Tree Pruning - Fig Tree

2331 Views 11 Replies 7 Participants Last post by jecapereca, Mar 18, 2020

Eepok

Discussion Starter · Feb 27, 2020

Hello all,

I've read that the "appropriate" time to prune a fig tree is at the end of February or when you've had your last frost. I'm in Northern California and either we're having a month-long false spring, or pretty much skipped winter.

So now seems like the right time to prune. The tree's a big overgrown and I'd like to take it back to a more manageable height so I can harvest as much fruit as possible in August/September.

How far back can I/should I trim back? Should I use some sort of spray-on/brush-on pruning sealer?

Thanks for any help or direction you can provide.

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DoomsDave

· #2 · Feb 27, 2020

Good to see you.

In general fig trees are good growers (too damn good, actually). Given how far north you are, I'd hold off a bit. If you prune too soon, the new growth might get nipped in a late cold spell.

Figs, if my memory serves, have really gooey milky sap which works as their own built-in sealer, so you won't need to use tar, unless you really feel the urge.

All this said, if a northern California fig guru contradicts anything I say, do what they say, and let us know in any case how things go.

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F250

· #3 · Feb 27, 2020

We just cut down four fig trees and had the roots ground up. I love the figs, but really don't need them, and they did not contribute nicely to the yard's landscape (originally planted 15 years ago by the previous/original homeowner). Actually, we cut them all down in November, and had the stumps ground a month ago, hoping to never see hide nor hair of them again.

Best of luck with your pruning.

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DoomsDave

· #4 · Feb 27, 2020

F250 said:
We just cut down four fig trees and had the roots ground up. I love the figs, but really don't need them, and they did not contribute nicely to the yard's landscape (originally planted 15 years ago by the previous/original homeowner). Actually, we cut them all down in November, and had the stumps ground a month ago, hoping to never see hide nor hair of them again.

Best of luck with your pruning.

Hope your grinders were psycho-thorough. They're Zombie trees sometimes, especially the grafted kinds on super-aggressive rootstocks.

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Eepok

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 28, 2020

DoomsDave said:
Good to see you.

In general fig trees are good growers (too damn good, actually). Given how far north you are, I'd hold off a bit. If you prune too soon, the new growth might get nipped in a late cold spell.

Figs, if my memory serves, have really gooey milky sap which works as their own built-in sealer, so you won't need to use tar, unless you really feel the urge.

All this said, if a northern California fig guru contradicts anything I say, do what they say, and let us know in any case how things go.

We're in Davis, California. Just west of Sacramento. This February has been abnormally warm (it hit 80 this week) and it's the first February in recorded history that we've gone without a drop of precipitation. Historically, we would have a week of sub-freezing night-time temps in February, but that didn't happen at all.

March normally has a night time low of 40-45 and a daytime high of 65-70.

Good to know that the natural sap is a sufficient sealer and that cutting it back heavily won't result in long-term damage.

Any advise on how far down I can go and still get fruit this summer?

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DoomsDave

· #6 · Feb 28, 2020

Eepok said:
We're in Davis, California. Just west of Sacramento. This February has been abnormally warm (it hit 80 this week) and it's the first February in recorded history that we've gone without a drop of precipitation. Historically, we would have a week of sub-freezing night-time temps in February, but that didn't happen at all.

March normally has a night time low of 40-45 and a daytime high of 65-70.

Good to know that the natural sap is a sufficient sealer and that cutting it back heavily won't result in long-term damage.

Any advise on how far down I can go and still get fruit this summer?

I think a better place for your questions will be at the University of California, if they have an extension service.

I know we've had unusually warm weather down here, too, and sometimes that's tricky.

Figs are tough, though, so I can tell you that if you make a mistake it won't kill the tree.

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Nik333

· #7 · Feb 28, 2020 (Edited)

UCDavis has tons of information:

https://www.google.com/search?channel=cus2&client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Pruning+a+fig+tree%2C+UC+Davis

They also have Master Gardeners thru the Extension. I found one up here who would come by & see a Cherry tree on his way home.

I can't even imagine how many garden experts live in Davis, near the School of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. :}

I was able to email with a Professor of Mycology about little brown mushrooms.

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Oso954

· #8 · Feb 28, 2020

Based on your big tree comment, I’d suggest clearing suckers and branches you don’t want. When it comes to trimming back branches you want to keep, I’d only cut them back about 1/2 of what you would really like. If you cut the branches back too far, you won’t have much of a summer crop.

You can do additional trimming next fall or the following year.

Have you identified which fig species you have ?

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John Smith_inFL

· #9 · Feb 28, 2020

I am a member of OurFigs.com and lots of California figgers there.
stop by and say hello.

.

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DoomsDave

· #10 · Feb 29, 2020

What cultivar/variety do you have?

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DoomsDave

· #11 · Feb 29, 2020

Figs, edible, that is, are tough.

Back in Ohio, Italians raised figs, and it was too cold, and they buried them in the backyard, and I thought it was totally nutty. (Still do.)

They'd hack off the roots, tip the tree over, bury it under dirt and leaves, then pitch it back up again, and it would produce so many figs if you liked them you were in heaven.

Then repeat, till either the grower got too old or, I dunno.

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jecapereca

· #12 · Mar 18, 2020

Nik333 said:
UCDavis has tons of information:

https://www.google.com/search?channel=cus2&client=firefox-b-1-d&q=Pruning+a+fig+tree,+UC+Davis

They also have Master Gardeners thru the Extension. I found one up here who would come by & see a Cherry tree on his way home.

I can't even imagine how many garden experts live in Davis, near the School of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences. :}

I was able to email with a Professor of Mycology about little brown mushrooms.

Seems helpful. Don't have this concern but my sister does, forwarding information (and maybe this thread) to her!

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