Homegrown sweet figs trump store shelf fruit in taste and quality. Reason enough for your own fig tree in a bed or bucket. One of the key functions for a rich fig harvest is professional pruning care. This tutorial will familiarize you with the correct pruning for vital fruit wood, which gives you fresh figs up to twice a year.

A professional pruning promotes the yield

Table of Contents

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  1. Editing options and dates
  2. education cut
  3. maintenance cut
  4. summer cut
  5. taper cut
  6. frequently asked Questions

    7. Pruning Fig Tree Annually - Pruning Options

    Modern fig varieties are also hardy north of the Alps. Especially in regions with mild winters, such as the Lower Rhine or in wine-growing regions, figs thrive as a richly branched shrub or small tree in beds. Where the temperature falls below -10 degrees Celsius in winter, the Mediterranean fruit trees bring sweet fruit enjoyment as a container plant. A prudent choice of location and adequate overwintering alone are not enough for an annual fig harvest. The expert cut guarantees that your Ficus carica will remain vital and thriving with a high proportion of fruit wood. The following table summarizes which cutting options you can use to achieve your goal:

    types of cuts goal/occasion best appointment
    education cut Build harmonious crown, promote fruit wood February to early March
    maintenance cut remove dead, unfavorable shoots, promote light-flooded growth February to early March
    summer cut Promotion of overwintering fruit plants late July to mid-August
    taper cut revitalize neglected fig tree late winter

    Raise fig tree properly

    Traditionally, home gardeners north of the Alps cultivate a fig tree as a sprawling, richly branched shrub. At least in regions with mild winters in hardiness zones 7 and 8, the fruit tree as a shrub planted out brings a bountiful fig harvest in August and again in October. If the garden is within harsh hardiness zones 5 and 6, a potted fig tree will thrive to linger behind glass during the cold season. Under these conditions, training as a small tree with a short trunk and a stable crown proves advantageous. Consider this recommended option, prune a young fig like this:

    • On the day of planting: Leave the middle shoot and cut off the remaining shoots at the base
    • Up to the desired trunk height: Lead the middle shoot up on the support rod, do not shorten it, remove side shoots regularly
    • Crown formation: Cut off the middle shoot top bud at least 4 buds above the base of the crown

    As illustrated below, a fig tree should be grown with a short trunk and a crown of trunk extensions and four side shoots. It is crucial for stem training and crown development that you only cut the top bud when it has 4 to 6 buds over is located at the desired base of the crown. If you prune the top bud too early, height growth will come to a halt and your fig tree will remain puny.

    Grow a fig tree in a pot and border with a short trunk and a pyramidal crown. Decorative and flooded with light, the crown thrives with a dominant central shoot, around which four lateral main branches gather as a framework. The crown structure carries the annual fruit wood.

    digression

    Escaping milky juice triggers itching and allergies.

    Under its smooth, gray bark, a fig tree is permeated with milky sap. Direct contact of milky sap with skin under sun exposure can cause photodermatitis. The allergic reaction is characterized by severe itching, followed by blistering and eczema. In contrast to sunburn, affected skin areas heal slowly and are marked by irreversible pigmentation. Therefore, wear gloves with long cuffs for all cutting work.

    Preservation cut - step-by-step instructions

    As a shrub or tree, the fig thrives with one durable framework from ground shoots or crown leading branches. The scaffolding supports that short-lived fruitwood with inconspicuous flowers. The tree blooms on last year's shoots in March and brings the longed-for fruit from August. Greenish flowers appear on this year's wood in July, only to turn into figs in autumn. An annual maintenance cut is aimed at light-flooded growth and the promotion of young fruit wood. The following incision has proven itself in practice:

    • Cut off dead wood at the base
    • Cut back frozen side shoots on the scaffold to short stubs of 5 to 10 centimeters
    • Cut out the weaker of two parallel vertical shoots
    • Prune inward branches to one or two outward-facing buds

    A flawless maintenance cut leaves a stable, load-bearing framework with vital wood. Ideally, shoots that have been removed from the previous year should remain uncut because they will provide the first harvest in late summer. On the other hand, if a previous year's shoot has reached a length under which it could break under the fruit load this year, cut the branch by a third or half as an exception. Perennial wood is shortened to a few buds, from which the fresh fruit wood sprout this year, bearing juicy-sweet figs in autumn and again in the following summer.

    The maintenance cut brings order to the branches. Thin out dead, frozen back, or cross-growing shoots. Last year's side branches remain, because they carry valuable flower buds for sweet figs in August.

    Promoting fruit wood - this is how it works

    If a shoot has borne fruit for two or more years, it degrades considerably. Aged fruitwood can be identified by a dense branching and drooping growth. This appearance does not mean that you finally declare the branch "old iron" and completely thin it out. As long as it has an unbranched, one-year shoot in the rear area, an advantageous fruit wood cut is suitable at this point.

    As illustrated in the figure below, use scissors or a saw where the young fruiting wood branches diagonally upwards. Please place the cutting point a few millimeters into the old wood so as not to damage the young side shoot. The stub should not be longer than one centimeter, because otherwise the resulting rot entails the risk of diseases.

    A fig tree bears the tastiest fruit on one-year-old side shoots that point upwards at an angle. Cut off worn, massively branched wood where a young shoot garnished with buds branches off.

    summer cut

    A light one guarantees a vital fig tree and fruits in premium quality summer cut. The following pattern is for planted figs thought and aims to prevent the exhausting growth of poor autumn fruit. In return, the planting of overwintering fruit plants is supported for an early harvest of the best quality. How to do it right:

    • The best time is late July to mid-August (after the summer harvest)
    • Carefully inspect the shrub or crown for nesting birds to reschedule if necessary
    • Cut back all of this year's unbranched side shoots to 6 to 8 leaves

    As a result of the summer pruning measure, the remaining flower buds form rudimentary fruit systems, which overwinter and become ripe figs in the following summer.

    If it is a fig in a bucket that overwinters behind glass, no summer pruning takes place. The blossoms in July become figs, which ripen in the bright, warm winter garden.

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    What exactly is fruitwood?

    Pruning figs is all about promoting and preserving fruit wood. By definition for fruit trees of all kinds, it is fruit wood not about the wood from which this is made durable framework for shrub or tree crown shapes. Rather, the term refers to rather short-lived side branches. In the specific case of a fig, the most vital fruit wood comes from the previous year and this year. The easiest way to identify young fruiting wood is by its oblique to horizontal and little branched growth. Older side shoots on the supporting structure rarely flower or bear fruit. The declining vitality is easy to recognize from the massively branched, drooping shoot tips.

    taper cut

    The fact that a fig tree tolerates pruning is based on its ability to produce fresh shoots from old wood. The floral feat succeeds because the plant sets up numerous sleeping eyes under the bark as it grows. The tiny, almost invisible vegetation points are just waiting to replace lost branches or trunks. You can build on this "iron reserve" when you revitalize an aged or neglected fig tree with a rejuvenation pruning. Here’s how to do it professionally:

    • The best time is during the leafless winter season
    • Prune frozen branches back into healthy wood
    • Cut off dead wood at the base
    • Remaining branches divert to a lower, outward-facing side shoot

    In a harsh winter, numerous branches on planted figs can freeze back completely. The durable framework of thick, perennial branches is usually not affected by the damage. If you are unsure whether a drive is still alive or not, a vitality test will eliminate any concerns. Scrape off a little bark with a knife or fingernail. Alternatively, cut off a small piece of shoots. If juicy, cream-colored to green tissue emerges, life pulsates in the shoot. Brown tissue, on the other hand, leaves no doubt that you are dealing with deadwood that needs to be cut out.

    frequently asked Questions

    Our fig tree is now two years old. It keeps growing and has now reached a height of two meters, unfortunately without side shoots. New shoots are now sprouting from the tree disc. Shall we trim the trunk?

    Please decide on a suitable trunk height, for example 150 centimetres. At this point, cut off the stem about an inch above a bud. Below the cutting point, side branches begin to grow, which will form into the future crown. The shoots from the tree disc compete with the crown for nutrients and should be removed promptly.

    We took over a fig tree from our neighbors and now want to transplant it into our garden. When is the best time? What to look out for

    The best time to move is after the leaves have dropped in autumn. Cut out the roots in a large radius all around with the spade. Torn root strands rarely grow back. Choose a sunny spot with loamy, slightly acidic soil that is well drained and rich in nutrients. We recommend enriching the soil with rhododendron soil. In February/March, cut back the shoots by a third to compensate for the lost root mass.

    How big should a pot for the fig tree be? What height can a Ficus carica reach in a pot? Can I prune the branches for bushy growth?

    If the nursery gives you the young fig tree with a height of 80 to 100 centimetres, you need a bucket with a volume of 40 to 50 litres. With sufficient water and nutrient supply, the plant can reach a height of up to 3 meters. The pronounced pruning tolerance makes it possible to stimulate shrub-like branching at a young age.

    Is a fig tree self-fertile or does it require a neighboring cultivar as a pollinator?

    The pure species Ficus carica thrives as a monoecious plant, producing female and male flowers. Provided insects take care of pollination, a common fig bears fruit without additional pollinators. Modern fig varieties such as Dalmatica, Brunswick or Brown Turkey can even do without insects, because their figs grow as virgin fruits. The attribute is especially beneficial for cultivation in conservatories and greenhouses where bees or bumblebees have no access.

    Can I grow a fig as an espalier tree?

    Espalier training is not only a sensible cultivation method for the fig tree when there is a lack of space. Protected by a sun-drenched south wall of the house, the Mediterranean fruit trees function as a picturesque green facade and provide juicy, sweet figs up to twice a year. Raise the fig with two to three main shoots, which you tie to the wall trellis. The young fruit wood that blossoms in spring and summer and then bears fruit sprout on this framework. An annual maintenance cut in February is advisable, as explained in this tutorial.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    If a fig tree is left to its own devices, within a few years it will turn into a branching thicket. Flower buds and fruit plants fall victim to pruning at the wrong time. In order to protect you from typical mistakes when cutting figs, the following table lists the three most common cutting errors with damage and tips for prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    never cleared premature senescence, lazy flowering, little fruit wood clear once a year
    pruned after flowering no or few figs cut in February
    Cut off last year's shoots Failure of the summer harvest, few fruits in autumn Promote one- and two-year-old shoots with fruit wood pruning
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    tips

    In the tub, a fig tree is vulnerable to frost in winter. Even extensive protective measures are not enough to protect the Mediterranean fruit tree in the pot from frost damage. Please reserve a frost-free, bright winter quarters. You can leave unripe fruits hanging because they will ripen next spring and give you an early harvest.

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Indoor plants