If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 Why You Shouldn't Fear Pruning Figs 1:40 The Best Reasons For Pruning Figs 2:57 Breba Figs Versus Main Crop Figs 4:06 3 Reasons Why We MUST Prune Fig Trees In Containers 6:54 How To Prune Fig Trees 8:45 Adventures With Dale
Totally agree. Our gardener mistakenly cut off our fig tree. He thought my dad asked him to do that for some reason. Just in same 4 to 6 months, it regrew many 5ft to 6ft branches via the remains of the tree stump. I am so relieved it made it!
Good information on growing figs. My neighbor has a 10 year old Kadota that he cuts back to a 3 foot stump every year that grows back to at least 20 ft by the end of the growing season. It’s amazingly prolific. I keep mine (in ground) to 5 feet or less.
Keeping the growth new keeps the vigor in the tree. That root mass can only support a tree of a certain size. If you let that tree grow on its own schedule, it'll eventually top out and production will be limited. If you keep cutting it back, it's going to send out a tremendous amount of new growth every season. For trees like figs where the fruit is confined to new growth, I think pruning is absolutely critical.
My potted fig tree is probably rootbound. Because of the shape of the pot. It has a lip that locked the roots inside from being lifted out. The figs use to be fairly decent but as the years have passed the figs have gotten very tiny and fragile, falling off when barely touched. I have it growing on our back patio which gets the morning sun, etc. It has never been pruned or if it was it was by my husband and it's been a while. I am afraid I may kill it. My Italian grandfather had 5 fig trees, a huge Bartlet pear tree, a small group of large purple grapes, a lot of vegetables and seasonings including mint and parsley, and a number of rose bushes. They were white, red, and yellow rose bushes for many years, and a cherry tree. He also had Rose of Sharon which is very hardy on the side of the house along with some of the rose bushes. I think he had a Bachelor Button bush out front and a Christmas tree he would put lights on at Christmas time and hedges bordering the front yard. Everything thrived in that little yard. He was big on making sure everything was fertilized with fresh manure and watered well. The yard was not very big but he had a great"green thumb". He passed away a while back so I have no one to ask what I am doing wrong or not doing at all. We have some clay in our soil which is not fun walking on. So my question is what fertilizer would we be using for a potted fig tree (Grandpop's fig trees were in the ground and he cut them way down to about a foot or so every fall in NJ. He also would wrap the fig tree with tar paper and pour a lot of fall leaves inside those wrapped and tied with some clothesline. How often should it be fertilizer in the 28412 area of Wilmington, NC?
Dude Ive been following you since you started the channel. I just want to say you've come along way with your videos. I really enjoy your content and the specific issue you speak in detail many thanks from a small fig guy from North Jersey.
@@TheMillennialGardener You probably get more fruit than me I'm in zone 6B I have to start my trees indoor end of Feb to get fruit by the end of the season.
@@TheMillennialGardener .what's your take on me staking down my tree about one Foot off the ground.It has 7 branches in a goblet EFFECT.I was thinking out of the Box.One branch is surrounded by the rest., I would leave that one standing Straight.
Thank you Millennial Gardener for the shared the knowledge! I do have 4 different varieties of fig and among them there is one miniature. What ever figs my trees produce, they are first for feeding the birds (I live in a very dry place so food for birds and other animals is scarce) and whatever is left I harvest them.
I've found the lower the trees are to the ground, the less likely the birds are to land. Birds like being up high for their protection. Keeping your figs low to the ground forces them to lose their feeling of safety, so they're less likely to eat your fruits. Thanks for watching!
Very encouraging! Drastically pruned my two in ground figs this winter. Rooting some and excited to see new growth in the spring. Thanks for saying they are forgiving - hope so!
Let me know what you think: I'm keeping my cuttings in water covering at least two nodes (changing water 2 x a week). In a clear container at 67 - 70 degrees. They are sprouting and some are producing roots. I'm in zone 8 and hope to plant in containers and/or ground after no danger of frost. I do have a few in soil in a container - no space to do on a larger scale. Not sure how this will work, but would like your response.
@@janefoust2785 I have not personally had great results rooting dormant hardwood cuttings in water. However, if you are seeing roots form, I would stay the course. When you up-pot them, you must be VERY gentle because the roots are extremely fragile at that stage. I recommend up-potting them into small containers and letting them become rootbound enough that they'll form a tight root ball where the roots easily hold the soil together. After they form a nice, stable root ball in the soil, you may up-pot them into larger containers or in ground.
Awesome video! I have a 9-year-old English brown turkey in ground that is extremely cold hardy. Came from a 20+ year-old tree from a neighbor. We live in NJ, zone 6b. I don't wrap or cover the tree and leave all of the limbs over winter. Ice, snow, wind, everything. I prune in the early spring and propagate the branches. Typically the highest branches see some die-off but most root! I prune down to about 4 feet and it regrows to about 15 feet tall and 10 wide.
I know (now) exactly what happens to a fig tree in a pot that doesn’t get pruned. I planted it in a big clay pot, didn’t prune it at all. It grew huge roots that broke out of the pot, then fell over and broke. Now I’m growing 2 in-ground figs and pruning EVERY winter...thanks to your videos!!
I’m happy to hear the videos are helping! Figs absolutely must be pruned annually. I’m pretty heavy-handed with my pruning, too. They really enjoy a nice haircut. If you live in a place with a pretty long warm season, don’t be gentle. They can take it, and they love to grow new wood come spring.
Thank you!! I have 3 dwarf Negronne fig trees in ground in my backyard and was stressing about how to prune it but I'd rather just let it mature and choose its own path.
I pruned my fig trees for the first time because of your videos. I really like how clear and concise you are, I can tell you take a lot of care and time producing these. I live in California zone 9b and I’m just trying to get an idea of how many ounces of water I should water during the hot season. Until now I have watered every day until water drains through the holes. Could you give me a general idea of where to start? 8oz? 1 liter? 2 gallons? I’m in 10 gallon containers doing drip irrigation. Thanks 🤩
Thanks. I appreciate you noticing. There is a very long answer to your question because how much you need to water is based on your climate, humidity, average temperature, etc. Instead of trying to explain, I made a video last year for exactly this subject that should help you: ua-cam.com/video/bQMqpQHDbl4/v-deo.html
I love that you say the date it’s very important to me , maybe you can say the year as well I make notes and it does help a lot , loved the picture of you and Stan McKenzie
Stan's the man! Can't wait to plant my new trees. The year is shown right under the video, so I only mention the date because sometimes the videos are filmed a couple weeks in advance. Thanks for watching!
Thanks buddy I’ll just started growing figs in pots I often talk to them people think I’m crazy 😜 but hey to love ❤️ figs is my life saver it relaxing 😌 to watch them grow after grafting other one on two other trees 🌲 later 😍😜😍🎀🌲🌲🌲
I was always told Rule of thumb, figs in containers should be trimmed back to twice the Hight of the root ball. an your best comment was they are hard to kill once established so do not be afraid to trim them back.
I've had really good luck keeping my fig trees pruned low. I cut them back really aggressively, and they perform magnificently. I have a fairly long, warm growing season though, so if you have a cooler, shorter growing season, you may want to prune them a little less aggressively. I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all pruning method. Basically, you need to take the general concepts I'm promoting and tailor it to your climate through trial and error, and you should be successful.
Thank you for telling me about not requiring pruning in ground. I want mine to grow to be a real tree, however at some point I would like to keep it at 15 feet in height. Right now the cutting I planted this year is 6 feet tall but has no side branches. It only has the one main line, and leaves. It does have 3 fruit in the middle.
They are really nice espaliered on a wall like that fence behind him. But it can be on wired posts too, brick wall, etc. A friend did theirs to their brick garage.
Was it with figs? I've seen many people planting fig trees close to their homes and it makes me nervous because fig tree roots are so invasive. I would be concerned about structural damage. I moved mine away from the house for this reason.
5:15 not sure if the wind would really be a problem here, especially since I use 10-15 gal containers. Our strongest gust this season has been 38mph. Last season we did get a 62mph gust but that was on May 21 with the big Canadian derecho - only about a week after our average first frost. I didn't have any fig trees then yet, but they wouldn't necessarily have much leaves, definitely not much fruit, so early in the season. Sticking to June onwards, the strongest gusts were 2023: 38mph 2022: 42mph 2021: 40mph 2020: 39mph 2019: 42mph 2018: 47mph 2017: 44mph 2016: 41mph 2015: 52mph 2014: 43mph 2013: 37mph 2012: 38mph Although I live very close to the first F4 tornado in Canada, the likelihood of any given location being struck by one here is still quite low. We don't get much violent thunderstorms, even regular thunderstorms only happen a few times per summer. And hurricane remnants rarely get this far and are typically much weakened. The worst we had was Isabel on Sep 19 at 43mph (although it had more sustained winds compared to most of the thunderstorms and frontal systems that set the strongest winds of an average season). The strongest winds we get are typically in the winter, when 50-60mph is not unusual. Then fall and spring are the next strongest. July to September is typically the calmest, June and October are just a bit more gusty, and then May can get quite gusty, especially early-mid May when trees don't have much/any leaves yet (native trees typically leaf out around May 15-25).
I got my fig tree in a 5 gallon bucket wicking tube you need to try it it grows so fast and is loaded with figs and super healthy it is a game changer I'm changing everything in to a wicking tub
Wow thankyou I needed this video I too am very nervous about pruning my fig tree I now know it's something I will need to do and will push thru the fear thankyou for another wonderful class you are the fig whisperer
My fig tree is like that too, but not in container. It is tall and skinny and after 3 years it branched on its own. incredible. Now the shape is not bad but I started notching! got it into a great shape!
In my experience, fig trees grow best as a single trunk. You'll get the best looking tree. Sometimes in the beginning, you can allow a few trunks to grow, but I recommend eventually selecting the strongest one and cutting off the rest.
You are thorough and easy to listen to. Keep making videos. You are fascinating! How do you move an in ground 12 ft fig that is growing next to the house? I live in central Virginia and worry about too much cold and then very dry periods….
Thank you! I don't know how you could possibly move a tree that large. I would think it would take heavy machinery to do that, unfortunately. Figs can be invasive, so I try to keep them away from my house for that reason. However, the roots are practically indestructible.
Up to recently I found your channel. Let me said that thanks to your videos I have learn so much about fig trees. I especially like how you explain everything in a well articulated way that is so easy to follow even for a person, like my self that it is a novice when it comes to figs. Thank you so much,, keep up the great work!!!
Another reason to prune in ground trees is to keep them small enough to allow for covering in the fall. The covering is needed to prevent frost damage during the winter. It would be difficult to cover a large fig tree 20 ft tall.
I recommend a low espalier for growing figs in-ground in cooler climates. It's a great way to keep them artificially low and cover them over the winter. I have a tutorial on espalier here: ua-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/v-deo.html
I live in Northwest Florida where it is hot and humid nine months out of the year and I am learning to prune my inground fig trees for pest control. If I cannot manage my trees and pick the fruit exactly when it’s ripe then there are so many pests that move in on the entire tree and start living off of all of the fermenting fruit.
I do recommend pruning an in-ground tree. When figs are unpruned, they tend to set too much fruit, which makes the fruits smaller and takes longer to ripen. Thinning leads to larger, earlier fruits. The high up fruits also tend to ripen better since they have the sun exposure and the birds get them. Thinning the tree for lower fruiting and more light penetration has advantages. However, if you like your tree as it is, it isn't mandatory. It's your call.
I love this Channel, I'm a newbie on gardening..I have learned so much. I have a question. Why do you put yr dog in a kennel??? Shouldn't he be free to guard your home??? You have a great guard dog, but he can't do his job!!! Weird!!!
We planted a fig in the ground about 8-9 years ago. It did nothing until last year. It was a few feet tall when we planted it. It’s now prob 25-30 ft tall. We got several gallons of figs all of sudden last year. Unfortunately, we didn’t know how big it would get and we planted it in a corner enclosed by a fence and a huge Holly tree. Have to use the extension grabber to pick many of the figs. But they were so sweet. I keep freezing them right off the tree then in the winter I made fig/strawberry/jalapeño jam. Fingers crossed I get figs again this year. We’ve never pruned it.
That's interesting. Usually figs try to bear as early as the first year. Is it in a shady location? Figs need TONS of sun, so it may have had to have gotten tall enough to get above other trees to reach the sun to produce. They need to roast in the sun 10-12 hours a day. If you give them 10-12 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight a day and lots of compost, they go bananas.
Very informative n hello from Ireland! I’d be concerned that over time growing any food plants in plastic containers is a health risk as all plastic will breakdown over time with water, fertilizer n weathering acting upon the surface of plastic. I’d opt more for other containers
I would love a video on how to train the cuttings in their first year. How do you decide which branches to remove and which to grow tall? When I have purchased fig trees from growers, I received a 36” whip. Upon receipt, I cut approximately 12” from the top and start two more trees. I would like to know how the grower trained their trees into a 36” whip. Some cuttings immediately shape themselves into an ideal open vase but 4” from the soil level. That’s a bit low, right? These are questions I think many folks have about the initial shaping, that first year of the life of a cutting. Thank you so much for your videos and your storefront - you make it easy 😊
When I first got my whip(s) from the grower I thought the trees had been grafter because at the base there is a short fat section and the main trunk comes off of it from a slight angle. I believe it was grown from a cutting and a low branch became the trunk, right? Surely this would make an informative video for all of the fig growers. There are SO MANY videos on how to propagate fig cuttings (and yours in when to start feeding) but none in training. Pleeeeeze 😊
I think the issue is everyone has a different idea on what they want a fig to look like. Some prefer a bush form. Some want a single trunked tree grown into a large shade tree. Some want a single trunked tree kept low. Others want 2-3 trunks to give it a more twisted look. Me, personally, I'm going the espalier route. I have, probably, the most in-depth espalier training videos on the internet. At least on UA-cam, definitely. You can see them here: ua-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/gvY8PCnWgjM/v-deo.html There is no better way to train your tree than along a wire, in my opinion.
Update....i pruned all my figs to 16 inches(like you suggested)....90% a single stem......i have about 25 trees in 30 litre pots....every single one of them has sprouted now with spring and some i can see change over night.....i gave them slow release organic mid winter and in august we had lots of rain to wash it all in.......they all look so healthy right now...highest temp is 22C........with ref the inground.....totally agree...except every 6 years....get a spade and go straight down in a 8 ft circle......that root prunes and induces heavy cropping the following season.....do try it !
@@TheMillennialGardener perth western australia.....they are all going nuts and growing little figlets......i have one fig tree that is growing big but it didnt fruit last year and its not growing any fruit now either..i am beginning to wonder if it ever will......can a fig not fruit at all?
@@jonathancox9501 beautiful climate for figs. One of the best places in the world for fig growing. All figs, whether male or female, smyrna or common, will try and fruit. If your fig is not fruiting, it is either: 1. Too young. 2. Not getting enough sun. 3. Not getting enough fertilizer. 4. Bad soil. 5. Some combination of those things. What I would do is this: make sure your fig is in a very sunny spot. Now, find yourself a fertilizer as high in phosphorous as possible (the middle number in N-P-K) that is organic and contains bone meal as an ingredient. I know Australia restricts phosphorous, but do the best you can to find something like a 3-3-3. Also, get yourself a synthesized, readily available balanced fertilizer, too. Give it a nice feeding of the slow release organic and the soluble synthesized fertilizer to boost the nutrients. Then, pinch off all the growth tips as shown here: ua-cam.com/video/xjLeIr5Wo4Q/v-deo.html Giving it a nutrient boost, plenty of sun and pinching off all the growth tips SHOULD force some fruiting at some nodes. Some varieties are stubborn to fruit when young, like Raspberry Latte and Coll de Dama diCiutat.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks Buddy......its had all of those....i tip each branch when it has 5 or 6 nodes.....its getting hours of sun......i have just mulched heavily because we are getting 30 + now .....the only thing is we have nothing with high phosphorous ...i use an organic slow release that is 3 -2 -3 i think......its pretty big in a 50 litre pot but there is no sign of a single fig on it......90 % of my other ones have figs on em......its a strange one....will keep you posted....the guy i bought it off last year said it had not fruited at all.....and it was pretty big then too......thanks for your input....its in really good potting mix.
As long as you get some good heat in your summers, you should be fine. I find my figs respond well to hard pruning. I live in the Southeast where summers have merciless heat, though. I'm not sure how they'll perform in short summer areas of the Northeast with aggressive pruning. No matter what, figs in containers should be pruned. The question is, "How much?" That's where the individual must use trial-and-error.
10 years ago we moved to a house with a fig tree in-ground, the problem is no one eats figs and none of the children that have come (4 in total) like figs either. I just prune it to stop any big branches rubbing against the house or growing too far over the roof. Since we don't want the fruit I have just let it grow massive. During our hot Aussie summers, it makes an amazing damp cool microclimate under it. Great sitting there after doing stuff in the backyard lol Although might bring it down a little, found out the crab apple isn't a crab apple at all its a granny smith and its been shaded out.
DON’T LIKE FIGS? 😱 I wish I were your neighbor! I’d be over with a giant bucket! Seriously though, if you don’t like figs, look into a recipe for fig jam. You and the kids would probably love that. There are lots of folks that don’t like specific fruits but love them in “jam form.” You may also like them dehydrated as the flavor profile changes dramatically.
@@TheMillennialGardener I tried them in different ways, not a fan, a neighbour gets all of ours, while they give me lemons and oranges as a swap (I will eat a lemon, like an orange lol). It stays simply because it makes an amazing tree in the garden.
I live in CT, zone 5, planted a fig int the ground, don’t know what type it dies back inthe winter and has come back as a big bush, but it has never had any fruit , it’s about 5 years old
Thanks for watching! Dale is loving life. I've never seen someone so happy and content. He's an inspiring story. He was dumped on the side of the road, picked up by the county kill shelter, placed on death row, rescued by an animal rescue and spent 5 months there and nobody wanted him. Everything went perfectly in the long run because he's the best thing that ever happened to us.
You explain things so clearly. Thanks. I just pruned my 7 mo old fig tree. I live in NY. I brought it indoors in November. I thought it wad dead. A month ago it started sprouting leaves and branches! It's suppose to be dormant. Lol. Anyway it got so tall it was hitting the ceiling then it directed itself to turn right. Lol. I figured I better prune it. I watched your videos and 2 days ago I gave it a shot. I pruned quite a lot. I'll see how it goes. I want to transplant it to a larger and more attractive pot. Are clay pots good for fig trees? Thanks much.
Fig trees have a significant dormancy period. Trying to overwinter it indoors at room temperature is problematic because they leaf out too early. It's best to store them around 40 degrees because that keeps them under refrigeration and keeps them pretty sleepy until the right time. I've heard mixed reviews on clay pots. Figs like warm temperatures, so I actually like dark pots for figs, believe it or not. Terracotta pots tend to cool the roots down and might slow the growth. I just purchased ten 15 gallon black heavy duty nursery containers for my figs. They're not the most attractive thing, but they work so well. If you want something better looking, maybe look into one of those dark resin barrels that mirror an oak, wine or whiskey barrel? They may heat up more.
I’m learning a lot about growing figs from you! Thank you. I’m in hot and dry AZ and Bermuda grass is a problem that’s hard to to fix. I’m interested in the black tarp on your ground to cover or prevent Bermuda grass in my pathways or out of garden raised beds.
I'm glad the videos are helpful. I have a tutorial on weed barrier here: ua-cam.com/video/XT1reOI1-5E/v-deo.html I LOVE IT. It has made my life 1,000 times easier.
smart. subscribed. just got a 4' chicago hardy (on order from FGT) and i am going to separate a large container brown fig soon, grow out one side and bonsai/cuttings the other. from RI here
Do you mean cuttings you take, or the trees? I usually begin rooting cuttings in January (sometimes earlier, sometimes later), and I begin rooting when cuttings are as fresh as possible. However, you can store them in a ziploc bag in your refrigerator crisper for a few months as long as you wash them off well and let them dry before storage. The fresher the cutting, the better chance they'll root, though. Green growth with lignify after around 3 months or so as the tree puts on caliper.
I work for a friend whose neighbors back yd has a fig tree.Has to be 30' tall and massively wide.i noticed one or two Figlets a month ago.havent been back to her house to check in on the status.
Yikes! It's the middle of April in New England, Zone 6B. Is it too late to prune my fig? I was getting ready to fertilize it for the first time, but maybe I need to prune first. Help!! The tree is about 6 years old and we have pruned in the past, but not consistently. We are determined to get fruit this year!!
Well those same reasons for pruning the fig trees in containers seem to also fit for in ground fig trees, no? Especially when no figs grown from old wood. Did I get it right? I bought a long stick for a fig tree. I think it needs pruning but feeling confused.
I'd like to know ... specifically ... what happens if my espalier fig tree hasn't been pruned for years? Can I prune it now and how do I do that? (Love your videos so far - very in depth scientifically based).
Espalier needs to be pruned annually to maintain the form. Otherwise, it's going to grow into a big thicket. I have an entire series on espalier here: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFlbg2ri_7gCJPhXaZ_nOvy.html
Thank you; your previous instructional videos (as this one) is informative, comprehensive and dispels the fears of pruning our fig trees. Nature is amazing; the more you prune, the more you get. I saw the espalier work you have done in previous videos, but am curious why you love it so much? It looks fantastic, but as I have never done it before, it appears it would limit the amount of figs produced.
Thank you. Glad you found this video helpful. Figs are EXTREMELY resilient. It's pretty safe to say my figs will be growing and producing long after I leave this Earth as long as nobody removes the trees. As for the espalier, you are correct that it will limit the amount of figs produced on a "per-tree basis." If all you want is to grow one or two fig trees, have nice, big shade trees and "set-it-and-forget-it," espalier isn't a good idea for production. I have only a simple quarter acre residential plot, and I intend to grow 18-24 fig trees in ground, all of different varieties. Espalier allows me to grow extremely high density so I can grow a ton of figs in a very small space. While each individual tree will be limited by espalier, when you talk about fruit production per square foot, it's out of this world outstanding. It's also beautiful to look at. I want an extremely wide variety of figs, and if I were to just plant fig trees in my yard, a dozen fig trees would take up my entire property with no room for anything else. Doing it this way, I'll be able to grow 2 dozen varieties, plus tons of other things. I am going to have a food forest, but confined as an "edible landscaping" arrangement so I still have plenty of open lawn for my dog to run around.
@@TheMillennialGardener jeez, thank you!! I am so glad I asked you the question. I did not in anyway understand the per square foot production and varietal aspect. That is awesome. You have a wonderful set up both along the fence line and and the garden beds. As I go outside daily to look at my two layer hoop hinge houses (thanks to you and James P), I cannot up but smile when I see how incredibly well everything is doing inside them (and on the outside, there is snow all around). The Christmas lights keeps my garden enjoyable during the cold winter months. Have a great dale. By the way, the Dale specials at the end are a treat and enjoyable.
@@pd6569 That is great to hear about your hoop house. I just rooted through mine today to get some cilantro and I noticed my cherry tomatoes formed their first fruits. I'm on course for March tomatoes. It was a great investment and I hope to add a couple more this summer.
@@TheMillennialGardener tomatoes in March! Madness! All kidding aside, I have been so impressed with the healthiness of the various plants I have in the hoop houses that I just added a third one (though not technically on hinges yet). Based on your continued success, it doesn’t seem far fetched that you will enjoy those March tomatoes and be the envy and motivation for many to follow suit. I just started about 100 tomatoes seeds from about 10 different types so I am behind the 8 ball. Be safe and well.
I have a "little miss figgy" fig tree that the nursery grew to be super vertical. It's probably 6 ft high with only the top foot that has branches. Can I chop it in half to be three feet tall with no branches coming out, so it just looks like a stick sticking out of the pot and it be ok?
So, no need to prune in ground figs! Thank You! I keep them first Year in a pot and after, I put them in ground. Question: when best to move them in ground?
There is no fundamental need to prune a fig in-ground for the health of the plant. With fig trees in containers, if you don't prune the branches and the roots, it'll eventually choke itself out and go into decline. Now, I do strongly recommend pruning figs in-ground for convenience and fruiting. Cutting the tree back every year will produce more new wood, and main crop figs only grow on the new year's wood. In addition, fig trees can get huge, so I enjoy keeping them smaller and keeping the fruit lower to the ground. But that's entirely your call. If you want a large shade tree in your yard, and you don't mind getting on a ladder to harvest your figs, you don't need to prune the tree. I plant my figs in the ground immediately after last chance of frost. You want to get them in ASAP in the spring once the frosts and freezes stop to give them all season to establish before the fall freezes set in.
Great information on fig trees in the ground. We pruned our fig tree last fall and now we only have shoots at the bottom. What do we do with all the stalks that have not done anything? We live in WV in the panhandle of VA.
We live in zone 9B central Florida and bought 15 Olympian Figs for 5.00 each..(really good deal)..Most were 1ft tall with 2 branches. Some with figs already on them. My question is..Should fig leaves be trimmed off.. into more of a canopy when they get around 4-5 ft tall??..I have watched videos where some fig tree branches are just trimmed bare except for the top. Any benefit of this type of trimming?…Thank you very much. Your videos on the reason behind Pruning tree branches equal and growth hormone was very educational 🦋
Wonderful video thank you for sharing so much information about growing fig trees. I live in tropical conditions...we have heavy monsoon rains and very mild winter s. When is the best time to prune my fig tree.
The best time to prune your fig tree is in the exact midpoint of your "winter." If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, that would be mid-January. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it's mid-July.
Thank you so much for posting. I learn something new with all your videos. May I ask when you'll start adding fertilizer to all your trees please and thank you 🙂
Thank you. I actually developed an entire series to answer exactly these questions. I documented my entire routine that’s tailored for each season. It will vary based on climate. I hope this helps: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much. I appreciate your response! I'm in zone 7b, I just wasn't sure when I should start. I'm thinking once the weather stays above 50°, would that be about right?
@@donnaz1961 I start based on my last frost date. Once the trees won't see any more frost or freeze damage, it's time to begin. If you're willing to pull your trees inside during the night and back outside during the day (the "fig shuffle"), you can begin earlier.
Great video! This made what others have presented as incomprehensible easily understood. One question. All my container growing is with Bonsai trees. With those, they get a root pruning every few years. Do you ever root-prune your container figs?
I have figs now for over ten years. I do not prune but have a ton of new growth every year at the bottle. They are not in containers. I get very limited figs. Should or could I dig one up and divide it and put in a few containers? Im doing a a lot of container plants and want to start getting some figs. Thanks for the help.
Figs grow on the new season's wood, so more branches mean more fruits. Of course, as long as your season is long enough to ripen them all! Thanks for watching!
I just got a small (5” tall ) Chicago Hardy fig. When is came it had some small brown spots on the leaves..when I got ready to plant it 2 days later I found the medium it was packed in was totally dry. It lost a couple of leaves too, I don’t know if it’s disease or just too dry, so being worried about it I decided to put it in a flower pot …..I think I’d like to put it in a bucket to over winter it in the house, & plant in the spring. What do you use in your buckets? I’d think a combo of native soil, compost, & I don’t know, maybe a little potting soil & mulch??? We have clay soil here, colder winters, Zone 5 b, Would you mind giving some pointers on this? I have watched quite a few of your videos, thanks so much for them, but haven’t seen any info on this problem. I may have missed it, but I hope you can help us. Thanks so much for this in advance.. I really appreciate your informative videos….thanks, Lela
Your videos are wonderful. Am looking for info on caring for figs in container in winter months....and freezing temperatures. Can they be moved indoors or a garage?
Yes. Figs can stand temperatures to about 20F or so when fully dormant, but if you see temps lower than that, storing them indoors is not a bad ideal. Ideally, your garage will be just a bit above freezing. I think 40F is ideal. It keeps them nice and dormant. They can tolerate occasionally falling a little below freezing, but ideally you’ll stay above. Don’t let them get warm. If it gets into the 50’s, they may break dormancy.
Strange... Most other videos for in ground fig trees indicate pruning is necessary to be able to harvest more and larger fruit before frost ends the growing season.
How do I take cutting from my fig tree in the ground? I want to do cuttings to plant in containers, my daughter got a new dog and he is digging in the roots I’m afraid I will lose my tree, thank you for help.
Love your videos! I’ve inherited a large fig bush when we bought a house last year, and have yet to see any fruit. Can’t wait to prune it down and experiment. Would you recommend having the tree in “tree” form for NJ? Or growing in containers? The bush just takes up so much space.
I will be up-potting and root pruning in 30-40 days. It's still too cold here to head my trees, up-pot them and move them into the center of the yard. However, it will be coming within the next 6 weeks.
Most of my fig trees(in pots) are single stem.....so i am planning to tip them before winter and leave them around 6ft tall....all 12 of them....i have a few that are double main branch and one classic Y shape that has three limbs and i just cut those main limbs down a bit.....I tend to use the branches on the trunk to propagate new trees.....or do you like to cut further down the main stem as a prune ?......Your thoughts please?
I live in Oregon and I have trees that are five or six feet tall in pots. I'm afraid to cut them back because they would take too long to grow back and I wouldn't get very much fruit if any, because all the Vigor would be in growing. But I'm not getting that much fruit anyway, I think part of my problem is they're too crowded and not getting enough Sun I'm concerned about root pruning if I do that and they're already big and there's not enough roots to support the big tree will it be detrimental to it, instead of helping? Also, if I want to keep my tree small what time of the year is best to inhibit excess growth? Thanks
Another good video, I am curious what your take is on minimizing the root ball during the dormant season for trees that are completely root bound in their containers. I have watched several videos on it and there really is very minimal consequence, as you said, Fig trees are forgiving. Though they may suffer slow above ground growth in the following season?
I will be root pruning a bunch of my trees in March because they've exceeded my container and are choked. They will need to be root pruned and pruned back heavily, then re-potted with some fresh mix. From what I've seen, figs should be root pruned every other year unless you're going them in something large like a half whiskey barrel. Maybe then you can go every 3 years. If you're growing them in 5 gallon nursery pots or something small, you may need to prune annually! I think the "ideal" size for fig trees is a 10-15 gallon nursery pot with every-other-year root pruning.
@@TheMillennialGardener Agreed, I did mine this past week, Besides...a few of them have been split into 2 because of the amount of growth. My Desert King is going into the ground so I am waiting to trim its roots until our freezes are done, or at least close. On another note, Out of the 3 cuttings I got from you I was successful with at least 1 so far, the other 2 I'm waiting them out. Thank you for your input on the root pruning, possible video? lol
@@ktrain4996 where is your location again? I'm curious why you're choosing Desert King since they're typically grown for breba crop. If you're in a place with short summers, I understand and that makes sense. It's also good to hear about your cuttings. I've had cuttings take as long as 2 months to root, so patience is key. I will definitely make a video on root pruning in 4-6 weeks.
@@TheMillennialGardener I am in Cedartown Georgia, I chose to try a Desert King because of its cold hardiness. And people say the Breba is very good and a pretty good size as well. I have a couple not so cold hardy varieties that will have to remain in pots unless I go extensive on protecting them in winter. So what ever I put in the ground must be able to tolerate the cold we get here. And if by chance it does not work out.....I will change to something else. Have you tried the DK in the past?
@@ktrain4996 I have not tried desert king. Because the main crop won’t pollinate without the wasp, I haven’t looked into it. I’m curious how that’ll perform in the southeast. Generally, it is for PNW growers because they get dry summers like folks in CA but without the heat units. I wouldn’t grow a fig for breba because I have tons of heat units in my climate.
Hi! Really interesting actually. I was also scared to prune mine, but will definitely do. Now I have 3 main branches. One of them I want to do air layering so i get a new fig tree from same fruit which tastes a lot of sweet. The other 2 branches I want to maximize their length to get about 1m tall. What do you recommend me doing now? I don't want to cut their length now, I want the 2 branches to grow about to 1m then I prune them as you show. But they have grow 5-10cm this year. What did I miss out? Too many fruits? Small pot? Thankful if you help me out :D
Think you can do a video about fertilizing for growth past the cutting stage? for example once you up pot it to a one gallon pot. I’m trying to get cuttings a big as possible this first year but I don’t know how much fertilizer they can take without burning
Last year, I put together a very detailed series on fertilizing that changes with the changing of seasons. This playlist should answer all of your questions: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
My friend, you said that brevas are considered inferior to the regular figs, or second crop...by who's standards? I don't agree with that. Brevas are so delicious, juicy, bigger and with way less sugar content than a regular fig. I love both figs, but the first crop, the breva, is just outstanding and fig connoisseurs all over look forward to get a hold on that amazing fruit. So please, be kind to brevas. Good work with your channel though and thanks for sharing.
Honestly, most fig growers I speak to do not care for them. There are exceptions like with Desert King, but the general consensus is they are vastly inferior to the main (with rare exceptions). If you are in a climate with cool summers like the Pacific Northwest, breba's tend to turn out better. However, in climates like mine with unstable springs and hot summers, brebas don't make much sense to grow. If you enjoy them, that's all that matters, though, so I encourage you to grow what you enjoy.
I received a fig tree (6 in) in the mail from my son for Mother's Day 3 yrs ago. After a year I transplanted it into a 24 in clay pot. It was growing well but never grew any taller than 3 ft. Moved to house south of Tampa, FL and planted it in ground in January 2021. It is healthy looking, lots of branches have come out of the root ball, but it is not getting any taller from the main branch. I plan to prune most all of the branches from the root ball. My QUESTION is WHEN should I do this? Thank you.
The best time to prune a fig tree is during its dormant period. Since you're in Tampa, the tree will never go fully dormant, so you should be pruning in mid-January. However, if your issue is that too many individual suckers are suckering from the root ball, they should be removed ASAP as they appear. Full pruning of the tree should be done in the winter (like for taking cuttings and re-shaping the tree for the next season), but maintenance pruning where you are removing unwanted growth should be done as it appears. Since you're in Tampa, there is a good chance your tree is growing in fairly nutrient-poor, sandy soil. Make sure you're amending with plenty of compost and mulch, and I recommend you check out my series on fertilizing figs here: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html I'm inferring from your comment that they may be underfed. Fig trees can easily grow 6-10 feet in a season, and they are voracious feeders. The only plant that I've ever seen that are heavier feeders than figs are bananas.
I made about 80 cuttings this winter from some fig trees that were destroyed just a few yards from my home above a railway line. I grouped many cuttings (5 to 20) together into one pot to save on space but I'm not sure when l should repot them on? When they have put on good growth in the summer or wait until next winter when the trees are dormant?
The challenge when doing this is when they root, the roots may intertwine and tangle within each other. Fig roots are extremely fragile immediately after rooting, so disturbing them as little as possible is pretty important. I think the best thing to pot them in are the 4"x9" tree pots from Greenhouse Megastore. It takes a lot of potting mix to do it, but I think it's worth it because they will allow the cuttings to get pretty large with a nice rootball before up-potting is required.
I live is south Louisiana. I rooted fig cutting 12 years ago and planted the rooted cuttings in my yard. They looked good for a couple of years but ever since they get killed back to the ground every winter. Now they seldom get more than 2' tall during the whole summer and fruit almost nil. They die back to the ground every year. Any idea what is going on? They are mulched and fertilized every year. Trying to root cutting now to try growing in containers because I have about given up on growing them in the ground
That's very strange. If you're in south Louisiana, you'd be in either Zone 8b or 9a/9b, correct? I'm surprised you're seeing dieback because mine generally don't get bit even here in Zone 8a. I can't explain why a fig is dying back in your mild winters. However, I may be able to explain why they aren't growing well. My guess is the tree has exhausted the minerals in soil over the years and isn't generating enough leaves every year to self-mulch and renew its energy. It sounds like to me you'd want to work at amending your soil. I would spread 5-6 bags of compost around the roots, mulch the entire area very heavily (3-4 inches thick) with a hardwood bark mulch, put down some drip irrigation and fertilize it with a 20-20-20 mixed with some fish emulsion and azomite. Also test your soil pH and make sure it's around a 6-6.5. Figs like a slightly acidic soil and still start declining if soil pH is above neutral. If your soil is alkaline, you may want to add some elemental sulfur prills to your soil. Check out my series on fertilizing. It may be what you need: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
Thanks for a great video. I have a fig tree in a container in Western PA. I place the tree outside and it fruits well. I placed it in my sun room and it continued to grow new leaves. It actually produced a couple of figs during the winter. Do you recommend that I prune it this spring before taking it outside for the summer? Thanks!
Yes, I do. A container can only support so much wood growth, so if you do not cut it back, it probably won't grow much new wood next season. Cutting it back annually is required to make enough new wood for a good harvest of figs because main crop figs only form on the new year's wood.
Hi, I'm with the guy who's afraid to prune a potted fig. I've had a fig in a pot for well over 10 years (given to me by my elderly neighbor who rooted it for me as a gift). It was the size of a pencil once and now is 6 feet or and very thin and very wide ie, goes out vs up although there are 1-2 very tall branches going up. Today we're having a major windstorm (Metro NY) and I have moved it back into the garage. As said, it has small leaves and some have or were about to be blown off. Can I still prune it back a bit? I think it's just too wide and too thin - branches curving around the bottom of the rim and just straight out from the sides. It's April 3 and now cold weather coming back too. Thanks ... ps it's a brown turkey fig i believe
My two baby fig trees rooted from previous winter are about 2 feet tall. It’s mid summer here. Don’t think I see any figs yet, the mother tree is having figs. Should I summer prune the two baby trees? 🤔
![How To Pruning Espalier Fig Trees First Year [COMPLETE GUIDE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/gvY8PCnWgjM/mqdefault.jpg)
![How To Pruning Espalier Fig Trees First Year [COMPLETE GUIDE]](/img/tr.png)
![Pruning Fig Trees Perfectly For Fig Cuttings [COMPLETE GUIDE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZlFPa6nOGRw/mqdefault.jpg)
If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share to help increase its reach! Thanks for watching 😊TIMESTAMPS for convenience:
0:00 Why You Shouldn't Fear Pruning Figs
1:40 The Best Reasons For Pruning Figs
2:57 Breba Figs Versus Main Crop Figs
4:06 3 Reasons Why We MUST Prune Fig Trees In Containers
6:54 How To Prune Fig Trees
8:45 Adventures With Dale
Fig trees are bullet proof.
They grow wild here in Sicily, Italy. I run between villages and I have been eating them off the tree during my training.
Totally agree. Our gardener mistakenly cut off our fig tree. He thought my dad asked him to do that for some reason. Just in same 4 to 6 months, it regrew many 5ft to 6ft branches via the remains of the tree stump. I am so relieved it made it!
Good information on growing figs. My neighbor has a 10 year old Kadota that he cuts back to a 3 foot stump every year that grows back to at least 20 ft by the end of the growing season. It’s amazingly prolific. I keep mine (in ground) to 5 feet or less.
Keeping the growth new keeps the vigor in the tree. That root mass can only support a tree of a certain size. If you let that tree grow on its own schedule, it'll eventually top out and production will be limited. If you keep cutting it back, it's going to send out a tremendous amount of new growth every season. For trees like figs where the fruit is confined to new growth, I think pruning is absolutely critical.
i know Im pretty off topic but does anybody know a good site to watch new movies online?
@Atlas Stanley Flixportal :)
@Adonis Trevor Thanks, I signed up and it seems like a nice service =) I appreciate it !!
@Atlas Stanley No problem xD
My potted fig tree is probably rootbound. Because of the shape of the pot. It has a lip that locked the roots inside from being lifted out. The figs use to be fairly decent but as the years have passed the figs have gotten very tiny and fragile, falling off when barely touched. I have it growing on our back patio which gets the morning sun, etc. It has never been pruned or if it was it was by my husband and it's been a while. I am afraid I may kill it. My Italian grandfather had 5 fig trees, a huge Bartlet pear tree, a small group of large purple grapes, a lot of vegetables and seasonings including mint and parsley, and a number of rose bushes. They were white, red, and yellow rose bushes for many years, and a cherry tree. He also had Rose of Sharon which is very hardy on the side of the house along with some of the rose bushes. I think he had a Bachelor Button bush out front and a Christmas tree he would put lights on at Christmas time and hedges bordering the front yard. Everything thrived in that little yard. He was big on making sure everything was fertilized with fresh manure and watered well. The yard was not very big but he had a great"green thumb". He passed away a while back so I have no one to ask what I am doing wrong or not doing at all. We have some clay in our soil which is not fun walking on. So my question is what fertilizer would we be using for a potted fig tree (Grandpop's fig trees were in the ground and he cut them way down to about a foot or so every fall in NJ. He also would wrap the fig tree with tar paper and pour a lot of fall leaves inside those wrapped and tied with some clothesline. How often should it be fertilizer in the 28412 area of Wilmington, NC?
Thank you so much for posting. All of your videos are very informative, probably the best on UA-cam dealing with growing figs.
Thank you! I really appreciate that. I'm glad you're enjoying the videos.
ross radi would be ticked, but i concur. this guy is on point
Dude Ive been following you since you started the channel. I just want to say you've come along way with your videos. I really enjoy your content and the specific issue you speak in detail many thanks from a small fig guy from North Jersey.
I really appreciate you watching for so long. More than you know! Thanks so much! I grew up in South Jersey.
@@TheMillennialGardener You probably get more fruit than me I'm in zone 6B I have to start my trees indoor end of Feb to get fruit by the end of the season.
@@TheMillennialGardener .what's your take on me staking down my tree about one Foot off the ground.It has 7 branches in a goblet EFFECT.I was thinking out of the Box.One branch is surrounded by the rest., I would leave that one standing Straight.
Now a year on, the channel is that much better!! Nice
Thank you Millennial Gardener for the shared the knowledge!
I do have 4 different varieties of fig and among them there is one miniature.
What ever figs my trees produce, they are first for feeding the birds (I live in a very dry place so food for birds and other animals is scarce) and whatever is left I harvest them.
I've found the lower the trees are to the ground, the less likely the birds are to land. Birds like being up high for their protection. Keeping your figs low to the ground forces them to lose their feeling of safety, so they're less likely to eat your fruits. Thanks for watching!
Very encouraging! Drastically pruned my two in ground figs this winter. Rooting some and excited to see new growth in the spring. Thanks for saying they are forgiving - hope so!
Figs are the most forgiving plant I've ever grown. They're excellent candidates to learn on. Thanks for watching!
Let me know what you think:
I'm keeping my cuttings in water covering at least two nodes (changing water 2 x a week). In a clear container at 67 - 70 degrees. They are sprouting and some are producing roots. I'm in zone 8 and hope to plant in containers and/or ground after no danger of frost. I do have a few in soil in a container - no space to do on a larger scale. Not sure how this will work, but would like your response.
@@janefoust2785 I have not personally had great results rooting dormant hardwood cuttings in water. However, if you are seeing roots form, I would stay the course. When you up-pot them, you must be VERY gentle because the roots are extremely fragile at that stage. I recommend up-potting them into small containers and letting them become rootbound enough that they'll form a tight root ball where the roots easily hold the soil together. After they form a nice, stable root ball in the soil, you may up-pot them into larger containers or in ground.
Awesome video! I have a 9-year-old English brown turkey in ground that is extremely cold hardy. Came from a 20+ year-old tree from a neighbor. We live in NJ, zone 6b. I don't wrap or cover the tree and leave all of the limbs over winter. Ice, snow, wind, everything. I prune in the early spring and propagate the branches. Typically the highest branches see some die-off but most root! I prune down to about 4 feet and it regrows to about 15 feet tall and 10 wide.
Does the main trunk tolerate the cold just fine? I'm curious how much wood survives the winter each season.
I know (now) exactly what happens to a fig tree in a pot that doesn’t get pruned. I planted it in a big clay pot, didn’t prune it at all. It grew huge roots that broke out of the pot, then fell over and broke. Now I’m growing 2 in-ground figs and pruning EVERY winter...thanks to your videos!!
I’m happy to hear the videos are helping! Figs absolutely must be pruned annually. I’m pretty heavy-handed with my pruning, too. They really enjoy a nice haircut. If you live in a place with a pretty long warm season, don’t be gentle. They can take it, and they love to grow new wood come spring.
Thank you!! I have 3 dwarf Negronne fig trees in ground in my backyard and was stressing about how to prune it but I'd rather just let it mature and choose its own path.
I pruned my fig trees for the first time because of your videos. I really like how clear and concise you are, I can tell you take a lot of care and time producing these. I live in California zone 9b and I’m just trying to get an idea of how many ounces of water I should water during the hot season. Until now I have watered every day until water drains through the holes. Could you give me a general idea of where to start? 8oz? 1 liter? 2 gallons? I’m in 10 gallon containers doing drip irrigation. Thanks 🤩
Thanks. I appreciate you noticing. There is a very long answer to your question because how much you need to water is based on your climate, humidity, average temperature, etc. Instead of trying to explain, I made a video last year for exactly this subject that should help you: ua-cam.com/video/bQMqpQHDbl4/v-deo.html
So glad I found this channel!! So much solid information explained with precision! Thank you for helping us new growers out!
I'm so happy to hear the content is helping you. Thanks for watching and supporting the channel!
I love that you say the date it’s very important to me , maybe you can say the year as well I make notes and it does help a lot , loved the picture of you and Stan McKenzie
Stan's the man! Can't wait to plant my new trees. The year is shown right under the video, so I only mention the date because sometimes the videos are filmed a couple weeks in advance. Thanks for watching!
I especially liked the dog clip at the end!
Gotta prune my figs though.
Dale is the best 🐕
Your explanation about fig tree is simple, yet easy to understand. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!
Great videos! Just got my first fig tree this year. Will keep following you.
I appreciate that. Thanks for watching!
Thanks buddy I’ll just started growing figs in pots I often talk to them people think I’m crazy 😜 but hey to love ❤️ figs is my life saver it relaxing 😌 to watch them grow after grafting other one on two other trees 🌲 later 😍😜😍🎀🌲🌲🌲
I was always told Rule of thumb, figs in containers should be trimmed back to twice the Hight of the root ball. an your best comment was they are hard to kill once established so do not be afraid to trim them back.
I've had really good luck keeping my fig trees pruned low. I cut them back really aggressively, and they perform magnificently. I have a fairly long, warm growing season though, so if you have a cooler, shorter growing season, you may want to prune them a little less aggressively. I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all pruning method. Basically, you need to take the general concepts I'm promoting and tailor it to your climate through trial and error, and you should be successful.
Thank you for telling me about not requiring pruning in ground. I want mine to grow to be a real tree, however at some point I would like to keep it at 15 feet in height. Right now the cutting I planted this year is 6 feet tall but has no side branches. It only has the one main line, and leaves. It does have 3 fruit in the middle.
People also prune to get more wider tree (more branches)
They are really nice espaliered on a wall like that fence behind him. But it can be on wired posts too, brick wall, etc. A friend did theirs to their brick garage.
Was it with figs? I've seen many people planting fig trees close to their homes and it makes me nervous because fig tree roots are so invasive. I would be concerned about structural damage. I moved mine away from the house for this reason.
5:15 not sure if the wind would really be a problem here, especially since I use 10-15 gal containers. Our strongest gust this season has been 38mph. Last season we did get a 62mph gust but that was on May 21 with the big Canadian derecho - only about a week after our average first frost. I didn't have any fig trees then yet, but they wouldn't necessarily have much leaves, definitely not much fruit, so early in the season.
Sticking to June onwards, the strongest gusts were
2023: 38mph
2022: 42mph
2021: 40mph
2020: 39mph
2019: 42mph
2018: 47mph
2017: 44mph
2016: 41mph
2015: 52mph
2014: 43mph
2013: 37mph
2012: 38mph
Although I live very close to the first F4 tornado in Canada, the likelihood of any given location being struck by one here is still quite low. We don't get much violent thunderstorms, even regular thunderstorms only happen a few times per summer. And hurricane remnants rarely get this far and are typically much weakened. The worst we had was Isabel on Sep 19 at 43mph (although it had more sustained winds compared to most of the thunderstorms and frontal systems that set the strongest winds of an average season).
The strongest winds we get are typically in the winter, when 50-60mph is not unusual. Then fall and spring are the next strongest. July to September is typically the calmest, June and October are just a bit more gusty, and then May can get quite gusty, especially early-mid May when trees don't have much/any leaves yet (native trees typically leaf out around May 15-25).
I got my fig tree in a 5 gallon bucket wicking tube you need to try it it grows so fast and is loaded with figs and super healthy it is a game changer I'm changing everything in to a wicking tub
Very helpful! I bought my first fig tree last year because I love figs and want an endless personal supply.
Me, too. I think I'll have 50+ trees this season once all my new varieties are ready for transplant. The only dangerous amount is none! 😀
Wow thankyou I needed this video I too am very nervous about pruning my fig tree I now know it's something I will need to do and will push thru the fear thankyou for another wonderful class you are the fig whisperer
Glad it was helpful! Thanks so much for watching!
My fig tree is like that too, but not in container. It is tall and skinny and after 3 years it branched on its own. incredible. Now the shape is not bad but I started notching! got it into a great shape!
In my experience, fig trees grow best as a single trunk. You'll get the best looking tree. Sometimes in the beginning, you can allow a few trunks to grow, but I recommend eventually selecting the strongest one and cutting off the rest.
Same as mine, the roots is filling the container. Thanks for the information. will do some prune soon for my figs tree.
Thanks for watching!
I enjoy your videos because I grow into containers. I love Dale.
You are thorough and easy to listen to. Keep making videos. You are fascinating! How do you move an in ground 12 ft fig that is growing next to the house? I live in central Virginia and worry about too much cold and then very dry periods….
Thank you! I don't know how you could possibly move a tree that large. I would think it would take heavy machinery to do that, unfortunately. Figs can be invasive, so I try to keep them away from my house for that reason. However, the roots are practically indestructible.
Up to recently I found your channel. Let me said that thanks to your videos I have learn so much about fig trees. I especially like how you explain everything in a well articulated way that is so easy to follow even for a person, like my self that it is a novice when it comes to figs. Thank you so much,, keep up the great work!!!
I'm glad you're finding the videos helpful. Thank you so much for watching them. I appreciate it!
Another reason to prune in ground trees is to keep them small enough to allow for covering in the fall. The covering is needed to prevent frost damage during the winter. It would be difficult to cover a large fig tree 20 ft tall.
We need to keep them short to cover from all the birds/bats.
I recommend a low espalier for growing figs in-ground in cooler climates. It's a great way to keep them artificially low and cover them over the winter. I have a tutorial on espalier here: ua-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/v-deo.html
I live in Northwest Florida where it is hot and humid nine months out of the year and I am learning to prune my inground fig trees for pest control. If I cannot manage my trees and pick the fruit exactly when it’s ripe then there are so many pests that move in on the entire tree and start living off of all of the fermenting fruit.
Yikes!
My fig tree is 30 ft tall. Bought this place (SC) 20 years ago and it is huge. Was thinking of how to prune it but now I don't need to.
I do recommend pruning an in-ground tree. When figs are unpruned, they tend to set too much fruit, which makes the fruits smaller and takes longer to ripen. Thinning leads to larger, earlier fruits. The high up fruits also tend to ripen better since they have the sun exposure and the birds get them. Thinning the tree for lower fruiting and more light penetration has advantages. However, if you like your tree as it is, it isn't mandatory. It's your call.
I love this Channel, I'm a newbie on gardening..I have learned so much.
I have a question. Why do you put yr dog in a kennel??? Shouldn't he be free to guard your home???
You have a great guard dog, but he can't do his job!!! Weird!!!
Your dog is so smart. Animals are so incredible.
He really is. He’s brilliant. And such a good boy.
We planted a fig in the ground about 8-9 years ago. It did nothing until last year. It was a few feet tall when we planted it. It’s now prob 25-30 ft tall. We got several gallons of figs all of sudden last year. Unfortunately, we didn’t know how big it would get and we planted it in a corner enclosed by a fence and a huge Holly tree. Have to use the extension grabber to pick many of the figs. But they were so sweet. I keep freezing them right off the tree then in the winter I made fig/strawberry/jalapeño jam. Fingers crossed I get figs again this year. We’ve never pruned it.
That's interesting. Usually figs try to bear as early as the first year. Is it in a shady location? Figs need TONS of sun, so it may have had to have gotten tall enough to get above other trees to reach the sun to produce. They need to roast in the sun 10-12 hours a day. If you give them 10-12 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight a day and lots of compost, they go bananas.
Very informative n hello from Ireland! I’d be concerned that over time growing any food plants in plastic containers is a health risk as all plastic will breakdown over time with water, fertilizer n weathering acting upon the surface of plastic. I’d opt more for other containers
I would love a video on how to train the cuttings in their first year. How do you decide which branches to remove and which to grow tall? When I have purchased fig trees from growers, I received a 36” whip. Upon receipt, I cut approximately 12” from the top and start two more trees. I would like to know how the grower trained their trees into a 36” whip. Some cuttings immediately shape themselves into an ideal open vase but 4” from the soil level. That’s a bit low, right? These are questions I think many folks have about the initial shaping, that first year of the life of a cutting. Thank you so much for your videos and your storefront - you make it easy 😊
When I first got my whip(s) from the grower I thought the trees had been grafter because at the base there is a short fat section and the main trunk comes off of it from a slight angle. I believe it was grown from a cutting and a low branch became the trunk, right? Surely this would make an informative video for all of the fig growers. There are SO MANY videos on how to propagate fig cuttings (and yours in when to start feeding) but none in training. Pleeeeeze 😊
Adventures with Dale is great ❤️
I think the issue is everyone has a different idea on what they want a fig to look like. Some prefer a bush form. Some want a single trunked tree grown into a large shade tree. Some want a single trunked tree kept low. Others want 2-3 trunks to give it a more twisted look. Me, personally, I'm going the espalier route. I have, probably, the most in-depth espalier training videos on the internet. At least on UA-cam, definitely. You can see them here:
ua-cam.com/video/9HhiABxJ298/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/gvY8PCnWgjM/v-deo.html
There is no better way to train your tree than along a wire, in my opinion.
Update....i pruned all my figs to 16 inches(like you suggested)....90% a single stem......i have about 25 trees in 30 litre pots....every single one of them has sprouted now with spring and some i can see change over night.....i gave them slow release organic mid winter and in august we had lots of rain to wash it all in.......they all look so healthy right now...highest temp is 22C........with ref the inground.....totally agree...except every 6 years....get a spade and go straight down in a 8 ft circle......that root prunes and induces heavy cropping the following season.....do try it !
That’s great to hear? Where are you located? If it is spring, I am guessing Australia, South Africa or New Zealand!
@@TheMillennialGardener perth western australia.....they are all going nuts and growing little figlets......i have one fig tree that is growing big but it didnt fruit last year and its not growing any fruit now either..i am beginning to wonder if it ever will......can a fig not fruit at all?
@@jonathancox9501 beautiful climate for figs. One of the best places in the world for fig growing. All figs, whether male or female, smyrna or common, will try and fruit. If your fig is not fruiting, it is either:
1. Too young.
2. Not getting enough sun.
3. Not getting enough fertilizer.
4. Bad soil.
5. Some combination of those things.
What I would do is this: make sure your fig is in a very sunny spot. Now, find yourself a fertilizer as high in phosphorous as possible (the middle number in N-P-K) that is organic and contains bone meal as an ingredient. I know Australia restricts phosphorous, but do the best you can to find something like a 3-3-3. Also, get yourself a synthesized, readily available balanced fertilizer, too.
Give it a nice feeding of the slow release organic and the soluble synthesized fertilizer to boost the nutrients. Then, pinch off all the growth tips as shown here: ua-cam.com/video/xjLeIr5Wo4Q/v-deo.html
Giving it a nutrient boost, plenty of sun and pinching off all the growth tips SHOULD force some fruiting at some nodes. Some varieties are stubborn to fruit when young, like Raspberry Latte and Coll de Dama diCiutat.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks Buddy......its had all of those....i tip each branch when it has 5 or 6 nodes.....its getting hours of sun......i have just mulched heavily because we are getting 30 + now .....the only thing is we have nothing with high phosphorous ...i use an organic slow release that is 3 -2 -3 i think......its pretty big in a 50 litre pot but there is no sign of a single fig on it......90 % of my other ones have figs on em......its a strange one....will keep you posted....the guy i bought it off last year said it had not fruited at all.....and it was pretty big then too......thanks for your input....its in really good potting mix.
Thank you.mine keeps getting so big.my dad grew it from a seed.
Thank you! You gave the explanation for pruning that I needed.
A lot of information very clearly presented...thank you and bless you as well...keep up the good work...
Thanks for watching!
Great video! My other fig friends busted my stones for my heavy pruning this year. Hopefully I’ll be able to show off my fig production next year.
As long as you get some good heat in your summers, you should be fine. I find my figs respond well to hard pruning. I live in the Southeast where summers have merciless heat, though. I'm not sure how they'll perform in short summer areas of the Northeast with aggressive pruning. No matter what, figs in containers should be pruned. The question is, "How much?" That's where the individual must use trial-and-error.
10 years ago we moved to a house with a fig tree in-ground, the problem is no one eats figs and none of the children that have come (4 in total) like figs either. I just prune it to stop any big branches rubbing against the house or growing too far over the roof. Since we don't want the fruit I have just let it grow massive. During our hot Aussie summers, it makes an amazing damp cool microclimate under it. Great sitting there after doing stuff in the backyard lol
Although might bring it down a little, found out the crab apple isn't a crab apple at all its a granny smith and its been shaded out.
DON’T LIKE FIGS? 😱 I wish I were your neighbor! I’d be over with a giant bucket! Seriously though, if you don’t like figs, look into a recipe for fig jam. You and the kids would probably love that. There are lots of folks that don’t like specific fruits but love them in “jam form.” You may also like them dehydrated as the flavor profile changes dramatically.
@@TheMillennialGardener I tried them in different ways, not a fan, a neighbour gets all of ours, while they give me lemons and oranges as a swap (I will eat a lemon, like an orange lol). It stays simply because it makes an amazing tree in the garden.
I live in CT, zone 5, planted a fig int the ground, don’t know what type it dies back inthe winter and has come back as a big bush, but it has never had any fruit , it’s about 5 years old
Thanks for the video my friend. Dale is the man !!He is looking great !
Thanks for watching! Dale is loving life. I've never seen someone so happy and content. He's an inspiring story. He was dumped on the side of the road, picked up by the county kill shelter, placed on death row, rescued by an animal rescue and spent 5 months there and nobody wanted him. Everything went perfectly in the long run because he's the best thing that ever happened to us.
@@TheMillennialGardener So very glad to hear that for both you and Dale. Funny how karma works. Good things to go people!!
You explain things so clearly. Thanks. I just pruned my 7 mo old fig tree. I live in NY. I brought it indoors in November. I thought it wad dead. A month ago it started sprouting leaves and branches! It's suppose to be dormant. Lol. Anyway it got so tall it was hitting the ceiling then it directed itself to turn right. Lol. I figured I better prune it. I watched your videos and 2 days ago I gave it a shot. I pruned quite a lot. I'll see how it goes. I want to transplant it to a larger and more attractive pot. Are clay pots good for fig trees? Thanks much.
Fig trees have a significant dormancy period. Trying to overwinter it indoors at room temperature is problematic because they leaf out too early. It's best to store them around 40 degrees because that keeps them under refrigeration and keeps them pretty sleepy until the right time. I've heard mixed reviews on clay pots. Figs like warm temperatures, so I actually like dark pots for figs, believe it or not. Terracotta pots tend to cool the roots down and might slow the growth. I just purchased ten 15 gallon black heavy duty nursery containers for my figs. They're not the most attractive thing, but they work so well. If you want something better looking, maybe look into one of those dark resin barrels that mirror an oak, wine or whiskey barrel? They may heat up more.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thank you so much for answering my questions! I will take all your advice. Thanks much.
Godfrey's Nursery near Salem, Oregon, has such a 20x20 fig tree and it's amazing.
I wonder if it's a Desert King? They're pretty popular on the PNW and are grown for their breba's. I'd be curious to know the variety.
@@TheMillennialGardener I just talked to the owner. They don't know the variety, but it's been there a hundred years.
I’m learning a lot about growing figs from you! Thank you. I’m in hot and dry AZ and Bermuda grass is a problem that’s hard to to fix. I’m interested in the black tarp on your ground to cover or prevent Bermuda grass in my pathways or out of garden raised beds.
I'm glad the videos are helpful. I have a tutorial on weed barrier here: ua-cam.com/video/XT1reOI1-5E/v-deo.html
I LOVE IT. It has made my life 1,000 times easier.
I'm in Phoenix too, this week will be brutal 😫
Aaahhhhh! Okay, I’ll prune my tree this year 🥺! I’m gonna be a wreck doing this haha. Thanks for the video.
Figs are easy to prune. If you make a mistake, they will grow back quickly.
smart. subscribed. just got a 4' chicago hardy (on order from FGT) and i am going to separate a large container brown fig soon, grow out one side and bonsai/cuttings the other. from RI here
Thanks for the sub! Best of luck and thank you for watching!
How shall I overwinter my cuttings ? Best advice can you do a video ? How does my green growth turn to hardwood before dormancy
Do you mean cuttings you take, or the trees? I usually begin rooting cuttings in January (sometimes earlier, sometimes later), and I begin rooting when cuttings are as fresh as possible. However, you can store them in a ziploc bag in your refrigerator crisper for a few months as long as you wash them off well and let them dry before storage. The fresher the cutting, the better chance they'll root, though. Green growth with lignify after around 3 months or so as the tree puts on caliper.
Straight to the point! 🎉wonderful video keep up the good work
Great video so informative, I'm only halfway through it and had to leave this comment-now back to watching the rest!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for watching!
I work for a friend whose neighbors back yd has a fig tree.Has to be 30' tall and massively wide.i noticed one or two Figlets a month ago.havent been back to her house to check in on the status.
It's pretty late for figlets at this stage. The season should be ending in the Northern Hemisphere. Fig trees can get huge if you don't prune them!
Great video! I always enjoy waching them.
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for your clear explanation on pruning the fig tree it confirms what I am doing is correct
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Yikes! It's the middle of April in New England, Zone 6B. Is it too late to prune my fig? I was getting ready to fertilize it for the first time, but maybe I need to prune first. Help!! The tree is about 6 years old and we have pruned in the past, but not consistently. We are determined to get fruit this year!!
Well those same reasons for pruning the fig trees in containers seem to also fit for in ground fig trees, no? Especially when no figs grown from old wood. Did I get it right?
I bought a long stick for a fig tree. I think it needs pruning but feeling confused.
I'd like to know ... specifically ... what happens if my espalier fig tree hasn't been pruned for years? Can I prune it now and how do I do that? (Love your videos so far - very in depth scientifically based).
Espalier needs to be pruned annually to maintain the form. Otherwise, it's going to grow into a big thicket. I have an entire series on espalier here: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFlbg2ri_7gCJPhXaZ_nOvy.html
Thank you; your previous instructional videos (as this one) is informative, comprehensive and dispels the fears of pruning our fig trees. Nature is amazing; the more you prune, the more you get. I saw the espalier work you have done in previous videos, but am curious why you love it so much? It looks fantastic, but as I have never done it before, it appears it would limit the amount of figs produced.
Thank you. Glad you found this video helpful. Figs are EXTREMELY resilient. It's pretty safe to say my figs will be growing and producing long after I leave this Earth as long as nobody removes the trees. As for the espalier, you are correct that it will limit the amount of figs produced on a "per-tree basis." If all you want is to grow one or two fig trees, have nice, big shade trees and "set-it-and-forget-it," espalier isn't a good idea for production. I have only a simple quarter acre residential plot, and I intend to grow 18-24 fig trees in ground, all of different varieties. Espalier allows me to grow extremely high density so I can grow a ton of figs in a very small space. While each individual tree will be limited by espalier, when you talk about fruit production per square foot, it's out of this world outstanding. It's also beautiful to look at. I want an extremely wide variety of figs, and if I were to just plant fig trees in my yard, a dozen fig trees would take up my entire property with no room for anything else. Doing it this way, I'll be able to grow 2 dozen varieties, plus tons of other things. I am going to have a food forest, but confined as an "edible landscaping" arrangement so I still have plenty of open lawn for my dog to run around.
@@TheMillennialGardener jeez, thank you!! I am so glad I asked you the question. I did not in anyway understand the per square foot production and varietal aspect. That is awesome. You have a wonderful set up both along the fence line and and the garden beds. As I go outside daily to look at my two layer hoop hinge houses (thanks to you and James P), I cannot up but smile when I see how incredibly well everything is doing inside them (and on the outside, there is snow all around). The Christmas lights keeps my garden enjoyable during the cold winter months. Have a great dale. By the way, the Dale specials at the end are a treat and enjoyable.
@@pd6569 That is great to hear about your hoop house. I just rooted through mine today to get some cilantro and I noticed my cherry tomatoes formed their first fruits. I'm on course for March tomatoes. It was a great investment and I hope to add a couple more this summer.
@@TheMillennialGardener tomatoes in March! Madness! All kidding aside, I have been so impressed with the healthiness of the various plants I have in the hoop houses that I just added a third one (though not technically on hinges yet). Based on your continued success, it doesn’t seem far fetched that you will enjoy those March tomatoes and be the envy and motivation for many to follow suit. I just started about 100 tomatoes seeds from about 10 different types so I am behind the 8 ball. Be safe and well.
Thanks SO much for providing the info! Love your setup! 💚🌱🙏🏻
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.
I have a "little miss figgy" fig tree that the nursery grew to be super vertical. It's probably 6 ft high with only the top foot that has branches. Can I chop it in half to be three feet tall with no branches coming out, so it just looks like a stick sticking out of the pot and it be ok?
So, no need to prune in ground figs! Thank You! I keep them first Year in a pot and after, I put them in ground. Question: when best to move them in ground?
There is no fundamental need to prune a fig in-ground for the health of the plant. With fig trees in containers, if you don't prune the branches and the roots, it'll eventually choke itself out and go into decline. Now, I do strongly recommend pruning figs in-ground for convenience and fruiting. Cutting the tree back every year will produce more new wood, and main crop figs only grow on the new year's wood. In addition, fig trees can get huge, so I enjoy keeping them smaller and keeping the fruit lower to the ground. But that's entirely your call. If you want a large shade tree in your yard, and you don't mind getting on a ladder to harvest your figs, you don't need to prune the tree.
I plant my figs in the ground immediately after last chance of frost. You want to get them in ASAP in the spring once the frosts and freezes stop to give them all season to establish before the fall freezes set in.
Great information on fig trees in the ground. We pruned our fig tree last fall and now we only have shoots at the bottom. What do we do with all the stalks that have not done anything? We live in WV in the panhandle of VA.
We live in zone 9B central Florida and bought 15 Olympian Figs for 5.00 each..(really good deal)..Most were 1ft tall with 2 branches. Some with figs already on them. My question is..Should fig leaves be trimmed off.. into more of a canopy when they get around 4-5 ft tall??..I have watched videos where some fig tree branches are just trimmed bare except for the top. Any benefit of this type of trimming?…Thank you very much. Your videos on the reason behind Pruning tree branches equal and growth hormone was very educational 🦋
Wonderful video thank you for sharing so much information about growing fig trees. I live in tropical conditions...we have heavy monsoon rains and very mild winter s. When is the best time to prune my fig tree.
The best time to prune your fig tree is in the exact midpoint of your "winter." If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, that would be mid-January. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it's mid-July.
Thank you so much for posting. I learn something new with all your videos. May I ask when you'll start adding fertilizer to all your trees please and thank you 🙂
Thank you. I actually developed an entire series to answer exactly these questions. I documented my entire routine that’s tailored for each season. It will vary based on climate. I hope this helps: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
@@TheMillennialGardener thank you so much. I appreciate your response! I'm in zone 7b, I just wasn't sure when I should start. I'm thinking once the weather stays above 50°, would that be about right?
@@donnaz1961 I start based on my last frost date. Once the trees won't see any more frost or freeze damage, it's time to begin. If you're willing to pull your trees inside during the night and back outside during the day (the "fig shuffle"), you can begin earlier.
@@TheMillennialGardener okay gotcha, thank you once again ✌️
Great video! This made what others have presented as incomprehensible easily understood.
One question. All my container growing is with Bonsai trees. With those, they get a root pruning every few years. Do you ever root-prune your container figs?
I have figs now for over ten years. I do not prune but have a ton of new growth every year at the bottle. They are not in containers. I get very limited figs. Should or could I dig one up and divide it and put in a few containers? Im doing a a lot of container plants and want to start getting some figs. Thanks for the help.
I prune my in ground fig trees to increase products,trim one branch and its grows into three branches there fore more production.
Figs grow on the new season's wood, so more branches mean more fruits. Of course, as long as your season is long enough to ripen them all! Thanks for watching!
I just got a small (5” tall ) Chicago Hardy fig. When is came it had some small brown spots on the leaves..when I got ready to plant it 2 days later I found the medium it was packed in was totally dry. It lost a couple of leaves too, I don’t know if it’s disease or just too dry, so being worried about it I decided to put it in a flower pot …..I think I’d like to put it in a bucket to over winter it in the house, & plant in the spring. What do you use in your buckets? I’d think a combo of native soil, compost, & I don’t know, maybe a little potting soil & mulch??? We have clay soil here, colder winters, Zone 5 b, Would you mind giving some pointers on this? I have watched quite a few of your videos, thanks so much for them, but haven’t seen any info on this problem. I may have missed it, but I hope you can help us. Thanks so much for this in advance.. I really appreciate your informative videos….thanks, Lela
Wow! Just the information I need! Thank you!🙂
Thanks for watching!
Your videos are wonderful. Am looking for info on caring for figs in container in winter months....and freezing temperatures.
Can they be moved indoors or a garage?
Yes. Figs can stand temperatures to about 20F or so when fully dormant, but if you see temps lower than that, storing them indoors is not a bad ideal. Ideally, your garage will be just a bit above freezing. I think 40F is ideal. It keeps them nice and dormant. They can tolerate occasionally falling a little below freezing, but ideally you’ll stay above. Don’t let them get warm. If it gets into the 50’s, they may break dormancy.
Strange...
Most other videos for in ground fig trees indicate pruning is necessary to be able to harvest more and larger fruit before frost ends the growing season.
Great Video, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I always learn so much. Thank you!
Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.
How do I take cutting from my fig tree in the ground? I want to do cuttings to plant in containers, my daughter got a new dog and he is digging in the roots I’m afraid I will lose my tree, thank you for help.
Very informative and terrific presentation. Well done..
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching!
Love your videos! I’ve inherited a large fig bush when we bought a house last year, and have yet to see any fruit. Can’t wait to prune it down and experiment. Would you recommend having the tree in “tree” form for NJ? Or growing in containers? The bush just takes up so much space.
Would love to see a follow up video on root pruning. I assume you may need to do that with this GN?
I will be up-potting and root pruning in 30-40 days. It's still too cold here to head my trees, up-pot them and move them into the center of the yard. However, it will be coming within the next 6 weeks.
Excellent video, very comprehensive, thank you 🙏
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Most of my fig trees(in pots) are single stem.....so i am planning to tip them before winter and leave them around 6ft tall....all 12 of them....i have a few that are double main branch and one classic Y shape that has three limbs and i just cut those main limbs down a bit.....I tend to use the branches on the trunk to propagate new trees.....or do you like to cut further down the main stem as a prune ?......Your thoughts please?
When is it too late to prune potted fig trees in Coastal Carolina? Is late February/early March too late?
I live in Oregon and I have trees that are five or six feet tall in pots. I'm afraid to cut them back because they would take too long to grow back and I wouldn't get very much fruit if any, because all the Vigor would be in growing. But I'm not getting that much fruit anyway, I think part of my problem is they're too crowded and not getting enough Sun I'm concerned about root pruning if I do that and they're already big and there's not enough roots to support the big tree will it be detrimental to it, instead of helping? Also, if I want to keep my tree small what time of the year is best to inhibit excess growth? Thanks
Another good video, I am curious what your take is on minimizing the root ball during the dormant season for trees that are completely root bound in their containers. I have watched several videos on it and there really is very minimal consequence, as you said, Fig trees are forgiving. Though they may suffer slow above ground growth in the following season?
I will be root pruning a bunch of my trees in March because they've exceeded my container and are choked. They will need to be root pruned and pruned back heavily, then re-potted with some fresh mix. From what I've seen, figs should be root pruned every other year unless you're going them in something large like a half whiskey barrel. Maybe then you can go every 3 years. If you're growing them in 5 gallon nursery pots or something small, you may need to prune annually! I think the "ideal" size for fig trees is a 10-15 gallon nursery pot with every-other-year root pruning.
@@TheMillennialGardener Agreed, I did mine this past week, Besides...a few of them have been split into 2 because of the amount of growth. My Desert King is going into the ground so I am waiting to trim its roots until our freezes are done, or at least close. On another note, Out of the 3 cuttings I got from you I was successful with at least 1 so far, the other 2 I'm waiting them out. Thank you for your input on the root pruning, possible video? lol
@@ktrain4996 where is your location again? I'm curious why you're choosing Desert King since they're typically grown for breba crop. If you're in a place with short summers, I understand and that makes sense. It's also good to hear about your cuttings. I've had cuttings take as long as 2 months to root, so patience is key. I will definitely make a video on root pruning in 4-6 weeks.
@@TheMillennialGardener I am in Cedartown Georgia, I chose to try a Desert King because of its cold hardiness. And people say the Breba is very good and a pretty good size as well. I have a couple not so cold hardy varieties that will have to remain in pots unless I go extensive on protecting them in winter. So what ever I put in the ground must be able to tolerate the cold we get here. And if by chance it does not work out.....I will change to something else. Have you tried the DK in the past?
@@ktrain4996 I have not tried desert king. Because the main crop won’t pollinate without the wasp, I haven’t looked into it. I’m curious how that’ll perform in the southeast. Generally, it is for PNW growers because they get dry summers like folks in CA but without the heat units. I wouldn’t grow a fig for breba because I have tons of heat units in my climate.
very informative! liked and subscribed. great videos! thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the sub! I appreciate it.
I pruned my in ground fig tree to three main branches and now I have massive new growth for below the ground level. What do I do with it now?
I've had a fig tree in a container against a south west facing wall for 2 years and it's hardly produced an inch of growth let alone any figs 😢
Hi!
Really interesting actually. I was also scared to prune mine, but will definitely do. Now I have 3 main branches. One of them I want to do air layering so i get a new fig tree from same fruit which tastes a lot of sweet. The other 2 branches I want to maximize their length to get about 1m tall. What do you recommend me doing now? I don't want to cut their length now, I want the 2 branches to grow about to 1m then I prune them as you show. But they have grow 5-10cm this year. What did I miss out? Too many fruits? Small pot? Thankful if you help me out :D
What if you have a fig tree in a 25 gallon bucket? Should they still be pruned?
Think you can do a video about fertilizing for growth past the cutting stage? for example once you up pot it to a one gallon pot. I’m trying to get cuttings a big as possible this first year but I don’t know how much fertilizer they can take without burning
Last year, I put together a very detailed series on fertilizing that changes with the changing of seasons. This playlist should answer all of your questions: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
My friend, you said that brevas are considered inferior to the regular figs, or second crop...by who's standards?
I don't agree with that. Brevas are so delicious, juicy, bigger and with way less sugar content than a regular fig. I love both figs, but the first crop, the breva, is just outstanding and fig connoisseurs all over look forward to get a hold on that amazing fruit.
So please, be kind to brevas. Good work with your channel though and thanks for sharing.
Honestly, most fig growers I speak to do not care for them. There are exceptions like with Desert King, but the general consensus is they are vastly inferior to the main (with rare exceptions). If you are in a climate with cool summers like the Pacific Northwest, breba's tend to turn out better. However, in climates like mine with unstable springs and hot summers, brebas don't make much sense to grow. If you enjoy them, that's all that matters, though, so I encourage you to grow what you enjoy.
@@TheMillennialGardener Thanks for the reply. Brevas to you too.
I received a fig tree (6 in) in the mail from my son for Mother's Day 3 yrs ago. After a year I transplanted it into a 24 in clay pot. It was growing well but never grew any taller than 3 ft. Moved to house south of Tampa, FL and planted it in ground in January 2021. It is healthy looking, lots of branches have come out of the root ball, but it is not getting any taller from the main branch. I plan to prune most all of the branches from the root ball. My QUESTION is WHEN should I do this? Thank you.
The best time to prune a fig tree is during its dormant period. Since you're in Tampa, the tree will never go fully dormant, so you should be pruning in mid-January. However, if your issue is that too many individual suckers are suckering from the root ball, they should be removed ASAP as they appear. Full pruning of the tree should be done in the winter (like for taking cuttings and re-shaping the tree for the next season), but maintenance pruning where you are removing unwanted growth should be done as it appears.
Since you're in Tampa, there is a good chance your tree is growing in fairly nutrient-poor, sandy soil. Make sure you're amending with plenty of compost and mulch, and I recommend you check out my series on fertilizing figs here: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
I'm inferring from your comment that they may be underfed. Fig trees can easily grow 6-10 feet in a season, and they are voracious feeders. The only plant that I've ever seen that are heavier feeders than figs are bananas.
I made about 80 cuttings this winter from some fig trees that were destroyed just a few yards from my home above a railway line. I grouped many cuttings (5 to 20) together into one pot to save on space but I'm not sure when l should repot them on? When they have put on good growth in the summer or wait until next winter when the trees are dormant?
The challenge when doing this is when they root, the roots may intertwine and tangle within each other. Fig roots are extremely fragile immediately after rooting, so disturbing them as little as possible is pretty important. I think the best thing to pot them in are the 4"x9" tree pots from Greenhouse Megastore. It takes a lot of potting mix to do it, but I think it's worth it because they will allow the cuttings to get pretty large with a nice rootball before up-potting is required.
I live is south Louisiana. I rooted fig cutting 12 years ago and planted the rooted cuttings in my yard. They looked good for a couple of years but ever since they get killed back to the ground every winter. Now they seldom get more than 2' tall during the whole summer and fruit almost nil. They die back to the ground every year. Any idea what is going on? They are mulched and fertilized every year. Trying to root cutting now to try growing in containers because I have about given up on growing them in the ground
That's very strange. If you're in south Louisiana, you'd be in either Zone 8b or 9a/9b, correct? I'm surprised you're seeing dieback because mine generally don't get bit even here in Zone 8a. I can't explain why a fig is dying back in your mild winters. However, I may be able to explain why they aren't growing well. My guess is the tree has exhausted the minerals in soil over the years and isn't generating enough leaves every year to self-mulch and renew its energy. It sounds like to me you'd want to work at amending your soil. I would spread 5-6 bags of compost around the roots, mulch the entire area very heavily (3-4 inches thick) with a hardwood bark mulch, put down some drip irrigation and fertilize it with a 20-20-20 mixed with some fish emulsion and azomite. Also test your soil pH and make sure it's around a 6-6.5. Figs like a slightly acidic soil and still start declining if soil pH is above neutral. If your soil is alkaline, you may want to add some elemental sulfur prills to your soil. Check out my series on fertilizing. It may be what you need: ua-cam.com/play/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j.html
@@TheMillennialGardener ::: Good answer, and I don’t even grow fig trees, just looking for a friend!
How do your container fig trees manage figs all along the main stem if figs grow only on new growth...
Thanks for a great video.
I have a fig tree in a container in Western PA. I place the tree outside and it fruits well. I placed it in my sun room and it continued to grow new leaves. It actually produced a couple of figs during the winter.
Do you recommend that I prune it this spring before taking it outside for the summer?
Thanks!
Yes, I do. A container can only support so much wood growth, so if you do not cut it back, it probably won't grow much new wood next season. Cutting it back annually is required to make enough new wood for a good harvest of figs because main crop figs only form on the new year's wood.
Hi, I'm with the guy who's afraid to prune a potted fig. I've had a fig in a pot for well over 10 years (given to me by my elderly neighbor who rooted it for me as a gift). It was the size of a pencil once and now is 6 feet or and very thin and very wide ie, goes out vs up although there are 1-2 very tall branches going up. Today we're having a major windstorm (Metro NY) and I have moved it back into the garage. As said, it has small leaves and some have or were about to be blown off. Can I still prune it back a bit? I think it's just too wide and too thin - branches curving around the bottom of the rim and just straight out from the sides. It's April 3 and now cold weather coming back too. Thanks ... ps it's a brown turkey fig i believe
My two baby fig trees rooted from previous winter are about 2 feet tall. It’s mid summer here. Don’t think I see any figs yet, the mother tree is having figs. Should I summer prune the two baby trees? 🤔