Figs
are pruned twice a year, in mid-spring and summer.
In spring, remove badly placed, crossing, frost-damaged and suckering growth to maintain a good shape. Prune back over-long and bare branches where necessary to 5cm (2in) to encourage new growth. Aim for a balanced, open crown that allows light into the centre of the bush.
In summer, pinch out new growth at five or six leaves to encourage the development of small, embryo figs that will form next year’s crop. This allows light in, and improves ripening of the current year’s fruit.
Figs formed early in the year are unlikely to ripen before autumn, and large, part-ripened fruit is damaged by winter weather, so remove these in late summer to divert resources to the developing embryo figs that can overwinter. The embryo fruits will probably still require protection in cold regions to survive the winter. Ficus carica ‘Brown Turkey’ is one of the hardiest fig cultivars and the one most commonly grown in the UK.If a fig tree has been neglected for a number of years, most of the fruit will be borne on young shoots around the edge of the tree, with bare branches in the centre. Remove a proportion of the older, bare branches in mid-spring back to a stub of about 5cm (2in). If there are several older branches, spread the pruning over two or three years. As new shoots grow, select the strongest and best placed for a balanced tree and prune out the others.
For a fan-trained tree, also prune in mid-spring. Start by removing branches growing directly out from the wall, cutting back to their point of origin. Thin out crowded branches by cutting back to a stub of about 5cm (2in). Again, if there are a large number of branches to remove, spread the pruning over two or three years.
For wall-trained figs remove badly placed shoots that are growing into or away from the wall or are crossing other branches together with a proportion of the fruited wood. Also prune back a few younger shoots to one bud to encourage fresh growth close to the main branches. Tie in the remaining new shoots so that they are evenly spaced.
With both forms, remove suckers arising from the base. These spoil the shape of the tree, taking strength from the other shoots.
Very overgrown specimens can be cut back hard to ground level and will usually respond with strong new growth. This is sometimes done where figs are being grown for their foliage rather than for fruiting.