Neal folks in my cubit were asking about pruning fig trees. Do you know anything about that?

Stormy, how old is your tree?

For a young tree prune in late winter, leaving 4 to 6 of the strongest branches growing from the main trunk(s) to be your fruiting wood, or main branches and prune away the rest. Be sure to stagger them around the trunk. Start pruning by removing any branches that are not growing out from your selected 4 to 6 main branches as well as any dead or diseased wood. If there are suckers growing from the base of the tree, these should be removed as well. Next, remove any secondary branches (branches that are growing off the main branches) that are growing at less than a 45 degree angle from the main branches. This step in pruning fig trees will remove any branches that may eventually grow too close to the main trunk and will not produce the best fruit. When all secondary branches have been removed, cut back the 4 to 6 main branches by 1/3 to 1/4. This helps the tree, while it's still young, to put more energy towards the fruit that will be produced next year, which makes for larger and sweeter fruit. This also helps to develop a strong root system in the young tree.

Once the tree has matured only remove weak, diseased or dead limbs each season, or ones that are growing in the wrong place (against other limbs, etc.).

Here is my Vern's Brown Turkey in 2004


Same tree in 2006, they grow quite fast. : )


Figs starting to ripen

Again today I examined the cuttings that I have in water. I see nubs of roots! Woopee. On the ones planted in soil I can see one leaf open just enough to recognize it as a fig leaf! It might be beginner's luck, but whatever it is, I'll take it!

Yipeee! Whatever your doing it's working, Mary.

I just came here for info because I just ordered 2 fig trees!!

Which ones did you get Lee Anne?

Hardy Chicago :))

I looked it up. It sure sounds yummy and very hardy. : )

News flash!

I got a surprise this morning when I was watering the greenhouse plants. One of my fig cuttings has little green figs growing right out of the stem! I had to laugh. The cutting is only a few inches tall. Talk about an over achiever!

I had that also....pretty cute!

Way to go Mary. They must love you.

Sherry, did yours mature? I hope the plant has some roots. I don't see how these little things can mature on a teeny little cut branch, with only about 6 inches of it sticking up out of the pot, but they'll be fun to watch.

lol...no. Mine was on a cutting that I was rooting in water and I wanted the energy to go to roots instead. Cute little guy...lol..

My funny little green figs dried up and fell off, as I suspected they would. The variety is this one. http://www.rollingrivernursery...

Somewhere here on ATP we have another fig discussion going, and now I can't find it. I wish somebody would combine them. Lynn, you had it spelled right, but now I can't find the thread, so I parked the link with the info here.

THe other discussion is in the propagation forum.

Thanks. I'll copy the link and plant it over there.

I found a fig tree in the forest behind our house. I would like to trim it up and help it along and possibly help it to produce. It came via the birds, from my neighbor's fig tree, no doubt. It has been growing for some time. Perhaps someone can help me determine the best way to trim this tree. Obviously it is reaching for the sunshine. I have total access to it. Is there any hope for it?

Mother Fig Tree


New Fig Tree in the Forest


Base of the Fig Tree-I think there are actually 2 trees!

They need sun to stay healthy and produce fruit. Wonder if it would be better to move it to a sunny location.
We are eating figs from our Vern's Brown Turkey now. Yummmmm.

It's getting something that it needs to have survived our drought. I didn't even know it was out there! How old do you think it is? The trunk is fairly thick. Maybe I will just leave it? Or trim off some of the branches to let it get taller for more sun? I don't have any sunny place for a tree in my yard.

It won't hurt to experiment. Trim one of them back some and let the other grow. It is getting really tall trying to find sunshine. It will be a fun experiment.