I know light has a lot to do with node spacing.  What else does?  Is it the variety? Water?
PH? Fertilizer?  Anything else?

What are your thoughts?

Light is a big part of it, but anything that affects growth rate affects distance between nodes. Variety can play a role as more vigorous trees grow faster and have greater distances between nodes. Also temp and day length also play a role.

Yes i also feel variety can play a big role, i can fertilize all my trees the same but the nodal spacing  can be different despite some same age and all sharing the same glow from the sky, potting mix etc.

Any culture difference can make a difference.  Soil culture and amount/mix of available nutrients, watering, health of the roots.  Everything that affects growth rate.

Julie

One of the reasons I ask this is on my tree is in-ground. some nodes are close some are further apart.  Cuttings I have received, some are real close so the cutting is short - 4 nodes, 4".  Some were 3 nodes and 5-6".  They were different varieties from different members.  I did receive the same variety from 2 different members and the cuttings looked different and the nodes were spaced different.

I never really gave it much thought but am learning from this( great post) i have some new growths on the same tree that has closer nodes than the other. guess i always thought a plant will do what it will do. now if there is a way to get a desired node spacing i am not sure but if there is i would like to know.

Here is some good discussion about inter-node spacing relation to effect of fertilization routine:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg081203582926.html

I guess that one of the real advantages of the nodes being closer together is that you may get more potential growing wood out of a given cutting. eg:  if I receive a 9" or 10" cutting and it has many nodes very close together(in some cases 10 or 11 nodes) then I cut it in half and grow two trees.  That really helps me because I have lots of family, friends, and Forum members who want trees from me, so all the extra ones that I grow I just give away.  There's only so many that I can keep for myself(usually 1 of each variety).

Forever
here is another possible advantage.

Yes Martin, more fruit. I love it when someone uses a pic to tell the story. As for any other input, I don't know any of the educated or scientific words, but will throw out a couple of thoughts. When the nodes are closer together the wood is hardened better, usually because of slower growth. One of the things I've been experimenting on(pinching)is to see if this happens when done. Any colder climate it is best to have slower growth, so when the temps are low the plant has a better shot at surviving. Because it is harden. It's a very good topic, because it means you are paying attention of how the tree is growing. With all the different climate zones and soils, there are changes.


luke

To protect some of my newest trees, I kept them in the partial shade of the vineyard and larger, more established figs, during our hot summers, and they all grew a little leggy, reaching for sun, but it's really HOT here, and I'm happy that they all survived their first year!  There is more space between nodes, but next year will be different.  They will be in full sun, in ground, and the war won't be against heat!  I'll get to take on critters of the four legged kind!!

This is a great thread!  Glad you posted it!

Suzi

Think bonsai: Everything that's done is meant to reduce internodal length.

Age also can affect nodal distance. Older trees grow slower and will have shorter distance between nodes than young fast growth.

Different fig varieties behave different.
Some produce thin/short-noded twigs (e.g., my dwarfish Wuhan).
Some produce fat/long-noded twigs (e.g.,  my vigorous Bourjassotte Grise).
Local environment and (any) fertilizing does change things too.

While I have rooted some one(1) twigs (horizontally),
a minimum 2 noded twig is preferred (vertical - one node ea. below/above soil).
Of couse the more nodes  - the better ...