How to Grow an Endless Supply of Figs Indoors (or Any Tree for That Matter)

Planting a tree can be a truly remarkable thing. Watching it grow year after year, from just a small seed or sapling into a big, majestic full-grown tree. It can be a humbling experience.

But not everyone has a giant backyard to work with, or the right climate to grow the kind of tree they want. That’s when indoor trees come in handy. They can be kept indoors all winter, or all year-round, and provide you with a little bit of nature and possibly even fruit.

10 Tips to Happy and Healthy Indoor Trees

The Right Tree Variety

The most important thing when it comes to planting an indoor tree is making sure you pick the right kind. You don’t want to be growing a hundred foot tall tree in your living room. But there are many dwarf-varieties to choose from such as small lemon, mandarin, fig, or avocado trees if you’d like to get some fruit, or more ornamental options like a ficus.

The Right Pot

Because the tree will be in your home at least part of the year, it’s important to make sure you get a pot that looks nice. Terra-cotta or plastic is fine. Some people prefer a dark colour to contrast with the lighter colour of the tree, but whatever looks good in your home works. You can also consider going square, rather than round, because they can hold a larger root ball.

The Right Drainage

You should make sure that the bottom of your pot has a good number of holes to help drain excess water and aerate the soil. You can include a drainage layer of rocks or old pots at the bottom of your planter if you’d like, but potting soil nowadays drains just fine on its own.

The Right Fertilizer

Organic fertilizer is preferable to the synthetic kind because it won’t burn your plant and will slowly release nutrients for a long time, so you won’t have to be bothered to fertilize every week. Mix a few handfuls into the potting soil when you plant your tree.

The Right Mulch

People don’t often mulch their planters, but it’s a great way to add some style to your pot and keep in the moisture. You can mulch with whatever you think looks best, from river rock, gravel, or even wine corks.

The Right Spot

Regardless of the variety you choose to grow, you’re going to want to make sure your tree gets a lot of sun. Try to put your indoor trees in the sunniest spots in your home and that ideally face west, because the sunlight will be the strongest there.

The Right Compost

Every year or two you’ll want to refresh the soil around your tree by mixing in compost and more fertilizer to make sure your tree has the right nutrients to continue to thrive.

The Right Transportation

If you have a deck or balcony, or want to place your trees in your garden during the warmer months, you should invest in a dolly or hand truck to move your containers. Even small trees can be quite heavy. Plus, it’s just a useful thing to have around the house.

The Right Climate

If you intend to put your tree outside for any amount of time, you should educate yourself on what zone you are in and what zone and temperatures your tree can handle to avoid any harm from the cold.

The Right Care

Growing indoor trees is a learning process. They might drop leaves at times, or not bear fruit initially, but if you continue to learn and tinker with fertilizer, water, and placement, you will be successful.