How to Prune Your Fig Tree for Success!

Hey Fig Fam,
What if I told you there is a way to successfully prune your fig tree that will not only help it grow and fruit for you in the spring, but also have compounding success in years to come? LETS GO!
This Episode I go over some pruning examples including:
-Equipment Used
-What a Well Pruned Fig Tree Looks Like.
-Why I Prune My Trees This Way.
-The Rule of 3's.
-Large Fig Tree Pruning
-Small and Young Fig Tree Pruning
-Shoutout to Bill at Off The Beaten Path Nursery
-Recap.
The Rule of 3's is not a new concept and has a few names, BUT this pruning method is very popular for many fruit trees, and in the Bonsai gardening community. It is about creating space in the canopy of the fig tree while maximizing in the quantity of healthy growth of the fruit tree to maximize growth and fruit production for the next growing season and future years to come! as a tree ages, you will spend less and less time maintaining a tree as you guide to towards an ideal shape and growth habit!
I'll take you through what a well pruned tree looks like that is about 5 years old. Then We'll take a look at my mother celeste tree. Spoiler, it's HUGE! I go over how I've pruned it the past 4 years and its growth habits. Then I'll show you how I prune young trees that I've grown from cuttings or acquired from purchases and explain, how I prune these young trees for success as they mature into large trees whether I place them in the ground or in a pot/container!
Let me know your thoughts and how I can best help you grow your fig trees.
As always,
Learn, Grow, Share,
Phil
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:46 Tools Needed
1:31 Successful Pruning Example & Rule of 3's
5:27 Pruning a Large Fig Tree
11:08 Ideal Young Fig Tree Pruning
12:15 Pruning Young Fig Trees Example.1 Scaffolding
14:39 Pruning a Young Fig Trees Example.2 Pt.1 1yr trees!
15:15 Shoutout to Bill Off The Beaten Path Nursery
15:41 Pruning Example.2 Pt.2
16:32 Recap!

[@MikeKincaid79]

You have a really aesthetically pleasing setup and yard. Love how well you take care of your fig trees, they look fantastic!

[@Philsfigs]

Thanks Mike for the kind words and noticing the space! It's a fun journey with these trees in the ground along with the backyard nursery.

[@superdave336]

Good video Phil. Love the rule of 3. Thanks for sharing.

[@Philsfigs]

Sure Thing Dave! Its an easy rule of thumb to remember which has been helpful for me. Thanks for the kind words!

[@ChristinesBackyardGarden]

Great video! I love the idea of leaving branches low enough for the little ones to pick their own fruit.

[@Philsfigs]

It's too much fun to see the kiddos getting in on the action and picking their own fruit to eat. It makes my heart explode haha.

[@ChristinesBackyardGarden]

@@Philsfigs ❤️

[@RainbowWarriorChris]

Love your videos!!! And I'm stealing your idea when I label my trees!!! LOVE

[@Philsfigs]

Isn’t that great?! Just spreading positive vibes right into the fig trees!

[@rhohoho]

Thank you for this! I've got a big cut to do on an interior branch on our Celeste this year, and this video is giving me the confidence to do it!

[@Philsfigs]

Glad it was helpful! Figs are resilient so it will recover from most pruning endeavors!

[@Philsfigs]

You got this!

[@upupandaway5646]

Great info thank you 😊

[@Philsfigs]

@@upupandaway5646 Glad it was helpful!

[@keithberry366]

Very informative as usual. I have 2 brown turkey figs that are about 30 years old. Never pruned and about 15-20 feet tall and out of control. I decided to cut them down to one main trunk about 4 feet tall and removed all branches. I hope that I didn't do too much? I assume they will return in Spring and I will start with the 3 branch method you have described here. Thanks for the videos.

[@Philsfigs]

Wow those sound like huge trees! They will recover, and you can construct ideal trees from them. They just have really needed the haircut!
That being said if you prune back that much of the tree it will focus on growing a lot and may not put out much fruit. Just some to keep in mind when pruning more than 1/4 or so of the tree.
Cheers and best of luck with them this spring!

[@CP-ll4nj]

Thanks bud👍

[@Philsfigs]

Of course!

[@dvssayer5621]

I have one fig with a strait 7 ft trunk. Weird. It has great branching but its way over my head. I guess i did buy it with a bare tall main trunk but nothing sprouts out of all that 7 ft bare trunk. Im not sure except to just let it be....its in ground and not hurting anything.

[@Philsfigs]

Hey if it works, let it grow! 7ft trunk is quite tall! You’ll need a ladder for getting those figs. May to see what it looks like!
Thanks for sharing, very interesting!

[@anthonykoutroumanis4327]

Excellent work my friend, what state are you in?

[@Philsfigs]

Thanks Anthony! I am in North Carolina

[@larawines4875]

Are you selling the Celeste cuttings ?

[@Philsfigs]

I am! Check them out at my website. I have dormant Celeste fig trees in 1gal pots as well as Celeste fig cuttings for sale to propagate with

[@graphguy]

Prune? Why?
I have never pruned any of my trees. I have more important things to do. And by the way I get bumper crops of great prunes.

[@Philsfigs]

Hey that’s great to hear your trees do so well! Different conditions and different tree growth sometimes create the need for pruning fig trees. Sometimes it’s a nice way to hedge the growth success of a fig tree. Other times if a tree doesn’t seem to be growing well you can help guide healthy growth by pruning it.