumFresh figs gently braised in red wine with cinnamon, star anise, and honey until they're swollen, silky, and infused with the deep, spiced wine. Served warm or at room temperature alongside vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, or a creamy cheese, these braised figs are one of the most elegant and effortless desserts imaginable. The wine reduces to a glossy, fragrant syrup that's almost as good as the figs themselves.
30 min · easyA deeply jammy fig preserve warmly spiced with cinnamon, star anise, and a splash of lemon. This is the preserve that belongs on your cheese board all winter long, made in late summer when figs are at their peak. It pairs beautifully with aged cheddar, manchego, or simply spread thick on buttered toast.
60 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: nasturtium, chives, comfrey, white clover, yarrow, daffodils
Questions people ask
When do you sow Fig in the US?
Sow Fig from March to November in zone 6, earlier or later by zone. Plant out December, after the last frost.
How long does Fig take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 365 days, with the harvest June to September.
Which Fig varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Brown Turkey, Chicago Hardy, Celeste, Desert King and more.
Track your Fig from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.