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Fig Tree Pollination: The Wasp Question and Better Alternatives

Do You Need Fig Wasps for Edible Figs?

Only certain fig types (Smyrna, Calimyrna) require the tiny wasp Blastophaga psenes for pollination. Common figs (Ficus carica) are parthenocarpic—no wasp needed.

Your “weed fig” with pithy fruit is likely a seedling or wild type. The wasp is not commercially available and has a complex life cycle.

Best Path for Hollywood, CA

Contact LA County Extension Master Gardeners: celosangeles.ucdavis.edu
Choose a proven cultivar (Brown Turkey, Mission, Kadota) for reliable crops.
Grow in ground or large pot; figs thrive in Southern California.

Skip the wasp hunt; plant a known variety.

Seeding and Propagation: Fig Tree White Foam and Leaf Eating: NEEM Spray; Fungus on Fig Tree Trunk: Wood Decay Warning; Troubleshooting Small, Drying Figs on Mission Fig Tree; Fig Leaf Drop After Rain: Fungus and Nematode Management; Fig Tree White Spindles: Granulate Ambrosia Beetle Borer Control; Fig Tree Leaf Yellowing and Drop: Rust Disease in Humid Conditions; Scale on Massive Indoor Fig Tree: Hand-Clean or Systemic (If Commercial); Fig Tree Planting Guide for Alabama; Growing a Brown Turkey Fig Over a Pergola in the UK; Chicago Fig Tree: Curling Leaves and Stalled Figs Likely Powdery Mildew

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