Last year I bought a Violette De Bordeaux fig last year (can’t remember the nursery, but it was a Dave Wilson tree) and it arrived as a straight, single trunk about 2 and half to 3 feet tall. It only leafed out at the very top and only grew a handful of leaves. By the end of the season it looked a bit like a giant lollypop…long leafless trunk with a bunch of leaves at the very top. So far this year it looks about the same with all the leaves coming from the very top.
I decided to try another tree this year and ordered another tree from a different nursery (this time Bay Laurel, which was also a Dave Wilson tree, Doh!), but the tree I received looked exactly like the last one…a long single trunk.
What can I do to get lots of branching and lots of growth (or any growth!) lower down on the trunk?
Can I just cut the trunk off a few inches from the ground or will that kill it/them?
I have figs like that too, mostly because this last week the winds blew all the leaves off! Argh! I will prune them next winter. i actually would like to have a more tree form myself. I want a trunk on there before I start pruning.
Sounds like it needs more sun or some other environmental issue might need to be addressed. Got pictures or a more complete description of the growing conditions?
If all things are as they should be (mostly lots of sun), I have no problem cutting a fig trunk down to the height that you want. For me knee height or 15"-18" is good for a fig trunk.
I had a kadota that did that. After more than a year, it was apparent that it was never going to branch on its own. So, I lopped off its head. The stubborn thing still sent out just one branch from a few notches below where it had been cut. I thought that maybe the apical dominance was just too strong in that one. So, I kept it in a pot and laid it down on its side. Ta da! That finally did the trick. I’m absolutely certain that the issue was not insufficient sunlight.
I’d imagine the nursery trees are like that because they are grown all packed together. So they shoot up for light. The plant will eventually send out low shoots from the base even if you do nothing. As mentioned cut it back and you’ll get lots of shoots.
They also grow them that way, because they’re easier to ship. Most
figs grow naturally as a bush. They’re pruned into a tree form, so as
many have mentioned, cut it low and root what you’ve cut and you’ll
have multiple plants. The plant will send up suckers from the roots
and will form a bush.
Thanks everyone! Here’s a shot of this year’s version next to a shovel for scale. It’s just starting to leaf out at the very top.
The tree from last year looked pretty much identical to this one except at the end of the season there was a basketball sized clump of leaves at the very top.
Yeah that is way too tall, not sure on where to cut? I’m a recent fig grower myself. With other plants, I like to leave at least 3 nodes. See what others with more experience say.
Last year I bought a chicao Hardy and it looked exactly like that. I cut off about 1 foot and rooted it in a separate pot. I now wish I had cut it back even more. The tree ended up branching out and growing very well. Its been in a pot for a year. I think I will plant it in the ground this weekend and live with what happens to it. Figs in pots are too much maintenance for me. Especially in larger pots. I unfortunately have way too many. I think I’m going to plant one in ground for each variety I have once they mature and probably give the rest away.
If you do it earlier the energy stored in the roots can go toward the new growth on the remaining part instead of being focused on the topmost portion.
I just got a fig a couple days ago and planted it yesterday (4/28). The roots were OK but not strong, but today I can tell that some of the leaves are struggling. I’ve included a photo so the ones who know can say ‘too late’ or ‘go for it’ based on as much info as I can come up with. It was a potted specimen, about 2.5 feet tall above the ground, and well leafed. Should I balance it by removing the top…or more than the top? Any suggestions? (I’m brand new to orcharding, figs included.)
Looks like you have a breba in that top section. I would not cut, if it struggles really bad you can clip some leaves instead of taking off wood.
If it gets hot and wilts Surround WP can help, anti transpirants too maybe but never tried any. Fig trees can wilt a little, as long as the leaves are not drying to crispy and the soft green tips are firm it is just expressing its displeasure with the weather.
I like to look at the stalks of the leaves. Yours look OK not great. If they weep more, the plant is not happy. Is the plant ready to be planted out? If greenhouse grown it might need acclimating to full sun.
Thanks, Drew. I brought it from whatever situation it was in…no idea, and it never occurred to me to ask. One thing about W. Oregon in Spring is that it’s generally pretty mild and still raining often. I did think today that maybe I should make a sun shield of some type, and you and Hoosier B. (no breba, just a little leaf bud) both mentioned the concept. I guess removing a bit of the top was the big concern for me since the roots were kinda weak, but after that, the sun block is easy and certainly a good idea. One good thing is that it didn’t seem to get any droopier as the day went by, so I’ll hope for the best.
