Make a greenhouse to grow figs

Not growing vegetables or flowers in modern greenhouses, a farmer has grown a special fruit. Soft, sweet, with a characteristic purple color, American figs from the highlands have brought to the market a fruit with a mild sweet taste.

Insect traps in fig orchards

Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien's family, Thanh Binh 3 village, Binh Thanh commune, Duc Trong district, has a tradition of raising livestock. In the midst of the "storm" of pig diseases, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien switched to growing a special type of tree: the American fig tree. Mr. Hien recounted that the epidemic from the pig herd made his livestock farming very difficult. Learning, visiting, finding outlets..., Mr. Hien decided to test growing American figs in 2018. Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien recalled that at that time, American figs were a very new crop to Lam Dong farmers. He went to the American fig garden to learn about techniques and safe farming processes. He said that American figs are often used by European restaurants in dishes. In European and American countries, this is a very popular and easy-to-grow tree. But in Vietnam, American figs are really not an easy-going tree. Growing figs requires high care conditions to produce figs that meet standards.

To grow American figs on a large scale, farmers are forced to put them in greenhouses, said Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien. When growing American figs outdoors, the trees grow very well. However, because American figs have soft skin and sweet taste, they are greatly affected by weather and harmful insects. When American figs begin to ripen, just a rain will cause them to crack. Or, when the fruit begins to taste sweet, birds and insects will attack immediately. Farmers are almost unable to harvest fully ripe figs. In addition, with the climate of the rainy season in the highlands, American figs are greatly affected by diseases and harmful insects. Therefore, when growing on a large scale to supply fruit according to contracts, fig trees need to be cultivated in standard greenhouses.

To build a greenhouse to grow figs, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien said, the greenhouse must be higher than the standard greenhouses used for vegetables and fruits that Duc Trong farmers still build. Mr. Hien installed a watering system close to the roots because American figs like moisture but do not tolerate water on the leaves, watering on the leaves can easily lead to fungus. The fig tree grows quite quickly, only 6-8 months after planting, the tree begins to bear fruit. "American figs are plants with internal stamens, so they do not have external flowers like other normal trees. The fruit grows directly from the leaf axils, from when the young fruit appears until harvest is 4-5 months. Depending on the needs of customers, I will harvest the figs at the required level of ripeness" - Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien said about the characteristics of American figs. American figs grow very quickly, when the branches reach a certain length, an iron trellis must be built to support the fig shoots to grow high. When growing in greenhouses, farmers often prune the branches when the figs reach a certain height. Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien usually cuts the branches after two years, the rejuvenated fig shoots will grow very quickly to replace them.

When growing figs in greenhouses, figs are cultivated according to safety standards, almost without using pesticides, said Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien. Growing in greenhouses, arranging an anti-insect fan system, blowing directly when opening the door has greatly limited the intrusion of harmful organisms. In addition, insect traps are also arranged in the garden, contributing to limiting the development of flies and fruit borers. Currently, Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien's fig garden has a contract to consume products, mostly at restaurants. Mr. Hien picks figs by day, packages them properly and sends them to consumers. He also proudly shared that in the past, figs used in Vietnam were mainly imported, now Vietnamese farmers have also grown figs to supply the market to replace imported goods.

Sharing about a crop that is still very new to farmers, Mr. Hien recommends two things. First, you must find a stable output before planting because American figs are a fruit that is quite picky about users, if supplied to the normal market it will be very difficult to sell. Second, you must learn the right cultivation techniques, for good yield and quality. In addition, Mr. Hien also commented that figs are perennial plants, planted once and harvested for up to 20 years. Growing figs in greenhouses also does not require too much care, just need to use organic microbial fertilizers and a reasonable amount of MPK fertilizer. If there is a stable output, fig trees will help farmers have a steady daily income.

Ms. Do Thi Ngoc Thao - President of the Farmers' Association of Binh Thanh Commune, Duc Trong District informed that the American fig tree is a new crop of Binh Thanh farmers. Many households have built greenhouses, grown figs for stable harvest, mainly supplying Ho Chi Minh City. Binh Thanh also organized a number of field seminars for farmers to understand the American fig tree, introduce the characteristics as well as the output of American figs for people to grasp. It is known that some American fig farms are also promoting the establishment of links to grow and consume fig products, opening up another effective crop for farmers.

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