Now that we finally have property to plant my container figs in-ground, I would like to have at least 4 or 5 TREES.  Most of my container figs have many suckers coming up, and I don't want that.  I want a single trunk tree.

What is the rule to get a tree?  I would imagine not pinching the main growth tip? 

My Ronde De Bordeaux came with a small sucker, which is now bigger than the main trunk.  I'd like that one for a tree.  I fear cutting the sucker will make it sucker more.  The hole has been dug for a tree, and it is one of the candidates due to it's height and vigor.  60' tall is the goal. 

I know Violette De Bordeaux is the queen of suckering, which is cool in a container for all those figs you get.

Are some varieties just prone to sucker, and others not?

Is it just a matter of knocking off the side shoots and suckers for years?

Thanks in advance!

Suzi

Nice video, but it didn't answer that one little question.  My RDB already has two trunks!  So, I guess it's doomed to be a bush.  Sad.  Really wanted a tree out of that, but I'm afraid if I divide it, more shoots will come.

Suzi

There are a bunch of NICE twin trunked TREES out there,.   If it were me I would train both trunks as a tree.  My grandfather had several fig TREES that had 2-3 large trunks. 
OR make a choice and cut one of yours and keep additional suckers / branches from coming out

Greg,

This is a good idea!  Maybe I'll twist them into one trunk and let them grow like that.

Thanks!

Suzi

You just have to keep pruning off the unwanted growth and training the parts you want to keep. If you have a sucker that is out-growing the original tree, keep it and lose the rest. That gives you more cuttings to work with. ;-))

or air layer one of the trunks

Pleach or cut, as has been mentioned. 

  I'm curious, why do you want a 60 foot tree? 

How will you get any fruit?  How will you keep birds and other critters from getting them?  You'll also need a pretty big gopher cage.  If enough of the roots get eaten so the canopy can't get enough water the tree will die back and the fruits will drop.

Bob,  We will use the tree as a shade tree over a patio at the top of a giant rock.  We live in hot sunny So CA.  I don't mind sharing with birds and the other critters, and I've got gophers around that tree under control.  Every day I go out and check for any tunneling activity.  There is none on that rock so far.  We'd like the tree to grow 60' tall so that the shade reaches the boat deck and protects some of the walls and windows in the house from the South West sun.

It will replace a huge Liquidamber that we removed because that is one useless tree!  All it did was sucker everywhere and drop these horrible spiky messy pods.  The hole is giant, and surrounded by solid granite with a few cracks that gophers can't dig into, but roots can and do!  We have a tree size gopher cage, which is approx a 15 gallon size.  After that, it will find it's way into those cracks like the Liquidamber did.

How will it gett water?  Drip system in place, and figs love to get their roots under rocks to the water deep in the ground.  Not worried at all!

How will we get fruit?  A ladder?  We'll have to get one of those telescopic fruit picking things.  We need one anyway for the citrus, peaches, plums and apricots... apples.

With all our trees in-ground, there will be plenty of figs for us.  We do not plan to go commercial!!  A plate a day will be fine!

I may pleach, and let both trunks grow.  Haven't decided.

Thanks for all the good information everyone!

Suzi

http://islandagriculture.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/the-basics-of-growing-fruit-and-nut-trees-on-island/

Several style including bush tree and pyramid

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_SZeM45k5s_8/SwrnqTN3-YI/AAAAAAAAALg/wn29LKLPOz0/s1600/pruning+young+trees.jpg

pruning Almonds, although I think it would work well for figs.

http://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1957/22166/pnw400.pdf

several pruning instructions again


I think if you look at it this way you will get what you like,  decide how tall you want the trunk before you see branches, then envision a bush style fig tree starting at that point.  This is basically like a wine glass or as they call it open vase pruning, I think this would do well for you as well.

http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/fruit/irrigation.html#pruning


http://hos.ufl.edu/extension/stonefruit/establishment-stone-fruit-orchards


I would also air layer as was mentioned before you get rid of the one trunk so you would have a central leader not two.

Suzi...

All my trees are trained as single-stem, standard, trees.  To turn a multi-stem bush into a single-stem tree will be a work-in-progress that will take place over the next few years.

Select the stem that seems to be the most vigorous, and train that as your main trunk.  If it leaves the soil line or is growing on too much of an angle, replant the tree until the main-stem/trunk points straight up. Do what is necessary to get the stem to be straight, including tying it every few inches to a straight bamboo pole, etc.   Air layer, or prune off the secondary stem, and get rid of it.  Fertilize your tree and let it grow, unchecked, for a few years to thicken the trunk.  The more vegetation, the thicker the trunk must grow to support all the new wood, and leaves.  After the basic trunk and some branches are established, start pruning away all unnecessary branches that spoil your design concept.  Rub out all buds that will sprout from the main trunk.  Don't allow suckering.  Keep your vision in mind and eliminate everything else that doesn't conform.

This process will take a few years, and training becomes easier as time goes on.  Figs are very dynamic growers, and in your climate, you'll probably have a nice 'tree" in hardly any time.

You will get a thicker trunk in a shorter amount of time if you tightly pleach/plait/braid a few stems together and let them fuse, and self-graft.  Do this while new wood is still green and easily bent to shape, or, the stems will crack.

If you want a very large tree, I'd start training a good "Black Mission" strain.  This variety is known for the very large, ultimate size and height.  Stay away from dwarf varieties.

Have fun, and good growing.  I'll be starting this process with two new figs that I got last year.  Both have double-stems, and will be air-layered to form single-stem trees.

Frank

Thanks Chivas and Frank!

Is Ronde De Bordeaux a dwarf variety?  That would be sad, but I have other places for bushy fig trees, and I know you all want me to grow a bushy RDB for cuttings (See? I know you well!)!  How about Marseilles Vs Black?  Will that one grow tall?  I've got that and hardy Chicago.  Will Adriatic or Galbun grow tall?  Considering those too.

I already planted LSU gold which is huge, in a place that requires a big tree.  I also planted Unknown OC Rich which is also single trunk amazing growth!  I planted a baby in ground, fully protected in a gopher basket and vole/rabbit cage  and that one is Col De Dama Negra.  It will be tree trained, and in the week it's been in real dirt in real sun, it's showing love.  Panachee is another that will be tree trained, and it has already popped the top of it's 2' high rabbit/vole cage.  The Panachee will shade the house, and is next to a big deck, but growing below the deck.  Picking will be easy from the deck.

Any suggestions besides Black Mission (don't have it) would be great!

Suzi

When I moved to CA the house I rented had a 30-50' tall mission type fig tree.  I had no idea what it or the big purple fruits were.  I brought some to work and that's how I got hooked on figs.

Prune, baby, prune.

RdB, according to Baud, will get around 16 feet tall and 23 feet wide.

Chivas,

Thanks for that!  I really didn't know Rdb was a dwarf variety.  It will be grown in-ground elsewhere on the property, and it can keep both trunks.  I'll research my other varieties, and see what else I have that will grow into a mighty fig tree. 

Suzi :-))

Desertdance as a note RDB is a fast growing type in containers.
It easily kept pace with my mission when i had that plant .

Its also my opinion that it will grow taller than 16ft if the grower prunes it accordingly to do so.

I dont believe in so called dwarf types for a fig tree never stops growing just that some are naturally slower in growth Ronde is not one of those slow growers in our yard as i have had several of them before i gave one away and kept the other.

I would suggest a Col de Dama since a large tree of that with late harvest of delicious fruit would be a choice for me.  

Although now getting someone else to explain the french to me in that translation, Baud is only saying that 16 feet is the maximum height normally in the orchard with pruning done, so in the end I couldn't say how tall, sorry for the confusion and the lack of good understanding of french on my part.  He says that height for everything, including panachee.

What about Bourjosotte Gris, Adriatic, Galbun, or Ronde De Deux? 

My Col de Dama Negra is already in-ground, and I don't want to disturb it.  It's doing fine, but got a little sunburn.  I just clothes-pinned shade cloth over it's rabbit/vole cage (I know..Tacky) to provide a little shelter until it gets established.

Suzi