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Now's the time to pinch buds!

I have been pinching buds for the last 2 days.....Actually, I am about sick of pinching but last year I seen how good things got when you pinch them. So, I have 38 trees in the ground plus my pots and I am not through yet. For sure, it works! There are several good videos on this and newbies should be watching them to learn how it's very simple. Below will show you an actual case from last year, how  pinching works to make some plants branch and put on fruit! Hope this helps some members here.Oh yea, this plant was fed every week, with a diluted mixture of "Miracle Grow" 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.


Pinching Works!.jpg

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Wow! That looks great, Frank. Good call, I'm going to do that now. I wasn't sure when to start, but I guess now is the time. Thanks!
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I have been gradually doing that on some of my plants past few weeks, depending on their rate of growth.  Agree it makes a difference in branching and figlet appearance
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Thanks Frank , it's always nice to have a more experienced member reassure us on things like this
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Great reminder, Frank.  And a beautiful tree you have there!  Pinching is one of the best things you can do for a fig tree.
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  • Sas

Great stuff Frank.

Would you still pinch if there's fruit set close to the tip?

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A picture is worth a thousand words,  Good idea to show before and after pinching.

That's some good growth especially for a Black Maderia. 
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At how many leaves do you pinch at? I started doing at every third leaf last year and this year and keep seeing people pinching at 6 or 7 now. Is pinching at three too much?
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Originally Posted by Sas
Great stuff Frank. Would you still pinch if there's fruit set close to the tip?



Sas, That's a good question...If you were going for just fruit, I would not, but if I wanted more branching say on a rare cultivar, I think I would pinch at the expense of the fruit..
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Originally Posted by indestructible87
At how many leaves do you pinch at? I started doing at every third leaf last year and this year and keep seeing people pinching at 6 or 7 now. Is pinching at three too much?


Travis, I have been pinching at 3-6 leafs...Seems to be working pretty well already! : )
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I pinched my plants as soon as I read this.
Thanks!!
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Great info! Thanks, Frank!
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I pinched my wife. Not the same results.
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Is it safe to pinch a very young fig? It's about 15 inches tall that was a rooted cutting, just a main branch.
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musillid     hahahaha
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Originally Posted by Figfanatic57
Is it safe to pinch a very young fig? It's about 15 inches tall that was a rooted cutting, just a main branch.


I start when they are young, especially if they have no branching..... The tree in the photo had no branching until I pinched the buds.... Hope this helps. : )
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Originally Posted by Figfanatic57
Is it safe to pinch a very young fig? It's about 15 inches tall that was a rooted cutting, just a main branch.


Just curious, but why would you want to pinch something that young? 

I normally don't prune or pinch anything the first year or two, unless a branch dies.   Plenty of time for that later, and one wants to encourage maximum growth early on.

I am pinching my larger inground trees every couple of weeks this time of year.  That's about how long it takes a healthy tree to produce  new growth buds.
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Centurion, I have been trading airlayers and will be trading a Peloponnisiaka Aspra and Martinenca Rimada for a Ponte Tresa. So, that is why I want to pinch. Normally, I have been just airlayering out of place branches.
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Originally Posted by Centurion


Just curious, but why would you want to pinch something that young? 

I normally don't prune or pinch anything the first year or two, unless a branch dies.   Plenty of time for that later, and one wants to encourage maximum growth early on.

I am pinching my larger inground trees every couple of weeks this time of year.  That's about how long it takes a healthy tree to produce  new growth buds.


I respect the way you pinch your trees but every case is not textbook or the way you do it. The Black Maderia Tree I posted was only a year old about 15" Tall and done great, the second photo is only 2 months later. When it comes to rare Trees (such as this particular tree with no FMV, is rare), I  totally disagree with your idea on pinching. Look at the results with the photos! ......,....Have a great Year..: )
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Originally Posted by Frankallen
I have been pinching buds for the last 2 days.....Actually, I am about sick of pinching but last year I seen how good things got when you pinch them. So, I have 38 trees in the ground plus my pots and I am not through yet. For sure, it works! There are several good videos on this and newbies should be watching them to learn how it's very simple. Below will show you an actual case from last year, how  pinching works to make some plants branch and put on fruit! Hope this helps some members here.Oh yea, this plant was fed every week, with a diluted mixture of "Miracle Grow" 1 teaspoon per gallon of water.


Pinching Works!.jpg
~LOOKS REAL GOOD FRANK ~
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I pinched my wife. Not the same results.


LOL, good one Dale.


In regards to pinching small or young trees...it depends on what you want and it also depends on the growth rate of the tree. So potted or in ground can weigh on this choice. A young potted tree in shorter season zone may not put on much growth with pinching. Overall it still just depends on what you want, an all out bush or something else. Also, pinching for shaping/pruning/growth or pinching for production are two different things. Pinching for fruit development on a rather small or young tree shouldn't really be done, unless you have a really long season.
I personally am rather selective about my pinching. I have a few branches I have pinched lately for production, but most I have been letting go because I want a thicker longer branch to grow this season, and around bud swell next spring I will prune them back to the buds I want to see growing. To further the method, if I pinched some of these branches now..I may be eliminating buds which will develop and face in the direction of future desired scaffolding. I have a few long season figs which are also late to put on figs and have decided to again not worry about figs and let them continue to establish strong well manicured form seeing I don't think I will have 120 days to end up ripening these figs with any reliable heat at this point. Another point not mentioned which new growers may not know, often times once a tree develops a fruit load the new veg growth will stop. At least that's how it works for me, I can either have growth or figs or a little bit(not much) of each and young/small trees don't carry a very big fruit load before stopping all vegetative growth(in my yard anyway). Lastly, a small tree that was over cropped is much more susceptible to winter mortality, I lost one this winter which still baffles me because I thought it was big enough and hardened off fine but it never woke up with the rest and all things were equal.

To sum it up. What is your goal, how long a season do you have, and how old and/or vigorous is your tree. These points need to be considered when pinching.

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I have pinched the Peloponnisiaka Aspra to airlayer. I pinched the top single branch and removed 5 lower leaves. The purpose was so I can airlayer for a future trade. As long as it doesn't die no harm done. I will post pics and info of future progress. It should stay in warm until October.
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Hey Calvin, that is one outstanding Post! Thanks so much! Have a great Season : )
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Originally Posted by indestructible87
At how many leaves do you pinch at? I started doing at every third leaf last year and this year and keep seeing people pinching at 6 or 7 now. Is pinching at three too much?


Travis,

Pinching at 3 leaves will give you a very densely branched fig, perhaps too dense and will keep the sun out of the interior of the canopy. Remember,  you need light penetration. I pinch at 5 or 6, sometimes 7 leaves, depending on all other factors. I think 3 is too tight.
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Hey Frank, thanks. Your Black Mad is looking good.
My Black Mad KK is healthy but still such a slow grower in comparison to other varieties. I actually have 2, one I have been using as a scion producer(unsuccessfully so far I might add) and am going to graft a handful of T-buds to an aggressive unknown that turned out to be a smryna type.

Happy growing!
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