Shaping Young Fig Trees Part 2

This video contains gardening tips. It covers pruning and training young fig trees from the whip stage to a 4 scaffold vase shape. We demonstrate a pinching technique to achieve the basic shape in the 1st growing season. Watch to the end to see the development of trees trained with this technique in their 2nd season.

[@RashidKhan-wp2vg]

Beautiful trees

[@FigginAwesome-ox4zt]

My goal is to try and do better this year. I learned a lot from you thanks for sharing tips. Feels like I need to start all over. LOL

[@TravelingGardeners]

Thank you! I don't know about starting over. As long as your trees are productive. I just looked at some of you videos. Your figs look great! Seems you are on the right track.

[@mofomoco]

I am almost ready ro start my staking again. With over 60 trees it takes awhile lol

[@WesTheGrower]

Trees look great, thanks for the video really breaking down what is needed to have this structure

[@johnmeale2875]

great video Buddy. You trees are super healthy and shaped great. Great job!

[@TravelingGardeners]

Thank you!

[@mofomoco]

I have been noticing just by watering more often i am getting so much branching I dont even HAVE to top my trees. I can let them do their thing and they naturally get great shapes

[@brendancull]

Fantastic video. I really like how clearly you explained what you do to shape up your trees. Thanks for that!

[@TravelingGardeners]

I'm glad you found it useful. Thank you for your feedback!

[@Scott-hl7om]

This is my first year growing figs. All from cuttings started in Dec/Jan. A couple of my trees are pushing close to five feet from the pot's surface. I had planned all along to grow them in 2 gallon pots this year, then up pot them to 10 gallon pots this winter during dormancy. That's when I would also do the pruning to promote scaffolding. But I worry they are so tall now that they are outgrowing the 2-gallon pots. I also worry about wind with trees that tall in such small pots. So far, I've been moving them into a garage when storms and high winds are forecast. That is getting old and I may not always be able to move them in time. I'd like to up pot now (It is July 7) to 10 gallon pots, do the pruning/"pinching" you discuss in this video, and stake down the 10 gallon pots so they can handle the winds. I just don't know if the trees will survive both the up potting and the severe pruning of cutting off more than half of the tree. Would you care to share your thoughts? Thanks for your videos. I've learned a lot from you.

[@TravelingGardeners]

Absolutely up pot them now. Try not to disturb too many roots in the process. If you have encircling roots try to loosen them with your hands but I wouldn't cut them. That is for dormancy. Even this small amount of activity with the roots will likely cause your tree to go into shock for a short time. Could be a day or two. Make sure it's moist and in full shade or darkness while the leaves are drooping. If the drooping leaves are in the sun they will likely burn up. After a little time the leaves will come back from the droop and then it's time to place in the shade for a week or so. After that partial sun for another week. If all looks good then back to full sun. As far as pinching the best results are achieved with proper timing. Your trees are way past the ideal time to establish scaffolds by pinching. I would consider placing an air layer. Do it just above the nodes you want to be your scaffolds. Once you remove the air layer those nodes will activate and push out those scaffold branches. There is still enough time in the season for all of this. Pinching the very tip of your central leader is also a good idea if you want to slow down that excessive vertical growth. It will help to thicken up the tree and encourage lateral branching. If you aren't interested in an air layer you can just top the tree. It will almost certainly survive. I would do that after it has acclimated to the larger pot. During the partial shade week. Good luck!

[@Scott-hl7om]

@@TravelingGardeners Thank you very much for the detailed advice. I've up potted about half of them. They are now in full shade (under the carport roof). I'm planning to do the rest this coming Friday after work if time permits. Otherwise, over the weekend. I top dressed with some amendments (a handful of bone meal and blood meal; a full cup of oyster shell, and a cup of lime). Hopefully, that will reduce the shock time and restore vigorous growth. I'm just a backyard hobbyist. I don't have room for many duplicate trees. However, I've watched your air layering videos and I may try to do a couple for the experience. Again, I think your videos are very helpful to new fig growers like me. Perhaps the best on KZbin! I appreciate you taking the time to produce them and respond to my questions. Wishing you much success this growing season.

[@TravelingGardeners]

@@Scott-hl7om thank you! We have alot more information about growing figs on our Facebook page Traveling Gardeners. If your interested.

[@TV-yj9mh]

Looking really good bro!

[@TravelingGardeners]

Thanks!

[@jtf267]

Thank you for your video. I hope my new tree will be strong and healthy as yours. I'm starting over with a new baby fig. The last one was about 3 years old, finally ready to fruit when gophers ate it. Not a trace left. Last month they got my young mulberry tree. So im going to try growing it in containers. I must condess I'm nervous about pinching it but your video was very clear and helpful. Thank you 😊

[@TravelingGardeners]

Thank you!

[@MI-Figs313]

Nicely done. I was so excited watching your method, I have always pinched during dormancy after 1st season to get a second year scaffolding, I am surprised that you attained a spectacular goblet form at the end of the first season. Watching your video brought up too many questions, but I will keep down to 3, does the scaffolds grow strong enough before the end of the season and do you pinch them in second year to maintain height? I am in zone 6a and I worry that there will not be enough time to grow the scaffolds. Second, why not use branch spreaders? is there an advantange to using bambo sticks? Third, do you remove figs the first year to let the energy focus on growth or do you let them ripen. Really appreciate you sharing your knowledge, thank you. Subscribed.

[@TravelingGardeners]

If I'm able to establish the basic scaffold shape by pinching a few buds during that first season I am happy. It means very little energy was wasted. As long as everything is lignified by dormancy the branches are strong enough. Very little pruning should be required. The scaffolds will be permanent, during dormancy I prune them to the length I want. Taking off those tips will encourage branching in spring. I use bamboo and tomato tape because it's cheap. I have a friend with a grove of out of control bamboo. As for removing figs to stimulate growth. It definitely works. If I'm trying to confirm a new variety in season 1, I don't. If I'm trying to make a healthy and balanced tree and hopefully year 2 fruit production, I do.

[@MI-Figs313]

Appreciate your insights, you definitely convinced me to build scaffolding in first year, I will be trying it this coming spring, thank you.

[@Mrs.Windle]

I really enjoy watching your video's. Those are a some healthy looking plants😍.how many varieties do you currently have?.awaiting more video's!

[@TravelingGardeners]

200+ and adding more every season!

[@destiny3423]

I was looking for a video about fig trees and I came across your video. You are training your fig trees just beautifully but, how long will it take for the tree to produce fruit if you keep on pinching them? I am experimenting. 2 years ago, I put two fig cuttings in a pot. This spring the center stem grew, when I saw the leaves I got all exited but I didn't know I was supposed pinch it in order to branch out. So, here I am, supposedly with 2 fig trees, 3 feet tall but no branches. I don't know what you would call something like that. Not much of tree I would say. hahahaha... I would like to separate them into 2 different pots but I don't know when it's the best time of the year to do that. Can you please let me know when it's the best time of the year to do it? I promise I will start pinching them. Your video was very helpful. Thank you.

[@TravelingGardeners]

This type of pinching/pruning only slows down the fruiting when the tree is very young. (At this age, they shouldn't fruit anyway.) The figs may not finish ripening in the first season. The second season however you will be ahead as far a fig production. Your scaffold branches will already be established at the start of season 2. I prune very little at the end of season 1 and the future shape is complete. Most of the other methods have you cut back the single whip to 18 to 24 inches at the end of season 1. Cuttings are taken and grown or sold. The tree will need to make up all that lost energy and wood the following season. It's not wrong, it's just a different approach. My trees sometimes fruit the first year and almost all the 2nd. Normally by year 3 they are really productive. As far as separating your trees. I'd wait until they are completely dormant. Normally I do something like that in the early spring before they wake up. I hang the tree by one of the trunks and use a hose to wash away some or all of the dirt. Take care to be gentile and not damage roots. Once you can get them apart plant in large pots. 10+ gallons or in ground. You can also cut straight down between them if you don't want to go through the whole process. Up to you, both work. I just like to ensure the trees don't have to regrow the roots. I'm glad you liked the video. Thanks for your comment!

[@destiny3423]

@@TravelingGardeners Tank you kindly for your reply. I really appreciate it.👍🌱😊

[@MrWookie21]

Hi, that's exactly what I was thinking about. Have you heard about the book by Vincent Alfred Gressent "l'Arboriculture fruitière" ; it's an old book from the XIXth century, but explaining how to shape trees then prune them to produce regular fruiting. It's easy to find on the net. Btw what do you call air layer tree? Thanks for sharing these results.

[@TravelingGardeners]

I've not heard of the book. I'll have to check it out. I started shaping this way a few years ago. It just seemed to make sense not to allow them to grow in placed you don't want. Conservation of energy.

[@MrWookie21]

@@TravelingGardeners It's in French, but there might be a translated version or translation tools to manage understanding the text. It's dealing with many fruit trees species allas not the fig tree ; but the overall information is thorough about growing fruit trees. Yes, keeping trees to an average size helps to maintain them easily allowing better fruiting & fruit pickings afterwards. I found out the meaning about air layering ; it's marcottage aérien. All the best.

[@whosedoingwhat]

I knew nothing re. Fig trees & my dayghter bought a pkant fir me & I just watered & watched grow & then planted inground. Poor tree! Now I’m learning. Caveat was busy recovering from 2 sinkholes very preoccupied!

[@TravelingGardeners]

Keep on learning and good luck!

[@brandonmonroe7050]

I'm not sure I have ever seen a tree in a tree pot that healthy. Nice. What do you feed it?

[@TravelingGardeners]

Thank you! We make our own compost. All of the trees in our collection and the trees we make for local sale are planted in it. We feed them compost tea from the same compost.

[@cathrinem2722]

Your trees look really nice i wish my fig trees could grow straight up I have one that looks good but the other 3 the branches growing all crazy I don't know what to do to make them grow upward all the branches are growing down can u give me some advice on what to do

[@TravelingGardeners]

Try to keep them dormant until the threat of hard frost has passed. Prune them to 1 central leader before they wake up. Straighten the remaining leader by staking and cut it down to the height where you want to start your branching. Do all of this while the trees are still dormant in early spring. When you are shaping your young trees you don't want that crazy and weak growth that results from waking them early in doors. The low light and low temps causes this. Skip all that and wake those trees when temps are correct, put them out in full sun. They will do the rest.

[@kathyfrancos8924]

Do you put an air layer directly into a tree pot?

[@TravelingGardeners]

Yes. Sometimes I use tree pots as my air layer containers.

[@agpawpaw5912]

How do you fertilize figs? They look so vigorous. In pots it’s very difficult to achieve that

[@TravelingGardeners]

Compost tea. About every 10 days throughout the first half of the season. Toward fall I slow it down and water less. My compost is home made and aged, very broken down. It's practically soil.

[@chezj4]

Help! Just received my plant. It is 4 inches high and dry with two leaves. I planted in a pot - what should I do now?

[@TravelingGardeners]

Sounds like a difficult start for this late in the season. You will probably need to baby that tree under grow lights and in a southern facing window all winter. When they are small and weak this late in the year the odds of surviving dormancy and the winter are not in their favor. Unless you live somewhere with warm winters. In which case, plant in a large pot or in ground and you will probably be good to go. If you are interested in much larger and healthier trees check out our Facebook page Traveling Gardeners. I'm currently not shipping because I'm traveling abroad but I will resume in the spring. We have a wide selection of varieties and the trees are on average 24 to 36 inches. There are pictures and prices in the post from this past summer. We are a licensed nursery specializing in fig trees.

[@chezj4]

@@TravelingGardeners thank you for the great information! I live in Austin Texas so we have a warm climate. I have it outside in a large pot and hoping it does ok. If not, I’ll be ordering from you in the Spring 😀

[@3moirai]

Nice video on training your fig trees. I’m just starting out so this is informative. What state/zone are you in?

[@TravelingGardeners]

We are in NJ 7a

[@kalospapous]

what is the floor made of?

[@TravelingGardeners]

It's just a landscaping weed barrier.