OK, time for a quick fruit tree pruning primer.

Here goes.....

Take a good look at your tree. Start by taking out any diseased, damaged or crossing branches and any branches growing back toward the center from the surrounding branches. Also cut any growth that is growing out of a branch that is growing downward at a steep angle.

Next cut out branches that directly shade out other branches. If you allow space between branches that overlap/shade other branches the remaining branches will receive more air flow and greater light penetration which will lead to a tree that is more vigorous with more fruit production of higher quality.

(Keep in mind. In a dry hot desert climate braches can be closer together which is why most people here grow in a bush form. In a climate with more rain or humidity there needs to be more room for air flow and more space between branches that shade each other. So yes climate does play a role in how you prune your trees.)

Prune to an outward facing bud on the underside of the branch or stem. If it’s a large branch and you don’t see any buds don’t worry about it. In that case there will likely be may new branches start all around the cut. You will eventually chose one to keep and cut all the rest.

If the your tree is too tall or not shaped in a way that’s conducive for easy care and harvest. Determine what major cuts can be made before you start. The reason for this is simple. If you are going to cut off a large limb or main scaffold branch. There is no need to take a lot of time pruning it.

Don’t worry about cutting off to much or that you are hurting your tree. After its been pruned it will produce many new branches. From them you can fix almost any problem you and re-shape it into a beautiful tree with fresh new vigorous and productive branches later.

You may want to cut your tree short. Say to four feet off the ground. Then you would easily be able to train it into a low and spreading tree where all of the fruit would be within easy reach. Or you may want to just follow the basic rules set out above. If you are still comfortable climbing you can just follow the basic rules set above. Then as you get more comfortable with pruning you could always still shorten it later.

There is some reading I would recommend and a video or two. You will also need proper tools.

Sunset Basic Pruning Cuts.
http://www.sunset.com/garden/garden-basics/basic-pruning-cuts-00400000014985

AZ Master Gardener; Pruning Fruit Trees.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/pruning/fruit.html

This is a university level instruction video produced to teach people in the UC Davis Master Gardener Program. Instruction on Pruning starts at the 36:00 min mark. You may feel that a lot of it does not relate to you. Even so it will show you just how easy it is to shape your trees. I have watched both videos in the series more than once start to finish. The Home Orchard Part 1

figsontheporch any major pruning should be done when the tree is dormant. My trees are a lot smaller as my largest trees have only been in the ground four years. Two years ago I cut my largest tree back to 18" and it grew back like gangbusters. Last winter I cut it back to 4' T X 4' W X 4' D. I fertilized as described below. Right now it's already grown to 8'+ T X 12'+ W X 10' D and the season is far from over.

As Dave said. Figs are amazing trees. With a well established root system they can freeze or be cut to the ground and grow into a fairly large tree in one season. The bigger the root system the bigger and faster they will grow. The only reason to do that to a tree would be if you totally hated the shape of your tree and wanted to do something totally different with it. I'm not recommending that but it is an option and a good illustration as to just how strong a tree you are dealing with.

Pruning is not to be feared. The tree will respond by producing many many new branches which not only produce fruit. But give you opportunity to choose which ones to keep and which ones to cut so you can shape it in such a way as to be easy to pick and care for. But if you feel you are not getting any younger and don't want to climb anymore. You may want to cut it back really hard this winter. I know it sounds extreme and it is but your tree can take it. Imagine being able to shape the tree from ground level into any shape you want.

As a general rule a tree should not be trimmed more than one third of its height in a single season. However figs may be one of the few exceptions to this rule.

Once you experience your first full season after a hard pruning you will be amazed at the amount of new growth and production. It also produces opportunities to mold and shape your tree into any form or direction you like. The possibilities are endless.

As far as fertilizers go. After a major winter pruning when I'm not expecting much a breba crop. I toss down some pelletized 10-10-10 with micro nutrients. For a tree the size of yours 1-2lbs should be fine depending on how much you want to push it. Then I scatter some Alfalfa pellets though not a lot. For a tree of the size of yours 5lbs would be fine. Then I add some well composted manure. For a tree the size of yours 1-2 bags should be fine. Of course I live in the desert with really bad soil. However where you live 1-2lbs of 10-10-10 time released pelletized fertilizer with micro nutrients would probably be all you would need and it's not as messy either.

Gene your Conadria looks like its holding it's own. How many years has it been in the ground?

figsontheporch that tree looks like it's been allowed to grow totally wild. Looking at the pictures it definitely could use some pruning and shaping. The basic rule is not to take off more than one third of the tree in a season. Figs are strong hearty trees that respond very well to pruning. Nothing to be scared about. In fact in encourages lush new growth. Cutting out a lot of wood may very well hurt production of your breba crop the following year. Countering this is a much larger main crop to follow.

Since there is not likely to be much of a breba crop next year. You might as well fertilize around the time this tree usually breaks dormancy. Doing so will encourage even more new growth and a much larger main crop.

I have third season Conadria and Paradiso growing in the ground side by side here in the Desert. I like them both equally well as far as taste texture goes. Both are also large closed eye figs. This is the first year they are producing well. At this time there are roughly 60-80 fruit on the Conadria and 100-120 fruit on the Paradiso. This while the Conadria is the larger of the two trees. To date I have not done any pinching or pruning so your mileage may vary. In another yard or with pruning the disparity in production may or may not reverse or come into parity. Such things are hard to say. All I can do is report my own experience. I'm pleased with both of them but I have to make room for Black Madeira Raspberry Latte and an unknown from FrozenJoe. If I have to pull one of them to make room it’s going to be the Conadria. Of course all will be well if my wife changes her mind about the three mango trees she wants planted in the Fall planting season.

I paid roughly $ 60.00 for five cuttings of Raspberry Latte. (Six came in the mail) With any luck I will have six little RL trees producing fruit and some cuttings to trade or sell next year. Do I think it’s a lot of money for cuttings? Yes I do. In fact I think it's a lot of money even for a tree. No one made me do it so I have only myself to blame. But next Fall/Spring when I am selling cuttings the small investment will pay for itself.

I also purchased a Janice Seedless Kadota for about the same price delivered. I'm hoping both are as good as their hype. Though the Raspberry Latte has one advantage over the JSK. I can sell, trade and gift cuttings and trees of the Raspberry Latte. The JSK on the other hand is under patent so it better be good.

As far as this discussion goes. Any time someone is hyping any product they are selling I become instantly suspicious. I also try to keep in mind that it's human nature to want to believe what we have is better than what someone else has. It’s also natural that people take better care of things they pay more money for. The more expensive things get the best spot in the yard and our best care. Add to that the placebo effect and almost any fig can become the best tasting bestest best fig ever. Even really good people can get caught up in it. Knowing this I take any claims with a grain of salt. Even from people I like and of whose opinions I respect. Not because I think they are trying to rip me off. But because it’s only human nature to think that what we have done or found or built is better is than the rest. Because we don’t put all of our time money and effort into things we think are going to be average. Our own minds do the rest.  

Not that no one from a fig site has never ripped anyone off. But I do believe it’s very possible to believe something is the best when it is in fact not. The fact that it is not does not necessarily make the person who hyped it and sold it a bad person when they in fact believe that it is.

However I believe that anyone who does not question the advice of a person trying to sell them something either has more money than brains or still has some growing up to do.  

Back to my story….

I really like figs so I really hope RL is as good as it’s hype. But if it’s not. I suspect the investment will pay for itself and perhaps for some of my other purchases. So in a way I look at such purchases as an investment.

THISISME in his best Forrest Gump voice. "And thats all I have to say about that."

OK, daleanold. I can't take it anymore. I live in East Mesa. A fig tree in the ground in Arizona for four years should not look like that. Not unless it is being mistreated or you are trying to keep it small. After reading this thread I jumped out of bed and took some pictures. Forgive the quality. The big VDB is on the East side of my yard so the sun was in my face.

Every tree is planted in full sun. All were planted in the Fall/Winter planting season. None have ever been shaded beyond the cutting stage. All of the trees pictured were grown from cuttings by me. As someone else pointed out. How a tree is planted is important. Crossing, damaged and circling roots should be cut before planting. The tree should be planted in native soil if possible. Then a top dressing of compost should be applied. Followed by 3"-6" of mulch. (In the desert) For the first couple of months they should be watered every 2-3 days. After that the soil should always be slightly damp but not too much as you don't want to drown the tree. You only need to water 1-2 times a day in the summer here if the tree is in a pot in full sun. Not when it's in the ground. My trees are watered twice a week and I think they are pretty healthy. If you water too much the roots will stunt as they will have no need to seek water. Then you kind of have to water all the time or the tree will die.

If you decide to keep the tree. (I would not.) Slowly back off on the watering. Water either in the early morning or late afternoon. Compost it and mulch it. I had a really nice Brown Turkey about 6-7 years ago. The fruit where large with very good flavor if they weren’t spoiled. But most of them were spoiled because of the enormous open eye they produce as they ripen. Every bug and insect in the valley would crawl in and out of them. Yuck!!!

Receiving a tree in the mail this time of year is no good in Arizona. There is a good chance it will die if left out in the sun on your doorstep. I have a nice little VDB in a 15 gallon pot you can have if you want it. It's from a cutting I grew out this year. It's only about 2' tall but should have a nice root system by now and is already fruiting. I suspect it will grow to be over 6' tall this season if you are kind to it.

I like trees from Dave Wilson Nursery (DWN). They are very good about proper labeling and sending out good sized trees. Burnt Ridge buys trees from DWN. I don't know of a more trusted wholesale nursery. However not all of the trees sold by Burnt Ridge are from DWN. That’s where they have some quality issues. I believe this is why some people depending on what they purchase receive very mixed results. I personally don't like paying a premium price for a Large or Extra Large tree plus shipping and receive a little twig. Not when I can get a DWN grown tree from another online nursery for the same price or less with lower shipping.

Is it too much to expect a nursery to be honest about the size of their stock?

There are usually a few people selling seeds and trees of Prunus Amreicana on eBay. It’s however considered to be invasive as it’s root suckers form a thicket. I planted two seedling Prunus Mexicana this year which is similar but does not sucker. For fruit quality you are better off with a Chickasaw plum if you don't mind the suckering. It will also form a thicket like Prunus Americana. All of the above are self fertile. I believe Beach plums are not self fertile.

I have two Gutherie Chickasaw plums which are grafted Chickasaw plums which do not form a thicket. They are in their second season and growing like crazy with lots of fruit set even in the desert.

Tami if it's any consolation they sent me worse. The thing is they were selling trees and "Large Trees". If I had not paid for large trees I may not have been happy but I would have probably of let it go. I can't even imagine what they consider to be within the acceptable range of a medium or small tree.

I have ordered from the once. Was not happy with the results. I paid for trees they listed as "Large Trees". I do not call a 3/16th 18" tall branchless whip a "Large Tree". When I complained I was told it was within the range of what they call acceptable for a "Large Tree". The other three trees in the order all had issues too. The largest tree was just under a half inch in diameter. It had some branches and arrived chopped to 30”. When I called I got no joy. I even emailed them pictures. Granted my purchase was toward the end of the planting season. I fully expected the best trees had been shipped already. But this was way out of line. Their prices are far from the lowest around and the quality was the worst I had ever seen and the customer service even worse.

Yep!!! I can vouch for what others have said from personal experience. In the last eight plus years I have given too much Nitrogen to my fig trees just as they were breaking dormancy twice. The result was lots of vegetative growth. The breba figs died. A few breba made it but very very few. With all the new growth there is usually a bumper crop of main crop figs.

On the plus side. If you want to size up your fig tree faster go ahead and push the envelope with nitrogen and give them extra water to keep the root ball moist at all times. But don't drown them. If you have never done this before you will be amazed at just how fast a fig tree can grow with proper encouragement in full sun.

Keep in mind I am talking about fig trees that have been in the ground for one season or more already. Though if you planted in early Fall you may be able to get away with it. Keep in mind this is not for trees in pots.

Thank you everyone. Especially Pete and Bill. Its hot in Arizona already. We keep our air conditioner set at 85 degrees. Its always over 70 degrees in the house. I have a propagation heat mat if needed but I'm not so sure I should be using it. I did not purchase a thermostat for it so it automatically heats up to roughly 20 degrees higher than the ambient temp. In this case it would be 105 degrees roughly 18 hours of each day.

shah8 I have no idea how much they weigh. The VDB in the picture is not producing many breba. I fertilized to much at the wrong time so it aborted most of the breba crop. It has lots of new growth though. On the bright side I can see hundreds and hundreds of main crop figs starting. In a couple of months I should have figs coming out my ears. I'm going to try keeping the birds away with a technique used at a local orchard. They put shiny tinsel garlands on the trees with ripening fruit. I have no idea if its going to work but tinsel garlands are pretty cheap this time of year. I figure its worth a try.

Paradiso


 Conadria


Violette De Bordeaux


LSU Gold


LSU Gold Cuttings


Violette De Bordeaux Cuttings