Hello.  I moved into my apartment in Brooklyn, NY in Nov 2007.  There is a beautiful fig tree in the back that both seasons produced about 200 figs.  During the 2 winters I have been here I haven't pruned it or done anything to help it get through the winter and both seasons it has survived and produced lots of fruit.

I'd like to prune it this year as it is getting a little too big for my small backyard.  Also, I've noticed that some of the branches are resting on each other or crossing, which I've heard is bad.

I've attached some pictures of the tree.  These pictures were taken last week so you can see it is still producing fruit.

So my questions are:

a) What type of fig tree is this?

b) When and how should I prune this?  From searching the internet (and this forum) the standard advice seems to be: wait until the tree is dormant and then cut it back 1/3.  Does this apply to my tree?

c) Do I need to wrap it or do anything to it so it survives the winter?  As mentioned, I haven't done anything the 2 winters I have been here.  Maybe I'm just lucky.

Thanks so much.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Well, these are not issues I have in San Diego, but here are some thoughts.

If it has survived two winters (and presumably some before you arrived), then protection may not be an issue, even though it usually is in you neck of the woods.

In colder climates, as I understand it, if you want the cuttings for propagation, you take them in the fall, in case they get damaged by the winter cold. Here, I prune in late January, when the trees finally get dormant. In general, you can prune any time they are dormant, up until bud break. In your climate, waiting till just before bud break will keep you from having open "wounds" on the tree over the winter, where molds and infection are most likely to enter.

You can prune to make the tree smaller (I shorten some of mine by 10 feet every season). You can prune to remove crossing/rubbing branches, open the center, etc. If you are ripening main crop figs, fell free to prune as much as you like. If you are relying on breba figs, pruning is more tricky. You might try pruning half the branches hard and leaving the others to fruit, and doing that on an alternating year cycle.

Thanks!  That's really helpful.  I'm assuming the buds break at the beginning of spring so pruning would be best at the end of the winter.

Budbreak is different for different types of plants, and different climates, so you have to judge that for your location. At the extreme, here in 2009, for small potted figs, dormancy was 3rd week of March and budbreak was 1st week of April. In ground plants were dormant earlier, but bud break about the same.

Peaches, Nectarines, apples, etc, here might have budbreak in January if we have a warm spell. In New England, and many other places, buds opening that early would surely be frozen back before spring, eliminating that year's crop. Your "last frost date"  will also give you an idea of when anticipate budbreak.

I have a few in ground trees in Queens.  I dont cover them though having lived and worked in Brooklyn for years have noticed that most people there cover their trees.  I always wait until my trees are dormant before pruning.  I never thought about the tree having open wounds  through the winter but it is a good point.  Last winter was the worst one in years for fig trees around here.  I know of lots of trees that died.  If yours did ok, and it looks like it did, maybe it dosent need covering?  But who knows what next winter brings.  Send me an e-mail if you need any help pruning or help otherwise.