{"product_id":"fig-preston-prolific-ficus-carica-1","title":"Preston Prolific Fig - Ficus carica ‘Preston Prolific’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003ePreston Prolific Fig - Ficus carica ‘Preston Prolific’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA heavy-cropping green-skinned fig with pale amber flesh, sweeter and less earthy than the dark-skinned types. ‘Preston Prolific’ has been grown in Australian backyards for generations because it fruits reliably in a wide range of climates and does not need a pollinating insect, unlike some of the specialty figs. \u003cem\u003eFicus carica\u003c\/em\u003e also earns its position on foliage alone: big, deeply lobed leaves that throw dense summer shade and then drop to let winter sun through.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Preston Prolific\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCrop Volume\u003c\/strong\u003e: Named for its yield, it carries heavy crops of green to pale yellow fruit through late summer.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSelf-Fertile\u003c\/strong\u003e: Sets fruit without a pollinator, so a single tree is enough.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSweet Pale Flesh\u003c\/strong\u003e: Amber to honey-coloured flesh with a mild, sweet, jammy flavour when fully soft.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBold Foliage\u003c\/strong\u003e: Large architectural leaves give a strong Mediterranean look through the warm months.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDrought Hardiness\u003c\/strong\u003e: Established figs cope with dry summers and poor soil better than almost any other fruit tree.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSummer Shade Tree\u003c\/strong\u003e: Planted over a terrace it shades in summer and admits sun once bare in winter.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEspalier or Fan\u003c\/strong\u003e: Trains well against a warm north-facing wall, which also brings the crop on earlier.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMediterranean Garden\u003c\/strong\u003e: Combines with olives, rosemary, grapes and gravel in a dry-climate scheme.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge Container\u003c\/strong\u003e: Root restriction suits figs and often improves fruiting, provided watering is consistent.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 3 to 4m centres in a row, or 2m when trained flat as an espalier.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 5 to 6m as a stand-alone tree, and well clear of drains, tanks and paving because fig roots are vigorous and opportunistic.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Winter while dormant, or early spring in cold districts.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tolerates poor and rocky soil but demands good drainage. Rich, heavily fertilised ground produces leaf at the expense of fruit.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water weekly through the first two summers, then only during fruit development, since erratic watering at ripening causes splitting. Mulch to conserve moisture, avoid high-nitrogen feeding, and prune in winter to keep the framework open and the fruit within reach.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 6m, easily kept at 3m by pruning\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 4 to 5m\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Fast\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deciduous\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e Western Asia and the Mediterranean\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Insignificant, held inside the developing fruit\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"100L","offer_id":59795339247902,"sku":"ND-0793-100L","price":1325.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/SZGCg1BSJzP_Q44Dby7Gw_Hopvo6nc.jpg?v=1787313714","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/fig-preston-prolific-ficus-carica-1","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}