Encanto Farms Nursery > Categories > What to do with this fig tree...

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The_montreal_Fig

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Posts: 313

I just want a second opinion on this one. (see picture)

At the beginning of June I bought 3 "5 years old" fig trees grown in garbage cans and I want to do some heavy pruning on the branches and roots.

The two trees have never been root pruned in their life.

My plan is to transfer the two trees in two separate 20 gallon containers

I am probably going to do this towards next spring as I will be busy this fall.

However, I want to get a head start with your feedback!

If anyone has experience with this kind of surgical procedure let me know
americanfiglover

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Posts: 643

I don't know much about it but i would say wait until it is dormant or something.

OttawanZ5

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Posts: 2,551

The current pot, taller in height but smaller in diameter, does not look bigger than 7-gallon in my judgment. So moving to 20-gallon pot should just require minor pruning of roots for rejuvenation only.
Branch pruning should be done as any other bush for light and air circulation and removing branches in awkward positions/direction and for the height of your choice. This is not based on fig growing experience but general gardening experience (which is not too much because I cannot take care of those little squirrels that killed my only and lonely Early Violet that survived through all the fungus gnats etc this spring).
paully22

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Posts: 2,719

Michal, thats a biggie. I would just pull it out & placed it in a larger pot. Please don't over disturb the roots too much although figs are  resilent. Judging from the size of the pot relative to tree size, your newly acquired tree will be very root bound. The main reason to put it into a larger pot is to ensure the roots are not cooked/overheated by the summer sun as it is root bound & would not retained moisture/nutrients too well.  Then in late winter or early spring, root prune the tree. Take cuttings in early Fall to ensure spares or better still air layer some spares now.
Dieseler

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Posts: 8,252

Michal.
if your going to seperate those 2 trees showing in picture wait till yjey are fully dormant, get something real sharp like a bow saw with fine tooth blade so your not ripping but make a clean cuts on the roots. Try to find a area where you will cut that saves the most roots for each individual tree and then make 1 clean cut to seperate and pot them . Afterwards you prune, seems like each tree has a few nice thick branches (keep those)  but shorten them and cut the smaller ones connected to them to where you have several nodes left. Cut out the thinnest ones and work from there so the middle of the tree as you look at it is open . Here is example of some without leaves such as yours is now for an idea to shape somewhat, but you should cut branches shorter to match your smaller root system which would be more ideal.
pitangadiego

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Posts: 5,447

I am for waiting till it is dormant before separating or dong anything that will disturb the roots. If you want to do some pruning for size and shape, now, in preparation, go for it.
The_montreal_Fig

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Posts: 313

Thank you very much for this great information!

Yes I will wait until the season is over and then I will proceed with the "surgery".
Dieseler

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Posts: 8,252

When you say SURGERY i think of our healthcare system (ouch).
Anyways be careful and dont do what i did and get stuck in neck or face with those limbs , it was a very dumb thing that happened to me this past winter.
Its so easy to get careless at least for me such as today digging and axeing the roots of a spruce that recently died and scraping a layer of skin off my forearm for me and trees limbs dont mix well for some reason . One more spruce to do surgery with, it would have been a good video with me a rope and garden tractor doing the spruce pull today, the rope finally broke when the 5 ft stump came out whew i made it with lots of soreness and sweat.
OttawanZ5

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Posts: 2,551

Dieseler
You should have called me for help.
The_montreal_Fig

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Posts: 313

Dieseler:

Ouch it surely was no fun.

I wish I could help your health care system but I think the patients would run away if they saw me with a big saw in the operation room.
Cuddywhiffer

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Posts: 19

Michal,  Good looking tree.  If you follow Pitangadiego's advice about doing some pruning now in preparation for repotting/separation, I would love some of the dormant (vegetable crisper) cuttings, whether the trees are known varieties or not.

John (nb figger)