Pruning Fig Trees For Dormancy, Winter Storage And Maximum Production

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you enjoyed this video, the biggest thanks you can give is to hit the LIKE button! Please share it to extend its reach and help as many people as possible!

[@deborahswinson2903]

Will figs ripen after they are picked like peaches will?

[@debralauesen4225]

@@deborahswinson2903 no

[@dorettagallucci8406]

Every fig video is a gift. I have shared often with others. This year, my Olympian produced over 100 figs including breva crop.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Nice! That's a *great* haul. Olympian is very underrated. I hope to have a fig-related, season-ending video next week.

[@frederickdavis2285]

Man! Being able to to constructively express your ideas and thoughts is ALMOST as impressive as your knowledge on the subject! I appreciate your channel.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate you watching. I’m glad you’re finding the content useful.

[@miked8727]

Excellent Teacher!! I'm a new Fig Grower.I was gifted a Chicago Hardy that was started from a cutting.It's going on it's 2nd year and it's growing quickly.I haven't pruned it yet and was told to concentrate on "growing wood" This is a container grown tree in zone 6b NorthEast Ohio.I will continue to watch your channel and gain more insight to properly care for my tree.Thankyou for sharing your insight!

[@newmoon54]

Glad I decided to search for helpful info regarding fig trees and proper maintenance! I have 5 fig trees, all turkey figs! My trees don't seem to want to bush out,, but instead, they on their own have kept a tree-like structure and none of them have any low sprouting/branching happening! My main worry is the fear of freezing! They've been doing well, and they've been in the ground for around 4 years. The past spring had a one or two night frost, which killed all of the young leaves. I was very upset and worried that I might lose all 5 trees,, but in about 30 days roughly, all 5 trees budded again. But I lost the first crop of figs. I had the second crop, but about 1/4 to 1/3 of the crop fell off or were victims of my feathered friends! Lol! Although my trees have survived 4 winters, I'm naturally concerned about this winter!!! They are all planted in-ground but I'm willing to pot them up, but I guess my question is how do I insulate these trees if I decide to leave them in the ground. I'd really appreciate any advice! Ciao! Sonny.

[@stephensonbilly]

I applaud every bit of information you share. I live in Ding Dong, TX 45 minutes north of Austin. Keep up the great work. I am becoming a small time fig grower and you are a tremendous help. God Bless You. PS the jet noise you hear is also a blessing as you and I are both hear THE SOUND OF FREEDOM. For those who have never fought for it, will never have a clue of how meaningful that noise really is. Anyway, thank you from the bottom of my heart. DILLON

[@jfiekms]

why the hell is your citys name ding dong (im from europe i have never heard of such tomfoolery)

[@billmoody9736]

That's not tomfoolery but expression - we Texans are unique - look at a Texas map and you"ll be surprised at some of uniqueness @@jfiekms

[@mysticmeadow9116]

Funny story...I bought a Turkey fig in a 1 gal container 3 yrs ago. It already had fruit on it. After the harvest I set it in the garden and forgot about it. Last year our horses found it and ate it down to about 12 inches. I thought it was dead so I just left it until this spring. While cleaning up the beds I saw it had leaves on it and had formed a perfect cup! I transplanted it to a 5 gal bucket. I even got a small harvest from it this year. Figs are tough and fun to grow. Thanks for sharing your information :)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Mystic Meadow figs are very tough like you said! They grow back vigorously and recover quickly from over-pruning. Glad to hear!

[@ktony555]

very informative channel, you are knowledgeable. Thanks for not wasting our time like many others do. Lots of value in keeping it to the point, relevant and short. You have a great personality and desire to help others. Thanks from Canada.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate the positive feedback. I'm glad I can help.

[@highlandscommunityclub1160]

I was in Santa Barbara last summer and went to see a massive old fig tree made famous for its size, age and girth. Was awesome to see but....with your help I’ll have a small, compact tree, with fruit I can pick! Thank you so much! Pruning this week and now you’ve given me a plan.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Seeing those old fig trees is a cool experience. However, some of them can get so massive, it's almost like looking at a live oak! I'd prefer to still have some yard left! Definitely check out my series on espalier, because it's the best way to grow many varieties in a compact "hedge" of sorts: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j

[@jonathancox9501]

Best vid yet for me mate......was exactly what i wanted to know.....I have 25 different figs....all in pots ....they are all young and single trunk....except one.....which i have pruned exactly like the way you have suggested(its older mind)....so that was just gut instinct ! but all my other trees are single stem and about 5 ft tall(including pot)......so i have a plan now....cut to 18 inches and use what i cut back to propagate new plants......Your advice has set me up very nicely and i will wait until all the leaves drop and we have proper cold here....which should be july...we tend to get a lot of rain in august...so i will store up against the eves.....This vid has really helped me...Thx.

[@justalurkr]

I am so glad I watched this. I'm in my first year with a container fig tree and thought I had to overwinter in the living room.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@ginobass66]

Hi, I’m getting ready to prune and overwinter my in-ground fig tree.Had an amazing crop this year thanks to your videos. In this video you mention you were going to do video of when you were going to actually prune and overwinter your trees. I’m interested in seeing in-ground tree pruning. Live in Bryn Mawr,PA. I’m think I’m in zone 7B, Philadelphia. A lot you covered in this video describes my in-ground tree. My dad planted this tree who sadly passed away 2018 and it has 5 main stems. Never produced fruit until I saw your video. Last winter I cut down main branches to approximately 5 ft, removed all the branches coming out of main branches which was a little scary and was able to put 2 burlap bags that I got from a coffee shop around the 5 branches which are close together and put a heavy duty contractor plastic bag over the burlap and tied it at the bottom. From one of your videos, I put straw at the base of main branches to protect the base over winter. This year I had a lot of fig leaves and I’ll put them around base and put a layer of straw on top. Your fertilizing scheme I used this Spring worked perfectly. Just ordered the pruning saw you recommended for pruning and overwintering tree in a couple of weeks. This year, as amazing as the crop I got(my sister jarred over 50 8oz jars of fig jam AMAZING) I think I could have did better. I didn’t uncover the tree until mid-May because of frosts we were getting in late April. Don’t know if I uncovered the tree in April if the frost would have damaged the tree. So it was a real slow start until July when branches of figs exploded. I’ll watch your video on taking cuttings from tree. I’d like to take a cutting of my tree and try planting in a container. Thanks for your videos and thanks for helping me save my dads fig tree. Don’t know your name so thanks again MG, take care, gino

[@danorley5575]

Just re-watched this video I'm in zone 6a and will be ready to prune soon. Had many figs not many ripened watching this gives me hope for a better year next year. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You can do some tricks, like place black plastic or black fabric weed barrier like I do around my trees in the spring to create a warmer microclimate and give them a head start. Stone mulch can help hold heat as well. Those little tricks add up. Anything you can do to add heat and given them a head start in the spring will help make them days earlier.

[@DragonPrepper]

My dad had a fig tree that took over a third of the back yard. My brothers and sisters climbed up to get the figs. I have a fig in a half plastic drums. I keep I short because I'm only 4'11" tall. I really like your videos. Keep them coming.

[@Mamaluv70]

I’m so happy I found you!! Thank you for all the wonderful information.👏👏👏

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it.

[@jba36420]

One of the best video presentation I've ever watched concerning fig trees. Thanks for the information.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@namtruong8003]

So great to have this video still online, as a beginner i have learned a lot from your vids. Big Thanks for that!

[@chetfuhrman6390]

Best video I’ve watched on pruning fig trees so far. I also have 1st year trees and was afraid to cut back to much. But to shape the tree with an open canopy to get more sunlight make perfect sense. Great information!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Chet Fuhrman thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.

[@pd6569]

Thank you for this video; I have cared for fig trees for 30 years and still learned helpful growing tips from watching a video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's great to hear! Thank you for watching.

[@nursecheri62]

So glad I found your videos! I too live in eastern NC and have 4 fig trees. Thank you very much for taking the time and making the effort to educate other people. Your knowledge base is expansive and the videos are well done. I look forward to looking through your other videos!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you, I appreciate that. Thanks for watching!

[@susichristianson3395]

Thanks MG. Good information in this video. So glad I watched this video before I pruned my fig tree.🌱 From CA 🏖take care.

[@billclinton6040]

I live in zone 9, regarding the breba crop on my in ground black mission: without a doubt they are the best crop my tree produces for the simple reason that they are so much larger than the main crop. The breba figs can sometimes be as big as my fist. I think the reason people are somewhat down on the breba crop is they don't taste as good straight off the tree as the main crop. But I found that if I pick the breba figs and let them ripen for a day or two, they are just as delicious as the main crop (and this saves them from the birds). Years ago I read how some fig trees in the right conditions will produce a third, late year crop. Mine definitely does that but I forgot what Italians call this third crop. Most of the time though, we will get a frost in December and those late year figs won't ripen as the tree goes into dormancy. So yeah, my tree's brebas are ready in May, followed by the main crop in July, then if I am lucky a third crop in December, followed by dormancy Dec-Feb.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Breba crops are set on the previous year's wood. The main crop is set on the new year's wood. There is technically no such thing as a "third" crop. The "third" crop is just a flush of additional figs on the continuing new wood, so it's really just an extension of the main. Varieties like Celeste are known to do this because the main crop ripens so quickly, the tree will continue to put on new growth and still has enough time to start the cycle all over again. Last year, my Chicago Hardy did that, and my Celeste is doing that right now (ripening its second flush of main crop).

[@PermaPen]

This is wonderfully specific, thank you. I planted a Brown Turkey in-ground (London UK) this spring and promptly lost the main stem to a very late frost! So I'm inadvertently following your 3-4 stems advice now, as that's what grew. London summers are changing, but it's still a fairly short season with only a few weeks of high temperatures. I imagine I'll keep it smallish, remove many of the the figs and just aim for a few successful ripenings. Experimentation....

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Experimentation is always key. Everyone's climate is a little unique. Thanks for watching!

[@DaniellePJ]

The best fig videos I’ve seen on youtube. So helpful. Thanks you! (Watching from NY zone 6)

[@athanas7892]

I am very happy with this information As a New fig farmer in fig growing

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@josephmattera6468]

Awesome video. This is very useful to me as I am located in zone 6. I have been growing in-ground figs for several years now, and have successfully developed my trees. That said, I would like to achieve a better harvest. Thanks for taking the time to do these videos. Very informative.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@pamelawalker8052]

Very well explained. Thank you. I live in BC Canada and have my fig tree is indoors right now in a cold room. I live in a 6b zone and never realized that you can plant in ground. I have a protected south side and am going to plant a few fig trees in that spot next spring

[@MrTarek1946]

I have a great admiration for you!!!! Watching you I learnt a great deal about fruit trees especially figs !!!! You are a walking encyclopaedia...!!! You so clear and informative I thank you so much

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I just love doing this stuff. It's a reason to get out of bed every day. Thanks so much for watching.

[@karenandriancontainergardening]

I have one fig tree, in a container. I harvested 2 figs this year. The squirrels got the rest. I will use your idea and fence it off next year. Right now the tree is all over the place and hard to fence off. 5hanks

[@michaelparkman1631]

4 brown turkey fig trees. One is 20' high and another is in an oak barrel about 10'. Great video and yes I needed this & thanks MichaelW

[@ita-glojgv4888]

Excellent tutorial. Very informative and clear. I used to grow figs just like he describes and had great success. If you follow his instructions then you are sure to have lots of figs, and manageable trees (very important since fig trees can get out of control very quickly).

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@jaroslavakiraly3605]

Your video is the best video to understand the process. Thank you so much from Canada, Ontario.😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! I appreciate it!

[@Les0613]

I have two Chicago Hardy’s growing in the ground and I grow them in zone 5a. We wrap with burlap and a white tarp, stuffing straw between each layer. Some winters they take hits from the cold but bounce back and always produce abundant amounts of figs.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's good for Zone 5! Hopefully the season is long enough to ripen the figs.

[@Les0613]

@@TheMillennialGardener we are still harvesting and enjoying figs!

[@jennhoff03]

Wow, this is so helpful! This is my 3rd time watching it because I keep having questions and I know you answered them here. Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! I'm so happy to hear that. Thank you for watching!

[@mompuff6857]

Please keep making videos following the growth of these trees!! Thank you!!

[@danieledwards4274]

HANDS down the best fig video so far! Thanks! Its tough keeping them healthy in Virginia in-ground.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. I'm down in North Carolina, so we're border neighbors. I'm all the way on the coast, though. If you're not coastal, there may be a large climatic gap in terms of winter mildness between us.

[@danieledwards4274]

Indeed. Central VA. They die to the ground annually, and are painfully slow to grow up in spring.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Daniel Edwards you may have some luck with black weed barrier and placing large rocks around them to attract and hold heat.

[@bryanvagenos5089]

I have a 3 year old chicago hardy fig, zone 7b. This is the first year in ground and am looking forward to using you fertilization schedule next spring. Thanks

[@SirGolfalot-]

I'm glad you made this video. I'm thinking about buying a couple of small fig trees started from cuttings this past winter. They are much more complicated to grow than I thought. So your video will help me avoid some mistakes and ease my learning curve.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I think figs are one of the easiest fruit trees out there to grow. They grow like weeds. They grow and fruit so quickly, it's amazing. The only challenges with figs is that the fruit spoils in the rain, they like a lot of fertilizer, and keeping them compact requires aggressive pruning in the winter. Other than that, they're pretty problem-free.

[@adamakaru2683]

Millennial, thank you man for all the info I get from you. This pass summer season I have eaten figs and still eat like never before; they are, so sweet and delicious I won't share them with my children! they can grow their own. Love too Dale, from all of us cheers.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad to hear you’re having success. Hopefully the videos are helpful. Dale says hi!

[@chickentender4037]

Thanks, really helpful information, clearly presented. Exactly what I needed.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m glad I could help. Thank you for watching.

[@Jerryp1]

Great video, 1. How often do you root prune in those buckets? 2. When is the best time to root prune? 3. When is the best time to up-pot?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

1. All these trees are new trees. This was their first fruiting season, so I haven't root-pruned. I don't intend on growing figs in containers long-term. This was a test to see which figs could handle my wet, humid summers so I didn't waste space in-ground planting a tree that performed poorly in my climate. The winners will go in-ground, the iffy trees will be up-potted and given a second season, the losers get culled. 2. The best time to root-prune is when the trees are on the edge of dormancy and budding out for spring. You want the trees to still have low metabolic rates so the damage doesn't stress them terribly, but you also want them to begin the recovery and growth process, in my opinion. For a guy like me whose last chance of frost is late-March, I'd probably prune in February, along with a soil refresh and an up-pot, if practical. 3. After root-pruning.

[@johnlone207]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR A VERY WONDERFUL VIDEO! I learned more about fig planting and care in this one video. I've watched your other videos, and they're very inspiring and confidence builder. A new subscriber here from Chicago and a new owner of two Chicago Hardy Figs! SEMPER FI!

[@MartyFRsfNE]

Very Helpful PRUNING Recommendations. Grazie.

[@mickeytakahashi1736]

I live in Tokyo, and I planted a fig tree this March in my garden. Unfortunately, this year no fig but branch grows almost 2m high. During winter, temp. goes between 5 to 15 Deg-C in Tokyo. Your video really helps me.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

As long as you don't fall below -8C, you should be in pretty good shape with a fig that tall. If you do see temps -9C or below at night, you may want to protect it while it is still young. I think you're going to have a nice harvest next year. Thank you for watching!

[@mickeytakahashi1736]

@@TheMillennialGardener -san, Thank you very much for your valuable advice. It won't go down below -9Deg-C in Tokyo. Once again, thank you very much for your advice. By the way, I even glow three Satonishiki cherry trees and two persimmons in my garden.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@mickeytakahashi1736 you're welcome, I'm happy to help. I plan on buying a persimmon tree next year. I very much want a Saijo.

[@carolinewithers1647]

WOW!! good to find you. I live in Hampstead. I'm battling deer and recently planted my fig trees in the landscape. Not sure about planting figs in containers. The trees are in little cages but I'm seeing that the deer will be able to reach the new growth soon.

[@katen1228]

I’m in Iowa and will be bringing me in this winter, so happy to have found this. I have. Celeste, Bran***, & Dessert. Thank YOU so much.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@MattyDemello]

Awesome. I just got a Honey fig and a Chicago hardy fig tree. First ever figs I've gotten.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's awesome!

[@shabashdelam4910]

Superb thank you you have given me a very informative video foundation for me to prune my bucket fig tree this winter in the uk

[@Drewpy113]

Thank you! Most helpful video I've watched on pruning figs!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Andrew thank you for watching! I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@ramachandran8666]

Thanks for this as its PERFECT TIMING for me as I live in RTP and my 3 fig trees have started to drop most of their leaves

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@RonnieMinh]

Thank you for the great information. We love our fig trees here in Arizona.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching!

[@castleofcostamesa8291]

What a great quality video! Respect and thank you!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for watching!

[@nyteshdw]

I learned ALOT from this video, thank you. I am in zone 7b and I have two gallon sized chicago hardy figs arriving today. I plan to put them in the ground. I would like to grow them as trees rather than bushes.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Fig trees will naturally grow as a bush, so you'll want to train them early for proper form. The earlier you can cut them back, the better. I do my heading cut after the first season.

[@werpu12]

Thanks a lot, I need to perform a strong cutting next year on a fig which was sent as a single stem... This video helped me a lot!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it helped! Thanks for watching!

[@susano2570]

Great information. I currently have a shapeless fig tree that I put in about two years ago. Will try pruning it this year. Thank you.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching!

[@uprightfossil6673]

I had to sub 30 seconds in when you gave your growing zone. Fig trees have been the Achilles heel to my green thumb. I would like for you to do a short part of your video showing the growing season chart and recommendations for types and length of season... Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

What is your approximate location and growing season length? I'm around Wilmington, NC, and my frost-free period is about 250 days.

[@spawn1086]

And I thought I had a lot of fig trees, another very good and informative video, my trees are safe and sound in the Garage waiting to be pruned, very food advice on the Chicago fig, one of mine took 4 years before I got my first harvest ( CT ) fertilizing cautiously can very advantageous, I also add a little lime to mine it sweetens the flavor even more ( cautiously) thanks again. Bella America

[@mrk101]

Hello. I live in Vietnam and I really like the fig tree. I just got 3 because I bought seeds online. I have used the method of cuttings but the rate is only 60%. I see your way and appreciate. thank you very much!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Chổm TV be careful with fig seeds. Most fig seeds are scams. Fig seeds are only viable if they are pollinated by the fig wasp, and most fig seeds you buy online are sterile. All my fig seeds are sterile. Nothing will grow. What’s worse is the fig seeds that do grow are almost certainly Smyrna figs. The chances of you getting seeds pollinated by a persistent caprifig are very low, which means even if you get fig seeds that will grow, they won’t ripen fruit unless you live in a place with the fig wasp. Since you’re in Vietnam, you probably don’t have the wasp. They live in the Mediterranean. Fig seeds also don’t grow true to type, so you can’t propagate a variety with seeds. The only way to know what you’re getting is to take cuttings. That’s why we all do it. Growing figs from seed is almost always a bad idea because even if you get a fig to grow, it probably won’t ripen or be edible. And 50% will be male, which you can’t eat. If you plant seeds, 50% will be male and will be worthless. Of the female, almost all of them will be Smyrna and worthless. If you were to plant 100 seeds that actually grew, if that fig was pollinated by a persistent caprifig, you could count on one hand the figs that would actually grow into edible ripe figs, and since they’re hybrids they may not taste good. If the fig was pollinated by a caducous caprifig, 100% of all figs won’t be edible.

[@mrk101]

@@TheMillennialGardener : oh. Figs also have male and female trees? I thank you for all the knowledge. I hope my 3 trees will be female. and there will be fruit.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Chổm TV yes, that’s the challenge. Half of all fig trees are male and inedible, and of the female, the only way you can get a female that will be edible without fig wasp pollination is if the seed was pollinated by a wasp that emerged from a persistent male caprifig. The chances of all that lining up is very low. Actually breeding a female fig with great flavor and productivity that will be self-fertile and not require wasp pollination is incredibly rare. That’s why we have to use cuttings and fig trees are passed down for generations in families from the Mediterranean. They’re prized possessions.

[@mrk101]

@@TheMillennialGardener : So I'm really worried. Now is hope. In Vietnam, the winter is not cold, if the fruit trees last longer. I planted 3 trees from the seed into the ground and cut a lot of cuttings. The problem is waiting and hoping. Take a moment to watch the video and give me some suggestions. I thank you very much for understanding! I use google translation and hope you understand. thank you so much!

[@ktony555]

@@TheMillennialGardener Great video and very very useful info. You are very knowledgeable. Your info is greatly appreciated, thanks for sharing. We were doing wrong, now we know. Subscribed. Canada here.

[@andielliott7721]

I appreciate your step by step explanation.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful!

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

Great video, fig trees rock. I know people in the northeast successfully keep fig trees.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The funny thing is outside of California, I think there are more fig growers in the Northeast than anywhere else. Probably because of the Italian American lineage most common in the Northeast. Thanks for watching!

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

@@TheMillennialGardener That actually makes sense. 🇮🇹

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@northeasthardytropicals541 I'm Italian American and grew up in the Northeast. Figs are very "cultural" to people from the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Those of us with family that emigrated from Italy, Greece, Turkey and North Africa, figs are almost holy.

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

@@TheMillennialGardener I couldn’t agree more my fellow pizon 🇮🇹

[@thekrrib]

Great vid. Really well explained. I know absolutely nothing about caring for Fig trees. I moved to a new house which has one and I definately wanna make use of it.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Figs are a fantastic fruit tree to learn on, because they are so forgiving. They grow from total dieback to 8 feet tall in a single season, so they’re great to learn how to prune. They also fruit within a year. I recommend selecting a good, strong, early variety like Olympian or Negra d’Agde to learn on.

[@terryhodgson2357]

Great video, very informative. I'm in Aberdeen, a couple of hours from you. The growing season here is very long. I have two giant fig trees that are simply out of control. Glad to get your lessons on how and when to prune. I'll be following your advice and your channel. Thanks!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad to hear it was helpful! Thank you for watching!

[@catrinawallis671]

Thank you so much! I had two fig trees and one died and i still don’t know why, but i love the one that lived. Its 2 yrs old and i finally got about 10 figs on it and i was so proud but..... after seeing your video well i think you can understand. I live in texas and with your recommendations my fig tree should do a lot better.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Check out my fertilizing and pinching videos. If you get them off to the races in early spring with proper (generous and regular) fertilizing, then strategically pinch them at the right time, I think you’ll have amazing results!

[@silverfoxes65]

First off, your trees look gorgeous. So much so that I went out and purchased fish fertilizer to add to my nutrient mix. I have been using Masterblend Tomato Formula which is a complete fertilizer with micronutrients. Works pretty well with the figs, but based on your video, I could be using more. I have one fig in my hydroponic system that is absolutely crazy and very productive. I have 8 figs in the ground, I'm in zone 7b, and so far they die back to the ground in the winter and have not produced figs (read more fertilizer needed). I have 11 potted figs, most of which produced well this year. I truly appreciated your pruning suggestions!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

What I've found is that slow-release fertilizers alone don't cut it for potted figs. The pots cause too much nutrient loss from watering and rain. They need to be fed with soluble feed because soluble feed is so strong and readily available. Feeding with slow release and soluble is the one-two-punch that really gave my figs an amazing first year, I think. In-ground soluble is probably less important, but I may still add occasional feedings. Thanks for watching and good luck with the next season!

[@silverfoxes65]

@@TheMillennialGardener Yes, I've tried slow release to the same end. I was reluctant to add fish to my nutrients for fear of overdoing it. I went right out and got some, now all my plants are smelling a little fishy, I'm seeing new buds so I think they are happy. Thanks for the tip.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@silverfoxes65 fish emulsion is pure magic. It is a bit of a nuisance because it does smell bad and attracts flies almost instantly, but you just cannot beat how well it works. If you can't use it due to the smell for some reason, liquid kelp works well as a less-smelly substitute. Fish is still the best, but kelp holds its own, too.

[@bobbrawley2612]

You answered my question so that I can grow potted trees for winter storage that I can move in and out as easy as can be hoped for or expected. (1)The tree form .(2)Cut to waist height to store for winter. I will be probagating from cuttings 20 trees this winter. Or attempts to. This coming summer my main goal will be to form the tree style . In other video you caution about not pruning during summer because of limited fruit production and stunted vegetative growth . The first year vegetative growth is my goal . Should I not prune the the soil level multi leaders and low branches till end of the season. Would the shock of pruning unwanted branching in June adversely slow overall leafing and branching. In your opinion

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I would recommend not worrying about vegetative growth. All my trees that you see are cuttings I rooted over the winter, or rooted cuttings I bought from sellers in early spring. Almost all my trees are 8-10 feet tall from a single summer. If you fertilize them heavily like I instruct in my fertilizing video, you will have tremendous vegetative growth in 4-6 months. I recommend letting the cuttings root and grow however they please the first year, then pruning to tree form over the following winter once the wood has fully lignified. The only thing I recommend pruning during the growing season are tiny suckers that may come from the base of the tree. They siphon away a lot of energy and can stunt your tree's growth on the main stem. The shock will not be significant if they're tiny, sucker-like shoots. You want to peel them off when they're tiny. I would advise against doing any heavy pruning during the growing season or you can shock the tree, causing a delay in fruiting, fruit drop or, perhaps, prevent a fruiting cycle entirely.

[@johncola9607]

Great information,even for me in England with a short growing season my mother lives in Cyprus and I would say it's right for figs , well-done on all your videos 👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Cyprus is a fig paradise! I would love to check out Fig Tree Bay. Thanks for watching.

[@gkazalex1825]

You are the most articulate, knowledgable, honest grower. You are a real teacher. When you come to Athens, Greece you stay in my place. I have 3 local varieties and one black mission. What is the container size you recomend, and what is a simple potting mix recipe for those buckets? Thank you sir.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I really appreciate that. I would LOVE to go to Greece. I've been wanting to travel to Crete for years. I hope the world opens back up for travel, soon.

[@harataheke3440]

Thanks for sharing it is most helpful as this is my first time to grow and when to prune and how thanks again from New Zealand

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm so glad to hear it was helpful! I appreciate you watching!

[@AlfonsoDIbe]

Your video makes me very helpful in propagating fig tree. You explain so well. God bless and you're a good looking guy, too! Los Angeles, California here.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Alfonso D. Ibe that’s a perfect climate to grow figs! I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for watching.

[@lepotagerpiments]

Really good video, I pruned the apical bud to force the fig growing when they are 3 or 4 fig per branch. 🙌🌱🍈

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@kevintorres5962]

Thank you so much for the video. I'm in 7b zone and your answered all the questions I had and even more that I didn't know I needed. Thank you!! Very informative

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.

[@stepitup5409]

Excellent video. Ive got 9 fig trees and had one fig total this year in zone 7

[@esthervolkan6946]

I live in zone 7 too and I might get one or two figs and the bushes are huge and full of branches?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching. You may want to check out my playlist on fertilizing figs. It may help your production: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j

[@norcolee]

So happy to learn from your video. Currently I grafted 2 different color fruits in the same fig for different fig harvest.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome! We call that a Frankenfig. It's a really cool way to have many varieties in a small space. Good luck and thanks for watching.

[@odakoker3756]

Thank you this is a big help for me. I always watch your video and start follow your advice.. Now all my figs are doing great i love it..

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! I'm glad the videos are helping.

[@christinayamamura136]

Very informative, thanks for your tutorials, much appreciated!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@debralauesen4225]

So happy to have found your wonderful channel. Finally, someone who is clear, concise and extremely knowledgeable. I will be watching all your videos. I bought a white marseille fig early summer 2020. I didn’t know anything about pruning so just let it be and overwintered in a cold frame. Right now it is super bushy with tons of branches and leaves, looking very healthy. I now know to wait until early winter (7A Nashville) but not sure how to attack. Since I will be putting in the ground next year (early spring) should I wait to prune in tree form to create goblet until planted. Thanks much!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos. I actually have a video all about pruning for in-ground planting here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3mvl3SEardkesU If you can achieve this form beforehand and you don’t have to aggressively head your trees, that’s great and you can do so during the dormant season.

[@debralauesen4225]

Thanks, that video was very helpful!

[@IsaacD2nerd]

My fig tree is about 5 feet 6 inches and i have had it for about 5 years. I live in the west of the us and i was wondering if i cut it back that far, will it still survive? because the nodes are like small lines and i don’t want to cut it too far.

[@Findmylimit]

Good to know it was October 21st I was hoping to gain that knowledge

[@SeanMurrayRides]

Thank you! So stoked on your videos!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching.

[@marjquillinan1298]

Thank you for this video. I’m experimenting growing fruit trees in large containers so that they go where I go. Will apply your tips on my container figs and on my giant 50+ year old fig tree!

[@steveng6269]

Really good post for new growers - great job - Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@mikemarcheselli802]

It is mid January and my fig tree is not dormant. I did the light slice into the branch test. How long do you wait and do you always get dormancy in your trees? I too am located in Eastern NC. BTW. Your site is the best. Thanks again for all of your info.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Some winters where we live, it's too mild and there will be some sap flow. Last winter was very cold, and my trees went fully dormant, but 2020 when it was mild, they always had some sap flow. We have a long string of cold days coming up, so they're going to be as dormant as they get by next weekend. I recommend taking your cuttings within the next 1-2 weeks with all these cold temps coming. I'll be starting to take mine next week. Glad you're enjoying the videos!

[@noorjehanjamkhanghar307]

wowe lots of figs I love figs

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching.

[@hdwoodshop]

Hello. I’ve been avidly following your channel fora few years and I’m now obsessed with growing figs. I have 5 in ground and 5 in Home Depot buckets. You’re my role model. I’ve been going to Scion exchanges and I have 7 varieties I’m playing with. Can you please point me to a simple, and logical breakdown of fertilizing, pruning, and feeding of figs as the season is starting? I get a little confused and I don’t want to mess it up. 😃

[@ngocbirrer9310]

Very helpful information THANK YOU

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@sonia336]

Thank you. This video is definitely very insightful in every single way. I want to start my very first fig tree.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful.

[@DM-hd4xm]

Your videos are outstanding, and your camera work as well, thank you.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. I try my best to get decent shots. It's tough to do sometimes. Thank you for watching!

[@jaime6925]

Your channel is informative and concise (thank you for this). You may have mentioned this before, how long can you really expect to keep a fruit tree (figs or peaches) in a 7-10 gallon container?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. It depends on the fruit tree. Slower growing trees like lemons and limes can stay in a container for several seasons before they need to be removed, root-pruned and re-potted with fresh mix. Something like a fig should be removed, root pruned and re-potted with fresh mix every 1-2 seasons because they grow so vigorously. If you live in a shorter growing season like PA, OH, NJ or NY, you may be able to get away with every other season. Here in NC, they grow 8 feet tall in a season, so annual root pruning may be necessary in 5 gallon buckets. If you make the containers much larger, you may be able to go several seasons. 7-10 will likely require every 1-3 years depending on how much it grows.

[@regina4918]

I bought 2 fig trees, black mission and panache from Home Depot 1-2 months ago. Home Depot doesn’t know how old these trees are. Black mission is 30 inch tall from the base with 2 branches (7” and 17” long) at 18” on main stem. The panache is 24” tall from the base with 3 tiny branches (1” long) at 18” in main stem. Should I be pruning both trees? Both main stems are about 3/4” to 1”. I’ve watched almost all of your fig videos, very informative, thank you.

[@JJthedeadhead]

Thanks I just ordered my first fig, a Brown Turkey, I live on the border of zones 7A and 7B, I was told it should be OK in the ground. After watching your videos I'm going to try to take a couple cutting to propagate and try a container or 2, in case the in ground doesn't hold. Can I put the containers in a shed or just a garage? How often do I need to water? and should I be pruning at the same node year after year or up/down 1 node each year? Thanks again, I feel more informed and prepared to tackle figs.

[@ZJesusIsTheWay]

Re in ground planting should you prune everything all the way to ground if doing the bush? And when doing 3-4 main stems do cut the extra ones that come as they grow?

[@yvonnezarm9333]

I love your videos! I am from Cologne Germany zone 7a. This spring of 2023 I rooted cuttings of Smith, Black Madeira, BT, Peters Honey and Excel. Each tree fruited and had between 2-to 5 delicious fruits. Now we have autumn and they are entering complete dormancy mid or end of Dec. They are single stem and are about 50 cm tall from top of pot. (They are only in 5 liter pot right now and I will uppot them into 11 liter pot in spring.) Because the whole tree is only about 19 inches tall and each have nice apical bud, my question now is, shall I leave them unpruned? If yes, will they have branches and fruit in summer 2024? Or shall I cut the apical bud so they’ll surely have branches and fruit in summer 2024? We have short summer season. Thank you for your advice❤

[@janetg2508]

Another very informative video with great tips! Thank you so much. I wrote you previously about my Violette de Bourdeaux that had a salt burn problem. I'm happy to report that the problem is resolved with no further evidence on the new growth. Today, I planted a 1 year old Beers Black that I got from the same home grower. I've learned so much from watching your videos. I'll be following your fertilizer schedule this time and hopefully will have a better yield. Fingers crossed.😎

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for the kind words. Can I ask how you resolved the problem? I think I remember this - are you in Arizona? It's fascinating to me that Arizona used to be part of the ocean when the Earth was much warmer, so the seemingly desert-dry ground is actually full of ocean salt. Mother Nature's crazy. Usually regular flood irrigation is required to flush the soil.

[@janetg2508]

You have a good memory. Yes, AZ. I was advised to thoroughly flush out the container weekly with sufficient water and to give 1 cup of gypsum to the soil monthly and water it in. I started that in August. The old leaves died off but new growth is good. Also advised to not fertilize until problem was gone. Advice came from nursery in Ca who wrote an article on salt burn found online.Original problem was too large a pot for a 1 gal root ball. Lesson learned.😎

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@janetg2508 that's great that that worked. Fig trees like mildly acidic soil, and I believe AZ has high soil pH. Some of that "acid-loving" plant food may help, as well as sulfur. But if you solved your problem, keep doing what you're doing!

[@margaretlocke7938]

Very very helpful. Thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@bobwood3063]

I praise God for His Amazing Grace

[@simonemary8559]

This is so helpful thank you so much!!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@datdude212]

Your trees are absolute beasts! 👍👍👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks! And thanks for watching.

[@vandewoude]

Hi, I live in area 7A/B Charlottesville Va. I have 4 fig trees that are now 3 years old and providing nice figs. Unfortunately, we have a summer residence in Maine and miss a lot of good figs. That brings me to my second question. I was thinking of taking a cutting into a 5 gallon bucket and bringing it to Maine, zone 5b. We’re ther until October. Can I cut back that tree in October and leave it in the garage for the winter. If so, I should probably bring it out in May? Appreciate your help.

[@fannylang6525]

Thanks for the helpful info. I moved in to our home in zone 7b 2 years ago and there is an existing fig tree which I finally have time to tend to and learn about. Don’t know the age. Will experiment with some of your tips. One question, though, is there a window of time when they should or maybe more importantly should not be pruned? We had a surprise early freeze that really zapped the tree and it looks horrible. Leaves and figs are dead. I’m wondering if I should prune it now before more frost. Thanks in advance!

[@kishorikhirwadkar8312]

Excellent information given with an ernest wish to help fellow figtree growers. More importantntly, without wasting time. THANK YOU.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. I'm frequently concerned my videos are too long. This video is over 22 mins, which is a lot to ask someone to watch. It's difficult to be thorough without wasting time. I appreciate the feedback.