Re: Do you prune figs?

Nan:

I have a thirteen year old Black Mission fig.  I prune it heavily every year
to keep it a reasonable size.  I started early and trained my tree to the
"open center" method. The first winter after planting, I cut it back to a
single stump about two feet tall.  (That's the hard part!)  The following
winter I chose 3 or 4 well-spaced outward-growing "scaffold" branches and cut
everything but those, cutting those back to around 18 inches.  In subsequent
winters, I continued to prune to vigorous, outward-growing branches,
developing the tree for the shape and branch structure I desired.  Now that
the tree has reached the "final" shape and size I desire, I prune mainly to
keep it open and check its growth.  Every winter now, I cut back to my basic
framework, which is 7 to 10 feet tall.  The tree responds by putting on a
vigorous growth of new 6 to 8 foot branches every year.  I try to cut back
around a third of the tree to older wood every year to renew the "terminal"
scaffold and avoid the pollarded look.  Fig wood is soft and easy to prune, so
it is usually the first tree I prune every winter.  You might want to wear
gloves and long sleeves, as the sap has an irritant quality.  Happy pruning!

Kurt Mize
Stockton, California
USDA Zone 9
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