I like to keep my container figs as compact as possible since they all have to be carried & stored in a basement in the winter.  When I'm pruning I'm always trying to get  2 offsets to form below the cut.  Is there any tricks to increasing the odds that this will happen?  Or are there other determining factors such as variety, time of year, vigor of plant, etc.  If I had to guess, based on my own experiences, I would say that variety plays a role, since a few of my trees almost always have this behavior while other varieties I've never succeeded.

You typed
When I'm pruning I'm always trying to get  2 offsets to form below the cut.

Im not sure but do you mean 2 offshoots?

If thats what you mean make cut a little above a node and this is where they develop.

Ha, yes, I meant to say offshoots.  Sorry about that & I'll give yr advice a try.

Can one make these little cuts at anytime or only at the time of pruning?

I make prune in winter for various reasons and branches during the season for production of figs on individual branches.

Anyone having problems with fig borers?  The three lined fig borer is a very damaging pest here.  I read if you prune your fig bush you risk infestation of the fig borer larvae which tunnel through the wood destroying the fig tree.

I talk with the fig Gods to keeps pest away from my yard. ; )

JCA
on more serious note im very lucky
 when it comes to pests of any kind including the birds who take daily baths in large fountain thats right dab smack in the middle of many of my fig trees. I grow all dark types but them birds here are just blind or dont like my figs. They even land on the branches at times.
One season problem with ants but i fixed that problem with tanglefoot and they never came back.

JCA, where is "here"?

Beyondista,

You can cut above a node during the growing season, the tree would form branches at that point/node. That's what I did last season with some of my trees which were getting very tall.

JCA,

I know someone had the problem with fig borers before and they covered the whole tree with a steel mesh cage (one used for screen doors). He made a frame using 2 by 4s and nailed the steel mesh to the frame and placed his trees under the cage.
You can buy a role of 4 by 6 foot from Lowe's for around $9.00. Also you can kill them by hand or.. or you could buy a electric fly zapper and hang it somewhere away from the tree, you might be able to decrease their populations.

Navid.


 

JCA,

No, they are not a big problem here up north and I never have seen them either. My friend lives in Florida and has to battle the fig bores.