Hello everyone, I had a question about my fig tree that  I received last year. How do I encourage it to grow stems from the trunk?? Its in the condition that I received it in but will only at the top of the trunk. The variety is really unknown to me, the grower I bought it from calls it a kalamata fig tree but there is absolutely no information out there on the web that I could find on that certain variety. I've done some research on it. would pinching the top encourage stems to grow?? I have no clue as where to start. Any help would be appreciated! thanks!

You can pinch out the growth tip to induce branching, however, your plant looks very young and would probably do best to grow out for at least a year

not suggesting this but.. in fall of 2010, i got three threes that looked about what you have. they were rooted in spring of 2010. i wanted them to be rather larger. starting spring 2011, i fed them miracle gro for plants. they grew like weeds, including branching out.

pete

karate...

Use the "search" option on this forum for information regarding your 'Kalamata', Greek figs.  Also, plenty of information on the web.  I checked.

Your 'trees" are really just rooted cuttings at this point, and I would let them grow out for a few seasons before doing a drastic cut back on the main stem, which will encourage bud break towards the bottom of the main stem.  You may get a fig "bush" by this method, and not a classic "tree" form.  Decide what you want, and research methods for pruning fig trees, either on this forum, the other fig forum, or, on You-Tube - which has videos on pruning fig trees.

If you give your fig trees the correct culture, they will triple their present size in one season.  They'll need bigger pots, or potential growth will be limited.

Hope this helps.  Enjoy!

Frank

PS....Where will you grow these trees, and what climate zone do you live in?

Cutting the top is one option. However, there is a method to induce growth at a dormant node with good percentage of success(>40% in my case).
The nodes below the branches are kept dormant by an agent coming down from the top portion of the growth (can't remember that name of this agent).
By creating a deep enough notch (& removing bark inside the notch) above  some selected nodes, the supply of the agent causing dormancy is disrupted. This disruption of the agent keeping the node in dorrmancy allows the node to generate growth.

Some reading on the subjeect:
http://www.weekendgardener.net/tree-information/notching-buds-120912.htm

http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/119/4/678.full.pdf

That's great info Akram, that's what I love about this site. I have the perfect tree to try notching on. It's a rare one and I think I'd rather notch it than pinch it at this time. It too, is only growing as a whip. It is a slow grower and is going into it's third year. Thanks for posting, I learn something every day.
"gene"

Thanks to everyone for their personal experiences and help with my questions!! Being a member of this forum is really gonna help me out! Thanks again!!

re: BronxFigs,  I'm in chicago Zone 5

Akram, fantastic news. Now I have options. I just did a bunch of pinching and I have some smaller like 15" high that I can try out. That is what I would do to my Gentile.

Ottowan...

Thanks from me also. 

Now those overly long branches with leaves only at the very ends, will be notched today.  I find it difficult to build a decent branch structure on my fig trees, and pinching out the terminal buds seems to only induce bud breaks just below the pinching, but still concentrated at the tips of branches.  Now, I'll have another technique in my bag of tricks.

If all goes as planned, I will be able to increase the number of fig-bearing branches, while still keeping the trees at a manageable size.   I notice that each year, even with terminal bud pinching, the branches are too long, and bear figs only at the ends where new leaves grow.

Can't wait to notch!

Frank

Plant that grows upwards has apical dominance i mention this in past when i learned about it .
Also its been reported one of the guys at Belleclare experimented with one of the plants hormones obtained in a spray on a san pedro type fig plant that bore a main crop afterwards.
Here is good article about plant hormones and the roles they play in a plant.
The first 3 listed hormones are important.
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobookplanthorm.html

ottowan thanks for those links....just put some notches on my stonefruit trees this AM. 

Anecdotally, it seems if you wait for the tip bud to break dormancy, and them pinch it off, it seem to stimulate more side buds that if you pinch/prune when dormant. Maybe the greater energy flow after breaking dormancy is channeled to more buds when the apical dominance is interrupted, whereas beginning sap flow after removing the apical bud, allow the sap flow to concentrate on the next most apical bud, rather than being distributed.

Excellent work with linking up reference materials, and a great subject that can have rewarding results for many fig growers.  I never fail to learn something good from these fig forums.

Thanks one and all.

Frank

Bump this up

This seems like a good time of year for newer growers like myself to be reminded of notching. I would love to hear more from those who have used notching on figs. Did it encourage branching as you thought? What was  your success rate? Are there limits or conditionals we should be aware of?

It just increases the probability of branching and (in my opinion & experience) more so on a branch about 2 and 3 years old. With older big branches the beanching probability is not high.

@Akram, are you talking about FitoEstrogen? The agent that gives the plants the sudden growth...

GREAT THREAD!!! THANKS

Aaron
No. I am just talking about a notch above a node to cut off the agent that flows from apical part of the plant to inhibit the bud growth. The notching above the bud cuts of the supply of the inhibitor (can't remember the technical term for the agent).

huh, interesting, we need pics of that process ;)

Hi all,
Normally, I wait for the winter to pinch my trees - some call that: winter die-back :( .
My BT is to me well branched with two stems (year1) from dirt with each four to six branches (year2) and now with three or four buds coming per branch (year3).
This year, my Dalmatie tree2 managed to keep her terminal tips - perched at 1m80 of height - so I cut back in end of March to 75cm of height.
Now each stem have 4 buds growing a branch from those main stems - so success. Those new stems will have this whole season to harden off ! And produce if they still want to be kept alive :)

So -in Zone7- if you want branching cut the tips/stems on end of March - you could still do it now - especially those with growth season starting now - , but "hurry (*)" as to not loose too much growth .
(*) you can only hurry, once you know what is still alive. Don't trim a tree if you don't know how the winter hit her. This winter was sort of mild here - although not tropical at all with -15°C temps .

ok I am going to try this notching on my fig trees ....see if it works . I already pinch terminal buds at 5 05 6 leaves .

lets see the theory.. if I notch above node it will induce a new branch ...figs grow mostly on new WOOD .

IF I notch/nick below the node this will induce the formation of a breba fig on OLD WOOD   

Who has done this and how did it work for you .

when would best time to try this  now  ....or in the spring or .. below for breba now and later above a node for branching . or visa versa ...   hummm.....?

Austin

I have done notching above a bud for inducing branch sprouting. It worked a good percentage on younger branches and less on older branches. 
As has been written in some threads on this forum, plants send growth inhibitor to lower branches in order to prioritize top growth and a notch above the bud disconnects path for the growth inhibiting agent to the bud and the bud is free to do its thing if it is still a viable bud. Some buds may not be viable because of age or other damage and may not respond to notching.
I have never done notching for fruit induction and leave it to the nature.

I tried it once last mid-summer after a kid knocked off a scaffold branch established that spring. I notched above a green bud in nearly the same plane, just lower on the trunk. Nothing happened, I'm hoping it goes this spring.

hanks for comments .








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I AM WONDERING  if an air layer would grow while there kind of dormant in cool basement for winter ?



[QUOTE]ok I am going to try this notching on my fig trees ....see if it works . I already pinch terminal buds at 5 05 6 leaves .

lets see the theory.. if I notch above node it will induce a new branch ...figs grow mostly on new WOOD .

IF I notch/nick below the node this will induce the formation of a breba fig on OLD WOOD   

Who has done this and how did it work for you .

when would best time to try this  now  ....or in the spring or .. below for breba now and later above a node for branching . or visa versa ...   hummm.....?[/QUOTE]  

Interesting thread, this is the first im hearing about this and will try it on some of my trees at home.  

Joshua  what do you think best times to do this notching . for ether branching or breba  ...hummm now or spring ?

I still am hopping to hear from those that have actually tried the notching for branches or fruit and there results??