I am as green as my tree.  I have a potted BT in my screen enclosure.  I am in Tampa, FL.  It is growing nicely.  (after a made an initial burn mistake).        Not sure if it was trained to be bush from nursery or nature, but I have many horizontal branches.  It is actually hard to discern main branch.  I am attaching picture of the whole tree and photo taken at ground level.  Should I stake to try to train it more upward?

Personally, I would start clipping most of those out to try and get it down to a more manageable trunk spacing, but I've never had a plant with that kind of trunk structure.  I'd start by removing about a third of the branches...the ones that are the smallest or are otherwise at the most objectionable locations to try and open it up a bit.  Then I'd give the plant a bit of a rest from clipping before going back in for more.  I'd probably shoot for training to 3 main trunks spaced fairly evenly.  Again, just my taste.  It sure has put out lots of growth!

How many hours of light does your BT get?

In my humble opinion this looks like 2 trees that I bought from a nurseries where they were mass grown, apparently sprayed with bonsai or a growth retarding spray to make them look more appealing to the public. It will grow out of it. Mine are just starting to grow. I use to use bonsai and sue magic as I was a grower of annuals.

IMO, in a pot, a tree with that many branches never can focus enough energy at a node to grow a leaf large enough to support the production of fruit. As Hershell said, there may well be more than one tree growing. I would do a good deal of thinning to open things up. I have heard your not supposed to remove more than 40% of the canopy at one time when thinning fruit trees like peaches; I'm not sure if this would apply to figs as well. Pesonally, I would remove about half of the braches, starting with the most thin and those whose direction of growth is least favorable. In a month, I might remove a few more. Then this winter during dormancy I would prune it down to the shape I really want. Also, during dormancy if you are really attached to this variety you coud bare root the tree(s) and separate it if you think there is more than one tree growing together.

Mine are single trees. I have two of them a Black Mission and the other is Ischia? but they are very compact and profusely branched. Like nothing that I could grow without growth regulators. I bought them in Alpharetta at Scottsdale Farms. No clue where they bought them.

A BM or a BT? If BM are you saying Black Madeira? I have never heard of any retailers selling Black Madeira. So, if in fact it is Black Madeira, I wonder is someone tissue culturing it? This could turn into an interesting subject.

Calvin, he made it clear in the first post.  BT = Brown Turkey. 

Now, my little opinion.  Do you want a lot of figs in a small place, or do you want a huge tree with more figs?  If you want the first, go bush form.  DO NOT STAKE THE TREE.  But if you actually want a tree, Stake it.  Cut off the suckers (there will be many) until your main trunk gets to the size you want. 

Suzi

If I wanted it in bush form I would do what Greg said, 3 main trunks.

If I wanted tree form, I would select the best looking trunk and remove all the others. I would also remove the lower leaves off
of that selected trunk.

I would then feed it on a regular basis with 1/4 strength Miracle Grow. The leaves on a BT are normally very large and yours are
not probably because of the restriction in that pot and also so many branches to feed.

The bush look is what attracted him to the plant in the first place, that is what it is grown to look like. Is that best, no. I am leaving mine alone and put them in 25 gallon gots to see what happens.

I didnt know that

Hi dolo918,
You've got too many branches on that tree even for a bush form .
For a bush form, you should keep five stems - the biggest and cut the others.
Did you consider multiplying that tree ? It would be easy, just add more compost in the pot up to the top, and by end of the season, you would have some fifteen trees ...
Else just cut ....
Did you already make a move on that topic ?
The tree would start bearing fruits with stems at a length of fifty centimeters ... That is what you should target ...

I staked our potted Battaglia a couple weeks ago and I think it's helped with it growiing up instead of out

If I had that bush....I'd try braiding some of those wiry branches together and form a thicker, composite, main stem, and I'd also stake it.  Cut away....better yet, root all the extra branches.  The braided stems will eventually fuse together and form a thicker trunk.  It will take a few seasons, and you will have branches towards the top of the stem.  Of course, continue to braid, and stake, as the individual branches elongate, and stop at a desired height.  This training method, using braiding, is done with Ficus benjamina and Hibiscus, to create "patio trees".  No matter what you finally decide to do with this multi-stem bush, it will take a few years to get it under control.

Just a few thoughts.... as an "unconventional" alternative.


Frank 




(I wonder if your Brown Turkey started life as a tissue-cultured plant)?