Can I prune my fig tree?

15 years ago

A friend gave me a potted cutting when she cut back her fig four years ago. It rooted fine and has grown about a foot a year since. I have never gotten any fruit. The limbs are tall and bare, and the leaves are all at the top. I've been told that I shouldn't prune because fruit only forms on the last year's growth, but since I've never had any fruit I'm willing to lose next year's crop because I doubt there will be one.

I love the shape of the leaves and wouldn't care if I ever got fruit if I could just turn it into a shorter, bushier plant that was pleasing to look at. Can I prune it severely, and if so, how should I angle the cuts?

Thanks for your thoughts.

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Comments (6)

steve_nj8
15 years ago
A foot a year seems like very slow growth and you said all the leaves are near the top. What size pot is it in and is it kept inside or outside? It sounds like it could use a re-potting and I would "pinch" the growing tip to get it to branch out. What is its overall height?
giftree
Original Author
15 years ago
Hi, Steve:

It's in a 14" pot. It summers outside, and I bring it in for the winter to a first floor area that's around 55 degrees, low light. It's about 4-1/2 ' tall, top of dirt to tip of branch, with only leaves at the very ends of each of three main branches (much like fingers at the end of your arm) and one secondary offshoot branch.

Another friend got a cutting at the same time I did from the same donor fig. Hers is in a smaller pot (maybe 10"), is much more compact, hasn't grown much at all, but she gets 10-12 figs a year, and it's a lovely looking plant. She does the same summer/winter thing that I do.

I can barely drag the 14" pot in and out now, so I'm not thrilled with your suggestion to repot into something even bigger! I was hoping I could significantly lop it back maybe in December. I can see where the new growth started for each year, and I was thinking that would be the place to prune.

It's very successfully rooted. If I over-prune it, do you think it just might send out some new shoots from the root system?

Thanks again for your help. Susan
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steve_nj8
15 years ago
I had a tree that behaved similar (lost its lower leaves by staying indoors too much). I cut it back to half its height and it grew in very well - lots of branching. Then with a good pinching regimine I got it to fill out more. I know if you cut back heavily on a well rooted in-ground tree you will get more suckers to grow and result in a bushy tree. Not sure how this will respond in a pot (should be similar though). Sounds like you have a good size pot. How old is the soil in the pot? Might try repotting in existing pot size by bare rooting. Since you haven't had fruit yet, you may not be risking anything.
giftree
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks again, Steve. I guess I'll let it go to sleep and sneak up on it after Christmas and prune. And the fresh soil is another good idea. It's the original soil, and although I fertilize, it couldn't hurt to replace it. Then I'll try pinching. I'm hoping I have good results like you did. Susan
paully22
15 years ago
I have found pinching not only facilitates branching, it also helps in fruiting. In fact almost all my cuttings that I started in April/May have tiny fruits. I pinched after every 5 or 6 leaves. The greatest benefit in pinching is branching. The more branch the more fruits, especially if the nodes are close together.
steve_nj8
15 years ago
Pinching also induced fruiting for me. I have a very vigorous grower that didn't put out fruit this year until I pinched. Then it put on 30+ figs.