Fig trees are small trees or large shrubs popular for their fleshy, flavorful fruits, as well as their stunning foliage. They are quite hardy and can be grown in a container, in your garden, in a greenhouse and even against a wall. Well-maintained fig trees generally reach a height of 3 meters. Once planted, fig trees take about 3 years to produce fruit, provided they are properly cared for.
Part of this maintenance is pruning your fig tree correctly , at the right time and with the right tools. If you want to learn how to prune your fig tree, stay with us as we guide you through this process.
prune the fig tree
When to prune a fig tree
It is always helpful to know how and when to prune a fig tree. If your tree can focus its efforts on sending sugars and hormones to specific branches and fruits, they will be even sweeter and tastier.
The best time of year to prune your fig tree is winter . Indeed, edible figs are dormant in winter (your tree loses all its leaves).
After the coldest period of winter.
Before your tree starts producing new leaves.
With no leaves and fruit, it’s much easier to see where your tree is at. You can then prune it with confidence, knowing that you are giving your tree the best chance of producing tasty figs at the start of the new growing season.
How to prune a fig tree
First, a warning. Fig tree sap can be irritating to some people’s skin. Therefore, regardless of where your fig tree is located or how old it is, it is advisable to wear a pair of gloves.
Also Read: 14 Ways to Extend Your Growing Season
Second, some good news: Once you have a little practice, fig trees are easy to prune. Since all fruit is produced by new growth, even if you make one or two serious mistakes while pruning, your tree will almost certainly help you by growing back anyway. In general :
If your tree is too large or tall to harvest, you can safely cut it back by at least 60% and have a happy tree the following year.
If your tree is the right size, you can be a little more selective with your pruning so that it produces more and better quality fruit .
Size of a young fig tree
Pruning a young fig tree is a little more complicated than pruning an established tree.
Start strong – To start, you will need to prune your tree more intensively for the first two years. It’s a bit like teaching your tree to walk, as this “training” period will allow it to grow in the pattern you prefer.
Prune when transplanting – As soon as you have transplanted your tree from its first pot to the ground, prune it back by about 50%. This process encourages the tree to establish a good root base and spread. Your goal should be to have between three and six fairly well spaced low branches.
Prune During Winter – When winter arrives and your young tree goes dormant, it is time to prune it. More specifically, you will prune by selecting the “fruiting wood” – the one you will focus on so that your tree produces the best harvest. When pruning during the winter, hope to have six to eight well-spaced branches and prune the rest.