NO plant likes root congestion. There are times when root congestion might serve the grower because it has an effect on the plant the grower likes, but that isn't a clear indicator the plant will like it. Tight roots cause stress and all sorts of physiological problems for all plants. It reduces growth, branch extension, and leaf size. It limits vitality and caused the shedding of older leaves proximal (closer to the trunk) to growing branch tips (apices). If anyone tells you that a particular plant prefers to be root bound w/o explaining what they really mean is some growers like to maintain a particular plant in root bound conditions, they're wrong. If "some plants" really did prefer root bound conditions, Mother Nature would surely have arranged the plant's genetics so it grew tight little masses of roots right under the stem ..... but we know there are no plants that naturally occur that way. That said, your plant probably isn't in any immediate danger that pertains to root congestion. You're better to suffer the limitations the plant is now growing under for a while in exchange for a more opportune time to repot, which for you would be next June. Plants have natural rhythms, during which their energy levels wax and wane. For major work, like repotting (which includes root pruning), it's best to ask the plant to endure the added stress of repotting or rejuvenation pruning when its energy levels are at peak - not now when they are at or approaching their lowest levels of the entire growth cycle. If you haven't read it, the link below should be very helpful. If you are wondering about repotting and how to maintain trees in containers for the long haul, this link offers lots of guidance. Al Here is a link that might be useful: Lots more info

HFP! Let them be for awhile. All of my figs died back to the ground. I pulled the mulch away from the trunks this week to find all of them showing growth at root level. My peaches, plums, pears and apples are all green, fruiting and buku growing. I am beginning to understand that figs are a different beast. I pulled figs other years that I thought were dead and probably weren't. I have 6 in the ground and 2 in pots. All are just beginning to show signs of life. It was a tough winter... (I have excuses for everything...)

th102 now is not the ideal time to prune your tree. Having said that. It will still leaf out and produce fruit if you prune it now. The longer you wait the more sap will be flowing thought the tree and the tree will lose more of its energy due to losing more sap. Keep in mind that pruning while the tree is no longer dormant will be a shock to the tree. Thus it will likely appear to stop the active growing process for 1-3 weeks. Your fruiting and ripening cycle this season will also likely be delayed/slowed by roughly the same amount of time.

Removing the already dead section will have no effect on future development - the plant isn't using the dead parts anymore.