- I have a fig tree that is top heavy and hasn’t got a lot of branches. What can I do?
Fig trees grow very quickly and pruning them when they are dormant and some summer light pruning is important for fruit production. Many people find their fig trees growing too tall. It is possible to top a fig, meaning to cut the main stem down.
A fig tree shape is ideally that of a shrub with many low growing branches rather than a tree shape with one main stem. To cut down taller branches cut them off where they join the main stem above a height of 1 1/2 to 3 feet from the ground. Look for a node and cut no more than 1/2” above it. From there you want to encourage side growth. So as not to shock the tree into creating too much of a flush of growth only cut 1 or 2 main branches per year. Little ones will branch out from the nodes to replace them. This is a multi year process. The shorter the spaces between nodes means more fast growth while nodes spaced further apart means slow growth.
The Evermore: Eden Restored video shares an interesting tip: you can cut a shallow groove above a node on a branch to encourage growth. This cut into the cambium layer will send the right hormones to it to create energy for growth.
There are good pruning videos on YouTube. Especially informative is Bob Duncan who lives on Wain Rd in North Saanich. He has good information and sells fruit trees from his garden. He also gives demonstrations at local gardening events and has videos online.
Fig trees produce 2 crops per year. The second crop doesn’t have enough time in our Pacific Northwest summer to ripen. Distinguishing between the first crop (called the breba crop) and the second is important. The source by Rick Shory explains in detail how to spot the difference between the two and how to prune to keep the tree smaller. He pictures the Negronne variety and Desert King. The overwintering breba buds develop quickly in the spring, then the fruits mature slowly over the summer for a late summer or early fall crop. Rick then illustrates how to restore an overgrown tree with selective pruning. Additionally he shows how to espalier a fig to create a small tree that is easily pickable.
Sources:
Fruit Trees and More. Bob Duncan on Wain Rd., N Saanich. YouTube video: How to Prune Figs in a Cold Climate.
Evermore: Eden Restored. YouTube video: How to Prune Fig Trees for Maximum Fruit Production.
Pruning and Training: What, When and How to Prune revised new edition by Christopher Brickell and David Joyce. Penguin Random House 2017.
https://rickshory.wordpress.com/2019/11/13/growing-figs-in-the-pnw/#:~:text=Summer%20pruning%20can%20also%20increase,buds%2C%20far%20above%20reach%20height
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