I have a fig tree that is about 4 years old. I think I put it in the ground in summer of 2014. The first year, it shot up straight and tall with no side branches. I tried pinching it, but it always grew right back out of the top or just below it. I tried bending it over when it was still young enough to do so, but no branches. Last season, I headed it back at least three times, cutting off several feet on the leader each time... but still, it grows taller. I even tried scoring a line just above nodes where I wanted a branch. Nada on the lower part of the trunk.

I am convinced that this tree will never make lower side shoots on it's own. In this picture, you can see where I made a drop-crotch cut just above the lowest branch. I would like branches to begin at around 18" from the ground. If I am unable to get a branch to grow on the lower part, would grafting be a good option? The tree is now 5 feet tall and is about 1" diameter where I made the cut on top (so I guess max. caliper is around 2"). What type of grafts would be best to make scaffold branches? Will grafted branches be strong when the tree is mature? Where should I place them? What time of year should I do it? I don't need a lot of detail, but I would appreciate a shove in the right direction.

If anybody has a technique to make side branches without grafting, I'd love to hear that too. But, now I am sort of excited about making a Frankenfig.

 

Unique, I like it :)

Some really like to grow one shoot straight up. The one thing I have seen work is to prune it back after it is vigorously growing. The apical but (top most) is the one most likely to break bud. My suspicion is that when it is actively growing and you remove the apical but (the new growth) no bud is prepared to have dominance, so several buds break in the "confusion".

I bet if you cut below that single branch, you'd get plenty of side branching. That single remaining branch is just functioning as the new lead, so no growth hormone going to dormant buds.

I have always been leaving one branch because I was afraid that if it did not grow any side shoots, it would die. Jon and Calvin, sounds like you are both saying that all I have to do is cut the thing down to 3 or 4 feet tall leaving no branches, and that will force the lower buds to pop? Vigorous growth starts right around this time of year. So should I do that now? 

Thanks for your responses.

If possible you could always bend it at a 90 degree angle to try and force the lower buds to grow.  This may take several weeks of gradually increasing the bend.

You could also air layer that top branch and start over.

You could also go for hormone treatments. The fig of course, not you! You could stimulate buds to grow by using 6-BAP, also known as Keiki paste and Maxcel. I use 7500ppm Maxcel in latex paint on my apple trees to stimulate branching. And I gave it a try on a fig I cut off over the winter - i painted the top 3 buds, and they've all popped open. Of course - they probably would have done that either way....

I agree once its growing virtuously cut it back. Give it so gogo juice to help it along and when its really growing chop it !!!! Still do some side grafting. Any where but at least one foot up from ground. Cut into tree about 1/4 inch in or so cut your grafting scion on both sides so it looks like a chisel line up cambium one one side on mother tree and scion. Push it in tight. Then use rubber bands and wrap it tightly over the graft. Use lots of bands. Never to many. You want it tight. Then wrap grafting tape around graft. Or some kind of tape. Teflon tape works just l8ke grafting tape. Well you have to really figure it out on your own to find your way. Now it grafting season.

How strange.I'd take that down as low as possible..18" sounds good as long as you have tight internodals just below the cut.
Then hit it heavily with a good fertilizer and wait.If it only throws one branch pinch it relentlessly to try to force growth elsewhere
on the trunk.Worst case scenario,it'll be at a good height to begin grafting to.

I would leave the leaves that are there so thy can make energy for the rest of the plant. Pinch out the bud tip and then give the tree some high nitrogen fertilizer. You should get lateral growth. 

If you don't mind it growing multi-branch type then I will suggest the same as tyro mentioned above (18" to 14").
Also, as a bonus try to root the top portion in ground as they do it in Turtkey and the surrounding areas.

Hi,
I would remove a third in height of that trunk. I seem to see lots of nodes there .
Here, when I cut this time of the year, I get good branching... but I lose those brebas ... One can't have it all ...
Hit that tree with fertilizer and good watering to induce more growth and possible branching.

You can then try to root the removed portion .
Good luck ! and remember: This is not an exact science ... Some trees are stubborn ... One needs to be more than them, and potentially give up and try with a new rooted tree ...

I like the idea of giving her some fertilizer and waiting for new shoots to appear before I make the cut. 

I would do an airlayer at about 24". When it has good roots, cut it off. The lower part will branch out nicely. Good luck.

I just hiked up to the tree in question. I haven't done anything to her yet, besides make that drop crotch cut you can see in the photo, which was I guess was about 3 weeks ago. Well, she is popping out buds from top to bottom! Lot's of them! We have had a lot of rain lately, and in between the showers, a lot of sunshine. I think she just needed some lovely weather.

I made drop crotch cuts like that three times last year and no lower buds popped. I understand what Jon was explaining about making a non-heading cut - that it won't induce lower buds to sprout. If I had made a heading cut last year, I would have already had some scaffold branches. Anyway, I'll have more than I need this year.

Thank you everyone for your advice and comments. Now to decide if I want to make a cut anyway to change to an open vase, or leave the current leader and go for a modified central leader shape. Hmmm...

This is very interesting. Did you root the cutting or did you buy the plant? It would be interesting to know how the parent of your fig tree behaved: did it grow like a pole as well or is this a new trait. You might take cuttings (it appears you are cutting away a lot at this plant!) , root them and look how the clones behave.