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New fig advice

Hello! I am a total fig novice and planted my first onelast year. This desert king was a 3 ft twig last September and has grown like crazy. It is now almost 8ft and only has one branch. Everything I have read says not to prune til winter, but I am afraid if I don't do something this skinny guy is going to blow over. It is currently staked and watered with drip. Seems pretty happy! I have removed most of the new figs on the advice from others. Would appreciate any advice regarding how to best care and prune this fig in its current state! (I have since removed all the squash seen in this photo.) Thanks in advance!

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Prune it when dormant. Let it have all the photosynthesis it can have to develop roots and strength.

You have many options.  Since your tall tree will require some pruning why not stake the first side branch vertically, and train this branch as your new main stem.... start multiple air-layers on the tallest stem... and make some new trees.  Establish the basic main-stem and branch structure of your tree, first.  The fig harvest will come later.  However, depending on your climate zone, it might be better to do this kind of work next season.   Basic pinching techniques will then keep your reshaped tree within bounds.  More branches = more leaves = more figs. 

Pruning and shaping a tree will take a few seasons, and is really a work-in-progress.  But it's easy and rewarding.... you'll also get many more figs at the end.  Read everything about pruning, pinching, air-layering, rooting cuttings: (green and dormant wood), staking, etc. 

Caveats!  I believe Desert King is a "breba producer" which means edible figs will grow only on older wood.  There is a great video that explains and shows how your DK fig tree should be pruned for fig production.  Maybe a forum member can link you to the video, which has been posted on this forum.

Good luck...you can and will do it.

Frank

Hi,
Desert King being a "san Pedro", I wouldn't cut now, but next season after the breba harvest.
Why not stake the higher one, say to the left instead of upright ? and the small to the right. Like an espalier.
Bend the bigger one, step by step , don't to it right away or it may crack.
The tree is yours, so decide what you think is best :)
Keep us posted :)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramblingsbyrach
Hello! I am a total fig novice and planted my first onelast year. This desert king was a 3 ft twig last September and has grown like crazy. It is now almost 8ft and only has one branch. Everything I have read says not to prune til winter, but I am afraid if I don't do something this skinny guy is going to blow over. It is currently staked and watered with drip. Seems pretty happy! I have removed most of the new figs on the advice from others. Would appreciate any advice regarding how to best care and prune this fig in its current state! (I have since removed all the squash seen in this photo.) Thanks in advance!
~i just recived this tree in late may it was only 4" tall just a new tree from wellspring gardens,i pinched the top off at about18" and wow i got all kinds of branching out,pinching makes  it branch out from near the bottom adding DESERT KING 1.JPG  a photo this tree is really growing fast ,i have an airlayer on it to ,~this tree is right at 3 months old!~this is a desert king tree~


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