So interesting yieldwise would be to put the same varieties next to its same but the training difference, each with a natural branching and trained branching next to each to compare.
Mr. TNG, Would you recommend doing this technique to figs grown in Florida?. We don't really have a Dormancy period here. Am new to this so advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you! I just started growing fig trees last year (2 in pots, 2 in ground). This was a wonderfuly explained video....I'm going to train my fig-babies before it's too late! lol
I inherited two fig trees never prune trained and I still just learned this pruning method. I get tons of fruit but varied sizes. I cut my trees way down and it still has fruit.
Just wanted to say "Thank You". This is a delightfully clear and straightforward plan for the first few years of fig growth. Very sensible video that 'clicked' for me. At year 4-5 I'm going to incorporate Bob Duncan's maximizing breba (northern latitudes) pruning guide. Thanks for the excellent foundation sir.
@@thenotoriousfig "How to prune figs in a cool climate for first (breba) crop fig production" by "Fruit Trees and More" (Bob Duncan in British Columbia, Canada). I think your pruning guide sets up for a robust young tree and merges wonderfully into his breba maximization guide. I know nothing of caprifigs, hopefully its helpful.
Really informative and thorough description of the how and why of maximizing our cuttings. Thanks for distilling the knowledge on this! Any chance you’d do a similar one on pruning/prepping for planting in-ground?
Hi Josh, I have about 20 in ground that were planted last year. I'll be discussing those throughout the season. I'll do some research and try to share what I find. For now, plant after last frost and let 'er rip!
@@thenotoriousfig Thanks for the reply! I have a few established trees from the nursery that I put in ground last year. My plan is to pot up some of this year’s cuttings into 10 gallon root-maker pots and then place them in-ground later in the year. I’m in 10B, so long-season with little chance of frost.
Thanks for this video, such a clean explanation =] And very nicely timed for me, since i can still apply this methode next spring on most of my young fig plants and cuttings that ill start this winter.
I ordered from online seller of 2-year old cuttings of the red fig variety. I got 2 in a pot already rooted. In half a month-time it sprouted with many leaves. They are placed on my house's rooftop thus they could have loved the very sunny condition, they are fast growing and now waiting for rainy part of late May in order to transfer into a bigger container which is already prepared for such. Stumbling upon your video shall give me a ready reference if by God-willing they shall attain that big sized-fig of yours. A long way to go huh? In the 4th year of this dearest fig of mine that I reap the fruit. I don't mind, I so believe that figs are the "fruits of God." May my great grandchildren enjoy it. Thanks for sharing❤
I'm just getting into figs and REALLY am learning so much from you. Thanks. Will single leader method work if the tree is planted in the ground? I know winter protection will be an issue for me (7ab). Ive had 2 figs in the ground (bought at nursery Latterrula & Olympian) for 4 years and minimal success getting fruits to mature but then each of the plants have about 5 trunks that normally die back each winter. I'm thinking about cutting all but 1 trunk back this fall and wrapping it with leaves. Next, I am going to see what you do to put your plants to sleep for the winter. :) So I am prepared for next season - I am going to get a bunch of cuttings this month and start my journey.
Mr. Notorious, as always another great video. You are truly a mentor for all of us!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. You sure have helped me a lot.
So I saw this video months after I got my toddler trees in April. Can I still train it to be a single leader tree & f so will the trunk be thick still? Thank you! Love watching your videos. 🙏
A similar, but slightly different method, is to train a central leader (or two) very close to the ground. From that you control the new growth every year. It is similar to growing grapes and very productive.
I've seen a LOT of fig pruning videos and yours was the best explained. It's like giving instructions on how to cook a recipe to someone who doesn't know how to cook. You need to explain every aspect thoroughly. You've done that. Kudos. I wish other people could master that skill! I do have a question though. First time growing fig trees. I grew fig cuttings in spring from twigs. NONE of the cuttings grew vertically with an apical bud. Instead, they all grew horizontal branching from the original cutting size. I've been in the process of growing one of the branches (the longest) vertically to establish that as the main trunk for next year. But I never got rid of the other branch. It's now almost the end of July. What should I do? Growing zone 7B. At what point should I snip the other branch because it sounds like I should have done that originally but at this point I'm unsure.
Great info! I got my first fig a few months ago and have been doing this single leader method. If you cut it down to 30 inches in the fall, what do you do with the part you cut off? Is it possible to root it (or at least not die before spring) while dormant, or would it have to be brought into the house with heat and light all winter?
Lots of great info. I have multiple potted figs that all look like the shrubs behind you in the video. Many trunks growing in many directions. They fruit very sporadically. Should I trim them back to the one strongest trunk or just start new trees from cuttings?
Loved watching your video on training your fig tree. I live in Southeastern Washington zone 6 and I planted a Chicago hardy fig about 3 years ago out in my garden. Unfortunately I didn't know about your pruning methods then and it has been branching from the ground up every year with multiple branches.... Possibly around 20 😳. My question is is it too late to begin pruning it this way if I cut it all the way down to the ground and let one come up or should I root some cuttings and just start all over again? I also was wondering if this worked for an in-ground fig or does it only work if you're growing it in a pot? Part of the reason I wanted to give this a try is because my fig gets lots of fruit but our season is too short and not very many have time to ripen. Thanks so much and happy fig growing 😊
Hi there from the UK! Many thanks for the excellent and informative videos, that I wished I had come across before taking and planting my fig cuttings! I have several rooted Brown Turkey cuttings that I have potted up individually. Each cutting is now a single stem and approximately 10 inches long. One cutting is not as straight as I would like unfortunately, but I will take a better cutting next time. Having watched your entire video here, am I correct in assuming that the eventual height of the tree will be no more than 30 inches, so we are in effect just creating a very productive tree in miniature form? I was just confused when you mentioned you had trees of more than 10 feet or so… It would be great to see a video/picture of your figs this training/growing process. Many thanks again for all the great advice. Best wishes Tim
Hi Tim! So it's in stages. First year I try to grow single stem as tall as possible. That makes for the thickest trunk. Pot size also helps increase the thickness. Then chop in December or whenever 100% dormant. Even January to be safe. That first cut is 30". Then when you are about 3 weeks away from the trees waking up and there's no chance of severe freezes (10F/-12C) etc., then you can cut again to 24". The tree is not really miniature, it's manageable and you don't have a tall tree w no branching low. This is for growing in pots. I'll do my best to show the process as we grow this season. Thanks for watching.
@@thenotoriousfig Hi there, Thanks very much for replying to me so quickly. This is great and very useful to know. By the way, I think you mentioned on your video that you couid just pot up the cutting (once rooted) into a big pot or pot up into gradually bigger pots along the way, and wondered if you achieved any better results with either method? Thanks again for coming back to me and would really love to see the figs once they have become established. Have a great weekend and many thanks again for the excellent videos. All best Tim
Hi there, Hope all well with you. I messaged you about 9 months’ ago about my Brown Turkey cuttings and I am now wondering what to do with them? They are potted up into a plastic pot measuring approximately 12 inches by 12 inches, which is about double the size of the cuttings container I started them in. The cuttings are now about a foot and a half tall, with all side shoots removed, but still rather thin. The stem has not thickened much, so should I just let them grow on for another season before possibly potting on and reducing the height? Many thanks. Best wishes Tim
Thanks for all these postings - I'm learning a lot. I am preparing for spring rooting from cuttings using your method in tree pots. My question is once successfully growing is it best to up pot into a 5 gallon or could I go right into a 7 or 10 if that is my desired end pot?
To confirm: You remove the apical bud to keep the tree small enuf to fit its pot, right? Does a new apical bud form each year, ie do you have to do this prune as part of regular mntnce?
I grow a single leader (with apical bud) all first year. If at end of first year my tree is only 18" then I treat that as a single leader for next year. Again, one apical bud on the single leader. If it grows well, then at the end of that first year, when dormant, I will cut to 30". Second year the tree branches out as I describe in the video.
You can always prune to shape however you want, if that's your goal. Pull down branches and make them horizontal to the ground so they spread out to the sides.
@@thenotoriousfig Thank you. I've had my celeste in the ground for about a month now, and they are already growing quite firm stems. So I will bend now while they're still very pliable. I love this plant.
starting your 4th year, you don't prune at all except to shape for some reason of convenience. Keep terminal buds and the tree wakes up faster in spring.
Cutting to 30” and then 24” allows for some potential dying off or desiccation over the winter. I don’t think I had much of any tho. Some people like even shorter in the spring 20”.
So once you have a big trunk and those 4 branches at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, what do you do with those branches when the next pruning season comes? I know main crop grow off new wood so do you leave those branches but cut them back close to the trunk?
That's your scaffold/framework for the fruiting branches to grow from. They have very little distance to grow before putting out lots of figs. and there's lots of those branches = lots of figs.
If you’re choosing a lower branch as the leader, how close are you putting it to the soil line when you up-pot? And when do you usually remove the excess cutting above where you’ve established that leader?
If can bury the connection to the cutting do that. I remove the other branch when I’m confident that the chosen one is good enough to thrive. Maybe around 4” or so.
I'm in western Oregon 8b, seventeen miles inland, warm dry summers, cool wet winters. i'm growing a lot of King variety plants both in ground and pots, some in high tunnel. I'm trying many pruning styles, low cordon forms for ease of winter protection when needed (and I'm getting old so want less ladder work), taller shade tree form, open vase with 2' main stem, and a similar mainstream form to what you have in the video. This is a San Pedro type fig, pruned for breba crop only, as we do not have a pollinator wasp for the main crop. This dictates only pruning out those branches that just produced heavily in August, leaving the new growth branches of the year to carry the next season breba buds. First, I favor the low cordon, keeping all fig production work close to the ground. Next form is similar to what you show to increase stem size quickly for better cold tolerance, strength, and growth speed. When scaffold gets about head height, I cut off all at that height, producing six or eight widespread growth branches from which I allow all new growth to be managed just like the low cordon pruning described above. This leaves a very good tree form, open vase, pretty low for short ladder stability work (or even from the ground), plus a height to place a chair under for good fig-eating shade. Thanks for confirming a lot of my learning, and helping me avoid making some more mistakes! Eat local!
I bought my fig tree from lower in 2018. I have got no fruit yet. Not sure what type but I live in Clarksville, TN Mine is growing multiple branches. Mine is in the ground
If you do one single leader, how will that affect fruit production? I have several varieties I want to grow with a thick trunk but also flavor the fruit to make sure it’s worth the yard space. Thanks
I hope you can help me out here. I have a 4year old desert king...I pruned it for the first time just last week and up potted to a 15 gallon nursery pot. I have 3 good scaffolds on the very bottom...theyre 24 inches in length , they grow out and face upward and have two small branches coming out the ends, like a fork. What I NEED to know is this...the main trunk is 44 inches tall and has a variety of branches coming out from it as well. Do I need to prune that main trunk down so its also 24 inches tall and in line with the scaffolds?
I heard that the growth hormones go to the highest branches once the tree wakes up from dormancy, thats why I had the issue of whether to cut the main trunk down or not. . I know we just want to grow figs...just want the tree to be in the best position to do so. @@thenotoriousfig
Hiya from the UK and hope all well. I've been following your excellent videos on growing figs and wondered if you wouid be kind enough to offer advice on the Brown Turkey figs I potted up almost 14 months ago? They were potted up in 10lt (approx) tubs and have all grown to about 6 feet tall now with no side branches and one central leader. As the trunks are not very thick, I decided to grow them on for a further season. Not sure if they should now be potted up into larger pots, or just leave them in situ and cut them back to 24inches as advised a bit later in the season and hope the trunks will thicken over time? Many thanks All best Tim
If you wanna grow a big nasty.... 😂 I know where you were going there. Really though, thank you for the info! Question, how do I encourage my lateral growing branches to grow slightly upright?
If you're talking about when it's still in the treepot, I pick the lower branch b/c it's easier to shape the tree and bury it when I up pot it. That way the tree looks "normal". If I had chosen the upper node, then there might be a small trunk then the tree grows from another point from that. I hope this makes sense.
@@thenotoriousfig Would you trim the stub of the cutting down when you up pot from treepot or just bury everything? Maybe you could briefly mention the technique in a video when you up pot this season.
I am not sure I understand….choose the lower branch to form the central leader, but what do you do with the 5-8 inches of the cutting that is above that branch point? Do you bury it sideways and allow that branch to continue to grow?
There's a lot of different thoughts on root pruning. As long as you do every 2 years, I think that's fine. So before the 3rd year starts. If you can do it yearly, then you'd do much less, i.e. not 1/3, maybe 1/5 or less. Also, take the plant out and have a look at the roots. You might get away with just scoring it. In really big pots, some people put a sawzall in and cut about an inch away from the edge of the pot to sever the roots.
I'm in Cincinnati, but for shaping the trees and growing in containers, this method is applicable anywhere. In very warm climates, some people combine years 1 and 2.
How would you adjust your pruning if you were to plant in ground? Are 3-4 scaffold branches desired for in ground or can it handle more. Thanks, great video.
In winter climates, you might have some die back. Also depending on what shoots you get, you may decide to lop off the top one which tends to grow straight up. Either of those will reduce your final height. There is no hard set rule though. You could start at 24" from the get go if you prefer that height.
I have 3 types of figs planted on pots.the purple ,red and brown types. I am in the tropics of Philippines.i acquired them 2 months ago from china via shoppee. I am still thinking if they can thrive the rainy months of my country.
Hello sir, im in the philippines also and got my figs from cuttings. Yes it survived and fruited this year. Since its in a pot, it loved water as long as it is not water logged.
What does pinching the bud do differently than cutting the branch? And when you talk about cutting of the branches, are you meaning after leaf fall or during winter dormancy or during the growing season. Thanks! Appreciate your videos.
@@nabcallie1753 In that first year when he is trying for a tall, fat stick, he removes side branches as they sprout, but leaves any figs that grow, at least once it’s a good size, from about June on. Then in winter he cuts his tall, fat stick down to 30” and by late winter, down to 24”, to encourage scaffold branches to grow the following season.
Right now I have a tree that’s a little over 2 feet high with a single main stem and has branching and buds coming out from the sides as well as the top. Is it best to take off all of the side growth to support the trunk? The trunk is about half an inch thick, do you think it will grow thick enough this growing season?
Many growers are already shaping trees. They are already mature and fruiting when purchased and in 8 gal pots. These are more expensive than smaller 3 gal trees
I have a Celeste tree that I just started 2 months here in Arizona. Tree is getting close to this size, growing fast here. I have one major question when I potted the tree into a 5 gallon pot, I planted the cutting the cutting with the top of the cutting above ground should I have buried it deeper to cover to the new branch.? Right now the main trunk has grown to about 8 inches above the soul with one main branch shooting straight up to the sun is this ok or should I buy it to that new branch please help.
On new growing cuttings I usually do. Once the tree is really growing by beginning of June I’ll leave figs that form. In subsequent years, I don’t remove any.
I don’t see any branches on the single leader your showing. You mentioned to allow branching in the second year. Did you establish that thick of a single leader (the one your showing) from a cutting in one season ? I’m in zone 5B and it takes quite awhile for me to establish a lignified trunk or branch that looks anywhere near as thick as what you have. Should I be waiting several years before I allow branching and scaffold building ?
Maybe 4 feet but the diameter doesn’t exceed 1/2 -3/4 inch that first year. It took me several years to get a trunk like yours by then I already allowed branching. I have several varieties going now. I’m using your method on one this year. Very fun and good info, thanks.
@@cconover88 basically however big you can get the trunk the first year, go with that and begin the second year stage in the second spring. If you keep up potting it, the tree will more or less catch up by years 4-5,etc.
It's really up to you. If you have a bush shaped tree, maybe limit to 2 trunks. or if there's a dominant trunk, eliminate the others. The method in the video is just one good method, not the only way.
I've had some that only grew to maybe 30" b/c I got them late or whatever reason. Those I just continue. The thickness is also a function of pot size. So if it grew to 5' and was just in a 5gal pot, then prune at end of season and up pot next season.
@@thenotoriousfig Thanks for the reply. I have them in 20 gallon pots and 15 gallons. The two Olympia's in the 20 gallon pots are roughly 3 feet tall. The trunks are not nearly as thick as yours in this video. Perhaps I will do one more season of single leader growth. If I do that, I basically don't do anything? i.e no pruning and put them in a cool place over winter? (I'm in east coast Canada)
The only growing bud should be the very top bud. At each lower node there will be a leaf and above that two bumps, one bump is a fig and the other is a growing branch. Maybe just one bump of a fig or a branch. Don’t let the branch grow. Just the fig.
"Big nasty bush" 😂 hilarious lol! I would have had to cut too haha. This method is a practice of patience. I bought 3 big nasty bush plants last year that will be used for cloning. None of the leaders have been pinched. Big nasty bushes have their place (haha)
If you can prune it to a single leader at the end of the season, just do that. I'll set you back a couple years, but that's ok. Some bush shapes can prune easily to single leader, others seem like forever a bush shape.
Single leader is a bad idea in very hot climates. The sun in the desert can easily burn and damage a trunk on a tree (even on a fig tree) it the trunk isn't shaded out by leaves.
Hmmm…that is certainly something to think about for me in the high desert of SoCal. I do use various types of tree protectors, but not 9’ of them! Tree paint like IV Organics would be another possibility, but yeah, leaves might be better. Maybe keeping the side branches short but not removing them altogether until winter might do the job for that first year single leader. 🤔
I have a short w the recipe. Well draining mix and osmocote. And as much sun as possible. Keep it simple. This is a SIP though. And I watered the reservoir with fertilizer water. So it was definitely robust. And I had fruit, not just green growth.
Here in zone 9 no one trims fig's They just let them grow on their own. The largest tree I have is about 30 feet wide, and 12 feet tall and overloaded with fig's.
I've never had slugs do that, but... not to worry the very next node will start growing and be the new leader. Depending how high up the node was, it might look a little ugly, but you won't care in a year.
@thenotoriousfig Awesome video. Thank you! I’m just getting into growing figs and after watching you videos, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Would you be available for a quick call so that I can bounce a few questions off you? If so, I can share my phone number.
![How to Prune Fig Trees For MAXIMUM Fruit Production [Includes Little-Known Tip Towards The End]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/JG6bN5hJHcE/mqdefault.jpg)
What has been your pruning experience?
So interesting yieldwise would be to put the same varieties next to its same but the training difference, each with a natural branching and trained branching next to each to compare.
Mr. TNG, Would you recommend doing this technique to figs grown in Florida?. We don't really have a Dormancy period here. Am new to this so advice would be much appreciated.
Big nasty bushes😅….but I’m learning though!
This has to be one of the best, most concise videos on formative pruning and scaffolding development on figs. Excellent, well done 👍 👏
OMG. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. Finally a video that actually shows us and gives us good directions as to how to prune!
Thank you! I just started growing fig trees last year (2 in pots, 2 in ground). This was a wonderfuly explained video....I'm going to train my fig-babies before it's too late! lol
Glad it was helpful!
I inherited two fig trees never prune trained and I still just learned this pruning method. I get tons of fruit but varied sizes. I cut my trees way down and it still has fruit.
Thank you for this. I have watched so many videos, but this one explains everything I wanted and wants to know about growing a fig tree.
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, this will be my goal this year correcting the shape of my 160 trees !
This is very correct. All my fruit trees are in this manner not just my figs. This is true!
Just wanted to say "Thank You". This is a delightfully clear and straightforward plan for the first few years of fig growth. Very sensible video that 'clicked' for me. At year 4-5 I'm going to incorporate Bob Duncan's maximizing breba (northern latitudes) pruning guide. Thanks for the excellent foundation sir.
Thank you! I’ll look up Bob since I’ll need to maximize breba for my persistent caprifigs.
@@thenotoriousfig "How to prune figs in a cool climate for first (breba) crop fig production" by "Fruit Trees and More" (Bob Duncan in British Columbia, Canada). I think your pruning guide sets up for a robust young tree and merges wonderfully into his breba maximization guide. I know nothing of caprifigs, hopefully its helpful.
great video i use the same method on both my maple and plumeria trees.
i like how much faster the fig trees grow compared to maple!
I'm so comfortable with the idea of pruning a fig tree, but frozen when I look at my other fruit trees lol
Really informative and thorough description of the how and why of maximizing our cuttings. Thanks for distilling the knowledge on this! Any chance you’d do a similar one on pruning/prepping for planting in-ground?
Hi Josh, I have about 20 in ground that were planted last year. I'll be discussing those throughout the season. I'll do some research and try to share what I find. For now, plant after last frost and let 'er rip!
@@thenotoriousfig Thanks for the reply! I have a few established trees from the nursery that I put in ground last year. My plan is to pot up some of this year’s cuttings into 10 gallon root-maker pots and then place them in-ground later in the year. I’m in 10B, so long-season with little chance of frost.
@@getwheeler I'm jealous of that climate!
@@thenotoriousfig Don’t be too jealous. The trade-offs include fire and floods. 😂
Thanks for this video, such a clean explanation =]
And very nicely timed for me, since i can still apply this methode next spring on most of my young fig plants and cuttings that ill start this winter.
I thank you so much, have watched so many videos (100s) and this is my favorit of all
Thank you so much!
That was very helpful information presented in an easily understandable step by step format. Thank You
Glad it was helpful!
I ordered from online seller of 2-year old cuttings of the red fig variety. I got 2 in a pot already rooted. In half a month-time it sprouted with many leaves. They are placed on my house's rooftop thus they could have loved the very sunny condition, they are fast growing and now waiting for rainy part of late May in order to transfer into a bigger container which is already prepared for such. Stumbling upon your video shall give me a ready reference if by God-willing they shall attain that big sized-fig of yours. A long way to go huh? In the 4th year of this dearest fig of mine that I reap the fruit. I don't mind, I so believe that figs are the "fruits of God." May my great grandchildren enjoy it. Thanks for sharing❤
I'm just getting into figs and REALLY am learning so much from you. Thanks. Will single leader method work if the tree is planted in the ground? I know winter protection will be an issue for me (7ab). Ive had 2 figs in the ground (bought at nursery Latterrula & Olympian) for 4 years and minimal success getting fruits to mature but then each of the plants have about 5 trunks that normally die back each winter. I'm thinking about cutting all but 1 trunk back this fall and wrapping it with leaves. Next, I am going to see what you do to put your plants to sleep for the winter. :) So I am prepared for next season - I am going to get a bunch of cuttings this month and start my journey.
Mr. Notorious, as always another great video. You are truly a mentor for all of us!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. You sure have helped me a lot.
Very kind of you to say. I'm just sharing what I can as we all go on this fun fig journey.
So I saw this video months after I got my toddler trees in April. Can I still train it to be a single leader tree & f so will the trunk be thick still? Thank you! Love watching your videos. 🙏
Yes you can! I have several trees dormant now that are maybe 15-20" tall and in the spring I'll treat them like single leaders all season.
A similar, but slightly different method, is to train a central leader (or two) very close to the ground. From that you control the new growth every year. It is similar to growing grapes and very productive.
for in ground, yes!
I've seen a LOT of fig pruning videos and yours was the best explained. It's like giving instructions on how to cook a recipe to someone who doesn't know how to cook. You need to explain every aspect thoroughly. You've done that. Kudos. I wish other people could master that skill! I do have a question though. First time growing fig trees. I grew fig cuttings in spring from twigs. NONE of the cuttings grew vertically with an apical bud. Instead, they all grew horizontal branching from the original cutting size. I've been in the process of growing one of the branches (the longest) vertically to establish that as the main trunk for next year. But I never got rid of the other branch. It's now almost the end of July. What should I do? Growing zone 7B. At what point should I snip the other branch because it sounds like I should have done that originally but at this point I'm unsure.
Great info! I got my first fig a few months ago and have been doing this single leader method. If you cut it down to 30 inches in the fall, what do you do with the part you cut off? Is it possible to root it (or at least not die before spring) while dormant, or would it have to be brought into the house with heat and light all winter?
Look at my channel for a comprehensive rooting guide. You’ll be swimming in new trees soon!
Lots of great info. I have multiple potted figs that all look like the shrubs behind you in the video. Many trunks growing in many directions.
They fruit very sporadically. Should I trim them back to the one strongest trunk or just start new trees from cuttings?
trim back to strongest 3 trunks and spread 1" compost in winter (now) and spring
@@thenotoriousfig Thanks, I'll give it a try.
Loved watching your video on training your fig tree.
I live in Southeastern Washington zone 6 and I planted a Chicago hardy fig about 3 years ago out in my garden.
Unfortunately I didn't know about your pruning methods then and it has been branching from the ground up every year with multiple branches.... Possibly around 20 😳.
My question is is it too late to begin pruning it this way if I cut it all the way down to the ground and let one come up or should I root some cuttings and just start all over again?
I also was wondering if this worked for an in-ground fig or does it only work if you're growing it in a pot?
Part of the reason I wanted to give this a try is because my fig gets lots of fruit but our season is too short and not very many have time to ripen.
Thanks so much and happy fig growing 😊
if it's in ground, you can do 3 main trunks and shape from there.
Thank you....I will give it a try this year!
Thank you sir for the explanation. Some people just put out a lot of information but can't even explain the reasons and why.
Would be nice to see images or a walkthrough of the trees you have that meet the various recommendations you gave
I’ll prob do a comparison of a few soon. Thanks!
Hi there from the UK! Many thanks for the excellent and informative videos, that I wished I had come across before taking and planting my fig cuttings! I have several rooted Brown Turkey cuttings that I have potted up individually. Each cutting is now a single stem and approximately 10 inches long. One cutting is not as straight as I would like unfortunately, but I will take a better cutting next time. Having watched your entire video here, am I correct in assuming that the eventual height of the tree will be no more than 30 inches, so we are in effect just creating a very productive tree in miniature form?
I was just confused when you mentioned you had trees of more than 10 feet or so…
It would be great to see a video/picture of your figs this training/growing process.
Many thanks again for all the great advice.
Best wishes
Tim
Hi Tim! So it's in stages. First year I try to grow single stem as tall as possible. That makes for the thickest trunk. Pot size also helps increase the thickness. Then chop in December or whenever 100% dormant. Even January to be safe. That first cut is 30". Then when you are about 3 weeks away from the trees waking up and there's no chance of severe freezes (10F/-12C) etc., then you can cut again to 24". The tree is not really miniature, it's manageable and you don't have a tall tree w no branching low. This is for growing in pots. I'll do my best to show the process as we grow this season. Thanks for watching.
@@thenotoriousfig Hi there, Thanks very much for replying to me so quickly. This is great and very useful to know. By the way, I think you mentioned on your video that you couid just pot up the cutting (once rooted) into a big pot or pot up into gradually bigger pots along the way, and wondered if you achieved any better results with either method? Thanks again for coming back to me and would really love to see the figs once they have become established. Have a great weekend and many thanks again for the excellent videos. All best Tim
Hi there, Hope all well with you. I messaged you about 9 months’ ago about my Brown Turkey cuttings and I am now wondering what to do with them? They are potted up into a plastic pot measuring approximately 12 inches by 12 inches, which is about double the size of the cuttings container I started them in. The cuttings are now about a foot and a half tall, with all side shoots removed, but still rather thin. The stem has not thickened much, so should I just let them grow on for another season before possibly potting on and reducing the height? Many thanks. Best wishes Tim
Thanks for all these postings - I'm learning a lot. I am preparing for spring rooting from cuttings using your method in tree pots. My question is once successfully growing is it best to up pot into a 5 gallon or could I go right into a 7 or 10 if that is my desired end pot?
From treepot, if it's well rooted (roots filling the container, out the bottom), you can go to your 7 or 10ga without issues.
To confirm: You remove the apical bud to keep the tree small enuf to fit its pot, right? Does a new apical bud form each year, ie do you have to do this prune as part of regular mntnce?
I grow a single leader (with apical bud) all first year. If at end of first year my tree is only 18" then I treat that as a single leader for next year. Again, one apical bud on the single leader. If it grows well, then at the end of that first year, when dormant, I will cut to 30". Second year the tree branches out as I describe in the video.
THANK YOU. Still learning, this was pretty informative.
Can you talk about pruning a fig that's growing near a property line in the ground? I'm trying to grow it as a 'natural fence'.
You can always prune to shape however you want, if that's your goal. Pull down branches and make them horizontal to the ground so they spread out to the sides.
@@thenotoriousfig Thank you. I've had my celeste in the ground for about a month now, and they are already growing quite firm stems. So I will bend now while they're still very pliable. I love this plant.
So.. what is pruning at steady state (years 3+)? Do you pinch in those years? Do you cut back all the way to the scaffolds each year?
starting your 4th year, you don't prune at all except to shape for some reason of convenience. Keep terminal buds and the tree wakes up faster in spring.
Why cut to 30” and then cut to 24”? Would I do the same for 3 and 5 gallon potted trees overwintered in the garage? Thx.
Cutting to 30” and then 24” allows for some potential dying off or desiccation over the winter. I don’t think I had much of any tho. Some people like even shorter in the spring 20”.
So once you have a big trunk and those 4 branches at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, what do you do with those branches when the next pruning season comes? I know main crop grow off new wood so do you leave those branches but cut them back close to the trunk?
That's your scaffold/framework for the fruiting branches to grow from. They have very little distance to grow before putting out lots of figs. and there's lots of those branches = lots of figs.
Lol, that’s a really good looking fig tree you got right there.
(I know you have a plan, it struck me funny as an introduction).
If you’re choosing a lower branch as the leader, how close are you putting it to the soil line when you up-pot? And when do you usually remove the excess cutting above where you’ve established that leader?
If can bury the connection to the cutting do that. I remove the other branch when I’m confident that the chosen one is good enough to thrive. Maybe around 4” or so.
I'm in western Oregon 8b, seventeen miles inland, warm dry summers, cool wet winters. i'm growing a lot of King variety plants both in ground and pots, some in high tunnel. I'm trying many pruning styles, low cordon forms for ease of winter protection when needed (and I'm getting old so want less ladder work), taller shade tree form, open vase with 2' main stem, and a similar mainstream form to what you have in the video. This is a San Pedro type fig, pruned for breba crop only, as we do not have a pollinator wasp for the main crop. This dictates only pruning out those branches that just produced heavily in August, leaving the new growth branches of the year to carry the next season breba buds. First, I favor the low cordon, keeping all fig production work close to the ground. Next form is similar to what you show to increase stem size quickly for better cold tolerance, strength, and growth speed. When scaffold gets about head height, I cut off all at that height, producing six or eight widespread growth branches from which I allow all new growth to be managed just like the low cordon pruning described above. This leaves a very good tree form, open vase, pretty low for short ladder stability work (or even from the ground), plus a height to place a chair under for good fig-eating shade. Thanks for confirming a lot of my learning, and helping me avoid making some more mistakes! Eat local!
I bought my fig tree from lower in 2018. I have got no fruit yet. Not sure what type but I live in Clarksville, TN Mine is growing multiple branches. Mine is in the ground
is it in full sun? For my in ground trees, I fertilized w organic, then added compost, then mulched.
If you do one single leader, how will that affect fruit production? I have several varieties I want to grow with a thick trunk but also flavor the fruit to make sure it’s worth the yard space. Thanks
As I mentioned in the video, I had about 80% of my trees (out of about 100) produce using this method. That includes Tia Penya and Cravens Craving.
I hope you can help me out here. I have a 4year old desert king...I pruned it for the first time just last week and up potted to a 15 gallon nursery pot. I have 3 good scaffolds on the very bottom...theyre 24 inches in length , they grow out and face upward and have two small branches coming out the ends, like a fork. What I NEED to know is this...the main trunk is 44 inches tall and has a variety of branches coming out from it as well. Do I need to prune that main trunk down so its also 24 inches tall and in line with the scaffolds?
No you don't. Just grow figs! There is nothing wrong with it. This guide is a guide, not the "rules".
I heard that the growth hormones go to the highest branches once the tree wakes up from dormancy, thats why I had the issue of whether to cut the main trunk down or not. . I know we just want to grow figs...just want the tree to be in the best position to do so. @@thenotoriousfig
So what do you do in year 5? Remove all the year 4 branches, and let them grow again from the year 3 branches?
Mostly shape it with as little pruning as possible.
Hiya from the UK and hope all well. I've been following your excellent videos on growing figs and wondered if you wouid be kind enough to offer advice on the Brown Turkey figs I potted up almost 14 months ago? They were potted up in 10lt (approx) tubs and have all grown to about 6 feet tall now with no side branches and one central leader. As the trunks are not very thick, I decided to grow them on for a further season. Not sure if they should now be potted up into larger pots, or just leave them in situ and cut them back to 24inches as advised a bit later in the season and hope the trunks will thicken over time? Many thanks All best Tim
If you wanna grow a big nasty.... 😂 I know where you were going there. Really though, thank you for the info! Question, how do I encourage my lateral growing branches to grow slightly upright?
Are the lateral branches growing too upright? Closer to 90 degrees?
@@thenotoriousfig no, they're growing almost perfectly straight out to the side. I want to encourage them to grow slightly up some, right?
@@shelleylard2399 I'd just leave them alone if that's the case. Good luck!
@@thenotoriousfig great, thanks!!
Why do you choose the lower branch as dominant leader vs one higher up? What advantage is there?
If you're talking about when it's still in the treepot, I pick the lower branch b/c it's easier to shape the tree and bury it when I up pot it. That way the tree looks "normal". If I had chosen the upper node, then there might be a small trunk then the tree grows from another point from that. I hope this makes sense.
@@thenotoriousfig Would you trim the stub of the cutting down when you up pot from treepot or just bury everything? Maybe you could briefly mention the technique in a video when you up pot this season.
I am not sure I understand….choose the lower branch to form the central leader, but what do you do with the 5-8 inches of the cutting that is above that branch point? Do you bury it sideways and allow that branch to continue to grow?
Another excellent video. How often do you root prune such a tree and do you stick to the 1/3 rule? Thank You
There's a lot of different thoughts on root pruning. As long as you do every 2 years, I think that's fine. So before the 3rd year starts. If you can do it yearly, then you'd do much less, i.e. not 1/3, maybe 1/5 or less. Also, take the plant out and have a look at the roots. You might get away with just scoring it. In really big pots, some people put a sawzall in and cut about an inch away from the edge of the pot to sever the roots.
Where are you so that I know if it's applicable and what geographical location or planting zone?
I'm in Cincinnati, but for shaping the trees and growing in containers, this method is applicable anywhere. In very warm climates, some people combine years 1 and 2.
Great instructional video. Thank you!
How would you adjust your pruning if you were to plant in ground? Are 3-4 scaffold branches desired for in ground or can it handle more. Thanks, great video.
I think that's good, probably more toward 4-5. basically let it go crazy and keep it open center to get lots of light in.
So in the first year, cut off the top and all small branches?
So why do you top it at 30" and then 24" the next year? Why not just 24" the first time? Any reason for that?
In winter climates, you might have some die back. Also depending on what shoots you get, you may decide to lop off the top one which tends to grow straight up. Either of those will reduce your final height. There is no hard set rule though. You could start at 24" from the get go if you prefer that height.
Your videos really are helpful.
Would you recommend a different method for in ground ?
I go with 3-4 main trunks to keep a little clean and manageable.
Can you show a video of a tree trained this way.
I have 3 types of figs planted on pots.the purple ,red and brown types. I am in the tropics of Philippines.i acquired them 2 months ago from china via shoppee. I am still thinking if they can thrive the rainy months of my country.
Some figs perform better in humid climate. Contact Fig Agro Lab Asia in Thailand.
Hello sir, im in the philippines also and got my figs from cuttings. Yes it survived and fruited this year. Since its in a pot, it loved water as long as it is not water logged.
What does pinching the bud do differently than cutting the branch? And when you talk about cutting of the branches, are you meaning after leaf fall or during winter dormancy or during the growing season. Thanks! Appreciate your videos.
@@nabcallie1753 In that first year when he is trying for a tall, fat stick, he removes side branches as they sprout, but leaves any figs that grow, at least once it’s a good size, from about June on. Then in winter he cuts his tall, fat stick down to 30” and by late winter, down to 24”, to encourage scaffold branches to grow the following season.
Where do you get your pots?
Try Lowes or Menards
Hi. How would you prune a San Pedro type tree differently than a Common type tree?
Essentially the same way. You want to maximize that branching for the brebas. This method still gets you the strongest trunk.
Right now I have a tree that’s a little over 2 feet high with a single main stem and has branching and buds coming out from the sides as well as the top. Is it best to take off all of the side growth to support the trunk? The trunk is about half an inch thick, do you think it will grow thick enough this growing season?
Yep, keep the top bud and pinch off the sides. Up pot when the tree is about 5' and it'll keep thickening the trunk. Good luck!
@@thenotoriousfig Ok, thank you! Should I pinch off the buds of the branches or the whole thing?
Many growers are already shaping trees. They are already mature and fruiting when purchased and in 8 gal pots. These are more expensive than smaller 3 gal trees
Great information well done sir.
So nice of you
I have a Celeste tree that I just started 2 months here in Arizona. Tree is getting close to this size, growing fast here. I have one major question when I potted the tree into a 5 gallon pot, I planted the cutting the cutting with the top of the cutting above ground should I have buried it deeper to cover to the new branch.? Right now the main trunk has grown to about 8 inches above the soul with one main branch shooting straight up to the sun is this ok or should I buy it to that new branch please help.
You can put it in a bigger pot and bury the trunk more, so you have a nice single leader from the soil.
Great video thanks for sharing I learned alot
Thank you thank you Fortza😊
do you always remove the early figs every year ?
On new growing cuttings I usually do. Once the tree is really growing by beginning of June I’ll leave figs that form. In subsequent years, I don’t remove any.
I don’t see any branches on the single leader your showing. You mentioned to allow branching in the second year. Did you establish that thick of a single leader (the one your showing) from a cutting in one season ? I’m in zone 5B and it takes quite awhile for me to establish a lignified trunk or branch that looks anywhere near as thick as what you have. Should I be waiting several years before I allow branching and scaffold building ?
How much height can you get out of a single leader cutting the first year?
Maybe 4 feet but the diameter doesn’t exceed 1/2 -3/4 inch that first year. It took me several years to get a trunk like yours by then I already allowed branching. I have several varieties going now. I’m using your method on one this year. Very fun and good info, thanks.
@@cconover88 basically however big you can get the trunk the first year, go with that and begin the second year stage in the second spring. If you keep up potting it, the tree will more or less catch up by years 4-5,etc.
so i didnt know about the leader trunk should I still cut off the big branches at bottom? tree is 3 years old
It's really up to you. If you have a bush shaped tree, maybe limit to 2 trunks. or if there's a dominant trunk, eliminate the others. The method in the video is just one good method, not the only way.
If my tree still isn't too thick after year one of single leader, should I do the same thing for at least one more year?
I've had some that only grew to maybe 30" b/c I got them late or whatever reason. Those I just continue. The thickness is also a function of pot size. So if it grew to 5' and was just in a 5gal pot, then prune at end of season and up pot next season.
@@thenotoriousfig Thanks for the reply. I have them in 20 gallon pots and 15 gallons. The two Olympia's in the 20 gallon pots are roughly 3 feet tall. The trunks are not nearly as thick as yours in this video. Perhaps I will do one more season of single leader growth. If I do that, I basically don't do anything? i.e no pruning and put them in a cool place over winter? (I'm in east coast Canada)
Sorry to bother again, but when you mean pinching the side branches do you mean taking off the bud or removing the whole growing branch for a 1st year
The only growing bud should be the very top bud. At each lower node there will be a leaf and above that two bumps, one bump is a fig and the other is a growing branch. Maybe just one bump of a fig or a branch. Don’t let the branch grow. Just the fig.
Can I restart a 3 or 4 year old tree? Taking all the branches off and find the middle strongest leader?
How many trunks do you have?
"Big nasty bush" 😂 hilarious lol! I would have had to cut too haha.
This method is a practice of patience. I bought 3 big nasty bush plants last year that will be used for cloning. None of the leaders have been pinched. Big nasty bushes have their place (haha)
So how do you do this if it's a few years old but it's kinda already in bush shape, just not worth it?
If you can prune it to a single leader at the end of the season, just do that. I'll set you back a couple years, but that's ok. Some bush shapes can prune easily to single leader, others seem like forever a bush shape.
Another great video man, that's what I like my trees to look like....not a fan of the bush form.
Great method this is correct
For those of us in a tropical climate, what would that pruning be like?
It could be the same if you grow in pot. In ground, you can let go wild or allow 4 main trunks. Shape it to your preference.
Man i screwed up and just yesterday after watching another channel
Dang it !!!
It could catch up after some years. I just prefer this method. The trunks are thick and the shape looks better.
Single leader is a bad idea in very hot climates. The sun in the desert can easily burn and damage a trunk on a tree (even on a fig tree) it the trunk isn't shaded out by leaves.
If that's your area, you have to trust your experience. Good luck!
Hmmm…that is certainly something to think about for me in the high desert of SoCal. I do use various types of tree protectors, but not 9’ of them! Tree paint like IV Organics would be another possibility, but yeah, leaves might be better. Maybe keeping the side branches short but not removing them altogether until winter might do the job for that first year single leader. 🤔
What do u fertilize it to get to that 9 foot tall ?
I have a short w the recipe. Well draining mix and osmocote. And as much sun as possible. Keep it simple. This is a SIP though. And I watered the reservoir with fertilizer water. So it was definitely robust. And I had fruit, not just green growth.
@thenotoriousfig which osmocote did you use. Trying to make sure that I follow to the letter and hopefully I'll have the same results
@@jphurtado07 The green label, which is the 14-14-14, a balanced feed.
@thenotoriousfig is that granular or can you dissolve it in water
@@jphurtado07 the small pellets/balls, which are time release. replenish every 3 months. So, Pre-wake up in spring, end of June, end September.
I thought you're supposed to restrict the og a small fig trees
Here in zone 9 no one trims fig's They just let them grow on their own. The largest tree I have is about 30 feet wide, and 12 feet tall and overloaded with fig's.
Wow. In ground trees certainly do require less draconian pruning. Whatever you are doing, keep that up! I bet your friends and neighbors love you. 😊
“Big nasty bush”
Big nasty bushes are bad! :)
Shoot I trimmed the top bud
it's all good, just keep on keepin on!
It really hurt pruning my figs today. Watching your videos, I know they will be stronger later, but I didn't like doing it.
That’s called the first cut is the deepest.
A slug ate the top of my leader trunk. Now what?
I've never had slugs do that, but... not to worry the very next node will start growing and be the new leader. Depending how high up the node was, it might look a little ugly, but you won't care in a year.
“Big nasty bush”? We’re not in the 80s
@thenotoriousfig
Awesome video. Thank you!
I’m just getting into growing figs and after watching you videos, I’ve made a lot of mistakes.
Would you be available for a quick call so that I can bounce a few questions off you? If so, I can share my phone number.
Hi Notorious FIG. I see you hearted my comment. Does that mean you’d be okay with calling me for a 10-15 minute conversation?
This has to be one of the best, most concise videos on formative pruning and scaffolding development on figs. Excellent, well done 👍 👏
I'm glad you like it! Just a starting point to do whatever you want.