When, Why And How To Pinching Fig Trees To Force Early Fruiting

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Follow us on Twitter @NCGardening for regular garden updates and progress photos!

[@shashakeeleh5468]

Thank you very much for this video! I live just north of Houston city limits in zone 9 and have never pinched a fig in my life hopefully never have to do it. Last thing I need in apt. yard is planters with bushy fig trees.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@shashakeeleh5468 Thanks for watching.

[@minfeng9404]

what is the best fig you recommend? Thank you. I am living in Northeast

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@minfeng9404 there are thousands of figs and I've only tried around 15, so I've barely scratched the surface. My favorite so far is I-258, but it may take a while to ripen in the Northeast. You should probably have Ronde de Bordeaux and Improved Celeste, at a minimum. They aren't known to be the absolute best, but they're two of the earliest figs. I would recommend having I-258 in a container that you can give a head start every year.

[@warrenrichmond3311]

@@shashakeeleh5468 how to get rid of powdered mildew on my cucumbers

[@sluiceman2004]

Nicely done and not overly verbose. Very articulate and easy to follow. This was great instruction. Thank you for this video!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@PapaPepper]

Well done, for a smaller channel, it's nice to see you have a great video like this blow up within the first couple of days. Way to go and keep it up!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Papa Pepper thank you. Small channel, big goals 😄

[@fjjjjjsdlfjslakjdf]

@@TheMillennialGardener seeing these old comments is sweet. you did it!

[@TheFiown]

I took some cuttings from a local fig tree last year and two of them are really strong. This year I am going to do a lot more and make a wall of fig trees as it's my favorite fruit. Thaks for the tips.

[@tsunamimaniago]

How do you roots fig tree cuttings? I ask my sister to mail me Twiggs cutting from her fig tree. If I'm successful I'll plant in a pot. ( ontario canada) thanks in advance.

[@TheFiown]

@@tsunamimaniago Hi, well I took short cutting , 20 cms , slanted under and above a 'bud', then kept them in water for a couple of weeks, then dipped them in rooting powder after taking the bark off the bottom, then stuck them in a pot. I planted four and got two which are doing well. I am doing five more this year. You have to keep them moist maybe cover in a plastic water bottle with the bottom out as a mini hot house with the cap off, not full sun but good light. This worked for me here in France, good luck.

[@Louisianapermaculture]

Consider putting other trees in your wall so as not to make a buffet for fig pests

[@joedell7043]

The manufacturer of your weed block. It’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you Joe Dell

[@rethapratt9813]

Just learning about the fig tree,will be buying one soon. Thank you for the great information and video. It was very helpful, keep up the good work.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching. I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@caseG80]

Retha Pratt don’t forget the fig tree is one of the easiest trees to propagate or take cuttings. It’s also very easy to graft Check out IV organics you tube channel he has grafted over 10 different varieties on one tree. Cheers

[@AaBb-oo4th]

very good thinking,,i have what i think a Smith variety who have 2 long branches 30 inches and 1 short,, i cut of 12 inches the 2 longs to be equal to the short one and the short one start to grow fig 10 days later,,the 2 others just grow leaves,,this is a cutting of 11 month only ,never wintering,is in a pot inside under good LED light

[@Jameson1979]

Thanks for sharing. This clear up a lot of questions about pinching figs.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@sarahpayne2873]

thank you so much for imparting all this valuable information. I have two brown turkeys and live in the south of England (UK) they are semi mature probably about 6/7 years old and have fruited in the past. Two years ago they suffered a lack of water as I moved house and somebody else looked after them for me for a season, I got them back exactly a year ago and last year they did not fruit. We've had very strange weather this year in the UK with very little sunshine so I appreciate that the figures may be slow this year. However, through complete lack of knowledge I think I've pinched off I say I think I can't quite remember, some of the tips during the winter. Having studied your video I've gone and had a look at my fix and I cannot see any double bumps. Also I can now see by pinching off I have created the ugly clumping of the leaves. I also repotted them into slightly larger pots earlier this year whilst they were dormant and have just taken a soil sample it's very alkaline. It's hard to find what is PH figs like on the Internet as there is varying opinions. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I am now subscribed and shall follow your guidance. Thank you so much. Sarah

[@mohammadpourheydarian5877]

Amazing experts in fig tree. So beautiful.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@orangetuono38]

Crushed it on "fig pinch" search. Couldn't have asked for more detail and clarity. THANK YOU!

[@2brownbraids]

Thank you, good explanation. You have a very nice yard , clean and spacious with lots of air flow.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Vivienne Scudder thank you! It took a lot of clearing. Now it is a mess of weeds in the back. It is a work in progress.

[@KarlaRei]

THANK YOU! I'm a beginner with figs and I have 3 established trees right now. We have a similar first frost date to you and it would always come before the fruit ripened and I have been so frustrated. I'm excited to try this method this year.

[@thebigmick1348]

Stumbled across your vids and thought "oh this guy must have a ton of subscribers." Really good stuff and very engaging.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching. I appreciate it.

[@ramachandran8666]

You are Dr. Fig with real in-depth treatise on everything I wanted to know about growing figs and never knew what questions to ask; lol. Super useful especially I now live in RTP and started a couple of fig plants last year.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks! Is RTP Research Triangle Park? If so, I'm down in Wilmington about 2.5 hours southeast of you.

[@ramachandran8666]

@@TheMillennialGardener YES, and I love your channel. I want to know if you sell FIG cuttings? Also, would like to know a bit more about your Banana plants as we are wondering if they will survive our short yet damaging "Freezes" in winter

[@chrism3845]

Your detailed presentation and layman's explanations of fig trees is really the best I've seen on KZbin thus far. Really appreciate your guidance. I have acquired 11 fig trees (yes, I caught the bug about 12 months ago). You chose a nice variety of fig trees to give great examples and of particular note your explanation concerning the raspberry latte fig, which interestingly has a similar vigorous growth habit to my unknown Greek variety, which has been very shy (has not yet produced fruit except for one tiny fruit just like yours). So I will follow your recommendations to a T and pinch at the appropriate time of the year and look forward to some very flavoursome sweet fruit.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Chris M thank you! That’s very kind of you to say that. I felt that most of the pinching videos online were geared towards those with knowledge of figs, and that can be confusing for newcomers. I wanted people to know exactly why to pinch instead of thinking they had to and go on an unnecessary pinching frenzy. It is a pretty long video, but hopefully it got the point across. Knowing why is so important and overlooked.

[@HotPotatoGardener-HPG-143]

It sounds like you've embarked on an exciting journey with your fig trees! Acquiring 11 different varieties shows a deep commitment and interest in cultivating these fruits. Your observation about the growth habits of the Raspberry Latte fig and its similarity to your Greek variety is intriguing. It's great that you're planning to follow the pinching recommendations; this technique can be crucial in encouraging fig trees to produce more fruit. Given the right care and conditions, you should hopefully see an improvement in fruit yield, including those sweet, flavourful figs you're looking forward to. Best of luck with your fig trees, and I hope you enjoy a bountiful harvest!

[@eleanorberg2506]

Thank you for the excellent information. I guard my petite nigra in southern MN, and now will carefully examine the nodes for double bumps. I have been watching but now know where and what to look for. My fig tree winters in the garage and this is its third summer. Last year it produced seven very small most delicious figs. Maybe too late to produce figs this year, even with pinching. Still I hope to get some cuttings. Best information on the fig wasp I have found, and I have looked. Thank for very valuable information.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for watching. If you get yourself a little greenhouse, that should dramatically enhance your fruit set if you can give your tree a head start. Even if you can just get a little $50 pop-up tent-style greenhouse and carry your tree inside during the day and back out into your garage before it gets cold at night, you'll possibly add weeks to your growing season.

[@im-sunjung8728]

So happy to find your channel. You explanation is great. I can actually understand things now that I couldn't before. Thank you!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm glad you found it helpful! Thank you for watching.

[@77summertime]

First time fig grower here in Dallas TX area. Excellent presentation and explanations. I appreciate your style and channel.

[@jenniferanderson899]

Thank you for the information about the fig trees👍 this will be of great help 👍

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Jennifer Anderson thank you!

[@markh9825]

Excellent advice! Thank you so much for your information and detailed descriptions on the fig pinching.

[@lostpony4885]

Fig pinching sounds like sneaking in and grabbing someone elses figs

[@SavageElf82]

Hahahahahahaha

[@donnabrooks1173]

Love the comment.

[@idontinvest1039]

That’s what she said!

[@crazyjc29]

I've pinched a few figs.😂

[@eveadame1059]

That was a nutty thing to say

[@riskiecosplay]

I have a desert king and live in Seattle, It's only given me one fig and it's time it produced. I want to graft other varieties on this one fig and I'm hopeful. I visited several fig sites, but yours was one of the most informative. You didn't ramble on and gave great information. I will continue to access your site. Thank you so much!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Desert King figs are San Pedro type figs, which means the main crop requires fig wasp pollination to mature fruit. There are no fig wasps in the US outside of tiny pockets of California where they were artificially established by farmers a century ago, so a Desert King will not produce main crop fruit for you in Seattle. Desert King is grown in the PNW for their breba crop. The breba crop is an early fig that forms on the previous year's wood. Therefore, you cannot pinch a Desert King to form fruit because the main crop won't fruit for you where you live. If you're not getting figs on your Desert King, it's probably because you're pruning off the previous year's wood, or some other reason altogether. Desert King is one of the rare varieties where the new year's growth won't yield you fruit. You must carefully maintain all previous year's growth because that's the only wood that fruits. This is the reason why Desert King is unattractive to most. It's a tough fig to handle because you need to learn to prune and maintain them for the breba's. I hope you find this helpful. Thank you for the kind words about my channel!

[@Lyddiebits]

I’m just below you in Oregon...and I too have a desert king...now I’m sad lol, after reading the fig mans response:(

[@wilrausure6901]

AWESOME JOB on vid.. good pace with info.. Learned lots

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Wilrausure thank you! I’m glad I can help.

[@Matt-nj]

Long time subscriber, I like the many plants types and tips that you cover. But I like the fig videos the best! I have learned a lot by watching videos from your channel. Thank you!

[@LK-3000]

Thank you for this very detailed explanation. It really helps as I've only been growing figs since last fall and I need all the help I can get.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! Check out my fertilizing figs playlist if you're looking for more detailed info on growing figs. Thanks for watching.

[@carriekassick7311]

I received my first fig tree in the mail yesterday so I’ve been binge watching you today. 👍🏼 thank you for such clear and detailed instructions. I’m feeling like I can do this thanks to you 💪🏼👍🏼

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Awesome! Congrats on your new purchase. Figs are fun because they fruit so quickly, so they're immediately rewarding. They also grow like weeds. Make sure you check out my series on fig fertilizing because figs need, and respond well to, heavy feedings: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIFNbJEUdApbh_E57uNBLG2j Thanks for watching my videos!

[@carriekassick7311]

@@TheMillennialGardener I’ve watched two fertilizer videos and took notes as well! I’m now watching how to keep ants off your fruit trees. I’m very excited to plant it. It was my intention to plant in the ground, I live in Maine and the nursery where I purchased it knew my zone and wasn’t supposed to ship until April but it showed up yesterday! Our ground is still frozen so I thought I’d try it in a container. I was happy to see your videos today. It’s like a god-send. Thank you so much! I also purchased a Stella cherry tree which I can’t leave in a container so will need transplanting soon. Do you have any videos on cherry trees?

[@junkinjodi8942]

Probably one of the best informative videos about fig trees I've ever watched you brought it down to layman's terms. I live in Indiana and I have to Chicago hard he's growing this is my second year hoping for free this year. Would that be unrealistic

[@TheMillennialGardener]

junkinjodi thank you, I appreciate it. Are you looking to grow your fig in ground? I don’t fully understand the question, sorry.

[@ChristinaWolde]

You are such a teacher I appreciate your advice always!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@josem.2909]

Figs are extremely delicious!!! 😋😍

[@jacquelynhallock1608]

I planted my first fig tree this year and so far it's doing wonderful. I didn't expect that cause I'm not very good at keeping plants alive. But I water it and just let it do the rest. Got eleven figs growing at last count . . . Can't wait my great grandmother will be so excited when they ripen

[@SaraFJones]

I’ve heard the growing pattern you described called a “goblet growth pattern”. Appreciate all of the great info! Glad I waited to prune my fig tree, will do it this winter!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That sounds like a good phrase! Thanks for watching.

[@staceegutierrez281]

You are a gifted KZbinr! You have a talent! Excellent educational video.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Stacee Gutierrez thank you so much. I really appreciate it and I’m glad you enjoyed the video.

[@carlosrivera1550]

Thanks for sharing that beautiful video so wonderful of you sharing this video I will send you a picture of my black Madeira kk I got stuck at work thanks again

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! I'll take a look when you post it.

[@Sam-tg4ii]

Thanks for the amazing content you make for us. Can I ask two questions? 1) generally, when is the best time to buy fruit trees (mostly online)? (please also consider availability in your response. I am seeing lots of out of stocks at the time of this comment). 2) How big should a fig tree become before we can take a cutting from it to propagate? Can we take a cutting from a tree which is so young it has not produced yet? Thanks in advance

[@AudreyRobinel]

thanks for the explaination, i saw i should pinch fig trees, but my growing season is all year round, so i don't need to do that :) Also, nice of you to not waste time and present why you should do it at the begining of the video!

[@newbiegarden]

Excellent video, just what I was looking for to add to Fig Database. Keep up the good work and stay humble my friend.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Newbie Garden thank you! I appreciate it.

[@akintohari9258]

Thank you for your attention

[@traceyhilton1714]

Thanks I understand growing season so much better now, so glad I found your video (UK)

[@peterstevens4223]

G00D Afternoon from Auckland, New Zealand it’s Monday, November 25, 2019.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching!

[@yukseloduncu1215]

Thank you for your very informative video. I have a small fig field in Turkey, İzmir. We obtained the cuttings of the black fig two years ago. We put them directly into the soil. Now some of them surpassed my height. Some trees have fruits but some varieties grow late. We are very curious about growing figs. People like the taste of the fig here as well.

[@muhammadfaridazhar2669]

Inspiring. Thx

[@josieg.6268]

I bought a brown turkey fig over the winter. It has sprouted new growth, but only on the top. The trunk is about 5ft tall and the trunk is black. I think i may have purchased a bad tree. I just got 11 cuttings. Hoping to have some success. Thanks for all the fig info!

[@jamesbaker2870]

Why do you have so much ground covered by ground cloth

[@wandawilliams3110]

Excellent video. I am wanting to start a few trees in containers. And a fig tree one of those trees.. You gave a lot of information. And now I know how to recognize a figlet. Thank you for sharing. And making it clear.

[@MYPERMACULTUREGARDEN]

What a wealth of knowledge you have .... I loved this... new friend !

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate that. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@PapaPepper]

Aha, you found this one too!

[@PopPop-cw2tt]

This was a very helpful explanation. I have two fig plants in ground here in New Jersey but have rarely produced figs. I pinched them and have a few figs now and new foliage where there is only one node. Hopefully they will ripen in time.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I grew up in NJ. The challenge with growing figs in NJ is the warm season is often not long enough for most varieties of figs. Being in NJ, I would recommend growing Improved Celeste and Ronde de Bordeaux in-ground, because they are two of the earliest known varieties. Many other varieties struggle. Wrapping them in the fall to protect the wood from winter die-back, and pruning them to a single trunk I’m once they break dormancy, helps give them a head start and concentrate their energy for faster fruiting.

[@seanupton3170]

So every year you’re going to remove the year’s growth when it goes dormant for cuttings? This was something I wanted to ask you on Ross’s video too. I’ve read something about leaving scaffolding branches (I think that’s the term) after you get that initial shape you like and not cutting those. Thanks for the very informative vid!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sean Upton I am currently trialing around 20 varieties to see what performs best in my hot, humid, rainy summer climate. The figs that hold up to humidity will get a permanent place in the ground. Year one is growing out the main stems, then cutting them into a single stem about 18 inches tall with the best stem available. Year two is growing out the scaffolds at about 18 inches high. I want 3-4 scaffolds. Year three and beyond will be growing out the tree in-ground. I am not a very tall guy, only 5’-6”, so I will be cutting my trees back annually so I can reach the main crop every year. I also want to propagate the cuttings and distribute them to the fig community. Plus, they make awesome gifts. I gifted a few to neighbors already.

[@seanupton3170]

The Millennial Gardener ah gotcha. If you wanted to keep them in containers would you likely want to prune back to the scaffolds yearly? I’m in a hot climate (central Texas) so I can grow in ground and do for a couple, but I have limited space so I plan to grow a lot in pots for a while. I’m an experienced gardener so idk why I’m having trouble grasping the pruning of these. Maybe I’m over complicating it in my mind.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Sean Upton I would still want to single stem the main trunk, but I would cut it much lower to the soil level, about 6-12 inches instead of 18 inches like I plan. I would want 3-4 scaffolds coming from the cut, and every year I would prune them back probably 2/3 of the way so I could have some year old wood for brebas. But, eventually the tree would get too large, so what you need to do is every 3-5 years, you remove the tree from the container, prune back the roots, replace the potting soil and cut the scaffolds all the way back again. This revitalizes the tree. So basically, you can only prune it back partially every few years til it gets out of control, then do a drastic re-pruning. This is the case for all potted plants, really. Every several years you need to cut them back to reinvigorate them again. The timeline may vary. 3 years? 5? 10? Don’t know. You have to use your judgment.

[@seanupton3170]

@@TheMillennialGardener good deal, thanks very much! I'm looking forward to seeing updates on these.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks! Don’t be afraid to experiment with different pruning styles to find out which works best for you.

[@ahamoment3626]

You offer incredible and valuable information!! Thank you so much for the schooling👍🌱

[@himateesookhai5302]

Hi Mr. fig lol thank you for the best representation on figs Thant I have seen please let me know what is your soil mix for your pots ,have a great day.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Himatee Sookhai thank you! It is a blend of about 50% coco coir, 25% good quality potting mix and the top 2-3 inches is composted cow manure (like Black Kow brand) mixed in.

[@StefaniStevensBand]

Great question, soil mix!

[@chrisalbrecht7342]

Excellent informative information! You may want to use food grade buckets, the plastic breaks down quickly in the Sun. I live in Northern CT, and I will be ordering the three figs you have recommended Thank you, Chris

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The buckets aren't intended to be a permanent home. They're only meant to trial the figs for 1-2 seasons to see if they can tolerate my climate, and to see if they're any good. I've used Home Depot buckets, Lowe's buckets and the food grade Walmart containers, and they all fail after 2 seasons since they aren't UV resistant. Thanks for watching.

[@AbdulHameed-dt5qh]

I was about to throw my tree until I saw this video - thanks after pinching I can see small figs appears

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Great news! Thanks for watching!

[@ironc5194]

So much info! Thank you and can’t wait to get my new fig going!!

[@boneylockz3967]

Lord how many tiny fig trees do you need! xD

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Boney Lockz I don’t need any, but I want many. Figs are one of the most unique foods on Earth. Not only is it the oldest known fruit tree cultivated by humans, but there are so many different flavor types. You can have literally 25 different fig trees that taste nothing like. Honey figs, light berry figs, intense berry figs, resin figs, peach figs, sugar figs, melon figs...there are so many different types, sizes and flavors.

[@VK-qo1gm]

@@TheMillennialGardener Yeeeess! love you response, you are absolutely right, Best wishes from Australia

[@bellafrisk9084]

What a wonderful presentation. You are a great teacher and amazing lecturer. This video was a very thoughtful, full of useful information. Thank You.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! I appreciate you watching.

[@saltlifegull4091]

Holy cow - what a beautiful set up. How can such small trees be producing fruit? I thought it took five years! Awesome video.

[@Lyddiebits]

They fruit right away. I only have one on mine lol, it’s 2 feet tall

[@jimmyp3161]

The 3 reasons to pinch are helpful to understand the way you spelled out! One other reason you implied in another video is to pinch off later in the season in colder weather climates that have a lot of unripe figs growing, to inhibit energy going into new growth and energy to continue producing figlets. This energy than can be used to ripen the current figs earlier. Interested in your thoughts on this. You original comment referring to this was at the end of a pruning video. Thank you!

[@richardwilliams3302]

Great video. Wish I had watched this sooner. Thanks for sharing.

[@suzannabradley3576]

Thanks for sharing video. I have 1 fig tree planted last November.

[@paulakoncki4029]

So glad I found you on KZbin! I live in South Africa on the South Coast, We have wild fig trees in our natural forest! My sister has a massive fig tree in her garden, it carries twice figs, the first set of figs are very sweet but the second not so. I have learned so much about fig trees on this video, I have to warn you that you have a new starker, me! 😹😹Thank you for sharing!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's amazing. I wish I had wild figs where I live. You must be one of the rare places that colonizes the fig wasp. Glad to have you aboard! Thank you for watching.

[@justawisp]

Thank you ^_^ Technical knowledge is very valuable some of us like me are really new to trying to grow fruit trees so you explaining things like this helps me grasp they "why" which is really important. Rather than someone just saying "do this". Helps us understand the nature of the plant. Thanks

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you. It is very important that everyone learn why they're doing something. I don't like instructions that blindly tell someone to do something. Everything we do needs to make sense, or else it isn't worth doing in my opinion.

[@ritaalaga3718]

Thanks, it's interesting and useful information. I hope I didn't get my cuttings to late and they will root. Even if not, I will try again next season

[@Alanna11111]

Thank you! You are so easy to understand and THOROUGH!!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I appreciate it! Thanks for watching!

[@AyZeD]

I only recently figured out something growing in my yard was a fig tree, it's been cut down numerous times so it's basically little branches growing out of a bug stump, I only learned it was a fig tree because I used an app to identify a cutting I got off it last time I was back home lol. I do regret not getting into the whole growing food thing while I still lived there and I kinda just ignored the garden the previous owners made in my yard, I could have made really good use of it.

[@patfiddles]

Enjoyed the 3 part series on fertilizing figs, you should make it 4 part and add the video on fertilizing cuttings. So I took all of your information and adjusted the dates for a northern NJ climate. Our last frost is about May 12 and first frost is about Oct 15 -that’s about 180 growing days and about 120 days between June and Sept with 80 degree weather. Pinching is a must for longer season figs and even that is not a guarantee here. I might experiment with that, but I’d rather put my effort into shorter season figs. Everything I have is in containers so cold tolerance is not an issue. What would you recommend for best flavor fig that has a short growing season? As always thanks for your help and all your videos. They are straight forward and informative and I’m starting to get somewhere with this.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That is a good question. It's not a short season fig, but for me, I-258 has been my best performer. It sets figs very early, it was one of my first figs to ripen last year and this year, it has some of my largest figs, so I think it will be one of my earlier figs this year. I think it is a mid-season fig. Unfortunately, the best tasting figs tend to be a little later, and I think I-258 is as good as it gets to get gourmet quality figs with reasonable ripening times. Smith also seems to be an earlier fig because they are on the smaller side, so I recommend Smith. In terms of earliest, most consider Ronde de Bordeaux to be the earliest fig. I added that tree to my collection this year, so I haven't tasted it yet, but it's supposed to be much more exotic than a Chicago Hardy and the other more common figs grown up north. I think that is a must for you.

[@hdwoodshop]

Love your channel. I guess in wonder what you do with all the figs? I love figs so much I usually can’t get them into the house, I eat them right off the tree. I have a green fig and just bought a black mission tree to plant. Your channel is giving me all kinds of ideas. Thanks for sharing

[@TheMillennialGardener]

About 75% of them get thrown away because of how much rain we get in the summer. You have to grow a lot of figs here to get a harvest, because the losses are monumental. Figs come from regions where they get 0" of rain in June, July and August. Last June we got over 15 inches of rain, and over 40 inches between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It makes it very hard to grow anything other than weeds, bananas and citrus. If you have dry summers, figs are absolutely unbelievable.

[@josephjude1290]

I just pinched some more today. These videos are useful. Living in the NorthEast in New Jersey.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I grew up in South Jersey. Lived there for 18 years, then 13 years in Philly. Good luck with your figs and thanks for watching!

[@patfiddles]

I’m in Northern NJ and based on ripening time and disease resistance I’m going with Ronde de Bordeaux, Improved Celeste, Smith, Col de Dame Blanc, and I-258. Between early fruit setting varieties and pinching we should get somewhere.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@patfiddles Col de Dame Blanc will be a challenge. It is a very late variety. I would suggest finding a way to get your tree a head start. The texture and flavor is fantastic, though. One of the best, and worth trying.

[@MattGarver]

Very helpful information, thank you! Sounds like I will need a hybrid approach in zone 5. Maybe, I can start my trees indoors in containers in order to set them outdoors to have them ripen fruit in the months through June, July, and August.

[@CorbinAce]

Hi Mr Fig: I enjoy your' comment section as much as I enjoy the video. Reading your' suggestions is a world of information. I'm thinking my figs will do better this year from your' knowledge and suggestions. Thanks a lot for being such a good Guy. You go all out to help people. Thanks.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you, I'm really glad you feel that way. I truly want to get people to try gardening. I have seen people try, fail at their first attempt and give up, and it breaks my heart. Humans have been gardening for 10,000 years, and within 2 generations, we've completely abandoned it for supermarket junk. I know if people have a little success, they'll become addicted to it because it's in all of our genes to do it. I want people to succeed. We all should grow something, even if it's a rosemary plant on our windowsill. Knowing where food comes from is important.

[@juvysmith5007]

Thank you VERYVERY much for the brilliant ideas and well explanation. .thank you for sharing lovely.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching! I appreciate it.

[@OurSoVaLife]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I just planted my first two fig trees ever,,love your channel

[@TheMillennialGardener]

World Without Rule of Law that’s great! You’re going to love them. I’m glad you’re enjoying the videos.

[@ronaldwise4706]

I live in Phoenix Arizona and the temperatures here is during a summer get very hot but I have my cuttings in a climate control room and they're doing very well but I don't know what kind of figs they will be because the lady where I cut them didn't know herself is there a way to tell and also is 90° temperature maybe even a hundred acceptable for these cuttings in the summer. Thank you so much I enjoy your information you freely give

[@TheMillennialGardener]

There are literally tens of thousands of varieties of figs, so unfortunately, if you cannot trace the origin, it will not be possible to tell. Figs can tolerate very hot temperatures once established. Young cuttings that you’re trying to root will not tolerate 90-100 degrees, but actively growing, well-rooted trees will. Harvey grows 300-400 figs in his orchard in Visalia, CA, where most days are 100+ in the summer and they do fantastic. Phoenix is a little on the hot side. You can always buy some shade cloth if you find it too hot. My summers here are typically 92-93 every day and my figs love it.

[@Athabina]

I pinch most of the branches on my figs when they reach 18-20 inches in length; I found that many of the branches I pinched last summer now have brebas growing profusely on them. John C in Victoria, BC

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Hopefully, they hold! Brebas don't seem to hold in my climate. They seem to do better in the PNW. Thanks for watching!

[@hangngo2702]

This past winter I pruned my Black Jack to a stump. Now there are 5 branches with varying thickness and length. There is one dominant branch with other 4 branches that are thinner and shorter. My question is, should I pinch the tip of the dominant branch so that other weaker branches can grow thicker and longer? I would like all the branches to be about the same thickness and lengths before they go dormant this winter. I am in California zone 9. I see two dots in the leave nodes of the dominant branch so I am not thinking about pinching it for the purpose of fruiting. I am only thinking about pinching to encourage the weaker branches to grow stronger. Thank you for your videos...they give me lots of information and joy.

[@PorterWood09]

Congrats to you... 4K subscriber! Happy to have found your channel. I'm growing my first fig tree this year. A Chicago Hardy, in zone 5. It's growing quickly as the rains have been consistent this year. It's simply too small to plant in the ground this year. Looking through your videos to find how and when to prune for best results. The fertilizer video was SUPER helpful and hooked me. Wanted to ask if you add calcium-magnesium in your mix? I've heard it balances the nutrients and reduces plant stress. Please keep up the good work and informative videos!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

D Wood thanks for subscribing! I made a video for how I make my mixes here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHWom4lpr8aCeLc I think the need for adding calcium and magnesium is overblown since most plants only need it in trace amounts. However, I do add epsom salt and crab and lobster shell meal in my initial mix. I also usually add epsom salt to my one of my waterings usually when fruit starts to appear and at the midpoint of the season. That’s about it. If you are using an organic all purpose fertilizer, there should be trace amounts of all minerals including Mg and Ca since it is made from whole animal products.

[@CathyMichaels]

Stunningly imfomative!!!

[@tinamorgan9608]

Thank you for the information, very good explanation.

[@AngelaSBurke]

Excellent video. I now have a much better idea of what to do with my potted fig trees. Thanks very much.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@jeanconneely3602]

Thanku for this video :) I have to say, out of all fruit trees iv planted. Fig trees are the easiest to grow. I'm also in zone 9

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They grow so quickly and effortlessly. They’re a great tree to grow.

[@margotfaubion7662]

Really clear presentation, thanks so much!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!

[@BrokePhilanthropist]

I recently bought 14 acres, a food forest is first on the list after a water well. I’m thinking a nursery in the future too. I love air layering trees and shrubs.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

14 acres...sounds like a dream! Where at?

[@BrokePhilanthropist]

@@TheMillennialGardener near Yosemite National Park, dream come true. I spent everything I had to get it.

[@almightypush6292]

@@BrokePhilanthropist congratulations

[@kazimaldogan-sydney264]

Very informative, thanks. I wish you could show actual picture of the different fruits while talking about them.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm glad you found it helpful! Thank you for watching.

[@shawnysup]

Thanks for sharing very valuable knowledge

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@prp1235]

This was a terrific video. Thank You so much!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@Thewhimsicalgarden]

Thanks for the very informative video. I have 2 fig trees in SE Ohio that I got at the farmers market a few years back. Do get some ripen ones before the frost, but have no idea of the variety. After watching this video, I plan on learning more about them.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You may find yourself getting more varieties soon if you research more. There are literally thousands of them and they're all so different and wonderful 😀 Thanks for watching!

[@steveng6269]

You are providing such great information and well presented. I am really enjoying them all!! Interesting to see the shape of you Lattarulla and Olympian. I felt my 2 first season plants had a lot of spindly side growth. Just pruned them both. Should I take all the side branches off both plants?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I like to head my trees at 16 inches tall and ensure there are no branches below that heading cut. Any suckers coming from the roots, or any side growth below the heading, should be removed.

[@kareneletto7426]

I have a 2 year old fig. Live in upstate NY. I wintered my tree in my basement last winter. The tree has many, many figs!! So excited. It takes lots of water. Does not seem to like water soluble Miracle Grow fertilizer. 1. Should I just let it continue, and never prune? 2. Would it be better in the ground? I have alot more sun on the deck. 3. How can I figure out what variety it is? Many thanks!!!

[@MichaelFClef]

Great tutorial. Thank you.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

MichaelFClef thanks for watching!

[@cmayoral65]

Another very useful video! I gave 2 fig trees, planted on the soil. one is a dwarf and another is normal. Both about 5 years old. I am in Suffolk, England and my normal one gave me for the first time some delicious figs as they gave fruits very early. However, most of them are still in the tree and not groind. Due to the cold and wet weather. My question to you would be: how to recognize which type is my fig tree? I have no idea ! Cheers

[@gync5]

Great video and info. You mentioned several times about taking cuttings, it would be great to have a video done on that subject.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

George Cheng this playlist has a ton of videos on fig cuttings from the past year over the winter. kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIG6sp2KCVSbA8mFSIPh4q_X When my figs go dormant this year, I’ll make a video on taking cuttings. However, my season is longer than much of the country so it’ll come later in the year. Probably December.

[@charlesdang2557]

Love the concept. I was wondering if instead of pinching off the growing tips, you could instead twist or bend them to temporarily injure. Secondly, what device do you use to label your trees? There is a certain elegance to stamping them out on metal. Thanks, buddy.

[@gregleach5833]

Great video ! I purchased a White Marseille from a local nursery and the tag showed a photo of a fig that was purplish red . I thought it would be a light colored fig . Tag may not have been accurate on the photo , not sure . A branch was half broken and hanging down when I planted it so I put the small branch in a bottle of water and it rooted in 2-3 months and is now a foot tall . I am learning about figs also and they seem kind e complex .

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Big box stores almost always mess up tagging figs. All those nurseries source their fig trees from a small handful of suppliers that grow a very limited variety of figs, so they're constantly mislabeled or tagged with bad photos. I really recommend only buying fig trees from hardcore collectors on places like Figbid that are well-reviewed and have a lot of feedback. Other good sources are hardcore collectors like Harvey at Figaholics, Big Bill at Off The Beaten Path Nursery, Wills at WillsFigs, and places like Kremp, but their annual fig cutting sales usually sell out in mere minutes for the desired varieties, and hours for the entire inventory. Big Bill may still have some plants available on his website, and it's worth a check. The best option is almost always Figbid. White Marseilles should be a green-skinned fig with a light amber interior and a honey-like flavor. If it has a purple skin, it could be almost anything sold by Agristarts. I'd be willing to bet that the nursery you bought the fig from is just a middle-man reselling plants from Agristarts.

[@siov4279]

thanks for the detailed information. Although I would have to disagree with you about those smaller branched being any good for cuttings. Can you explain more if i am wrong.? but I have an awesome set. rather several clones. / one I Even took that was only about 3 inches. its literally going on 17 inches and I just stated it in August.. Figs are the easiest tree in the would need to I have to say!! they are amazing!

[@franks4973]

Thx, I am in NJ with. Hardy fig, it’s about 6 ft tall with branching at about 4 ft. Seems like I should pinch it also to keep manageable height and promote branching.

[@williamwoody7607]

Very chunky information-thank you.

[@rutholdfield3679]

Thank you, this was very helpful!

[@Mirandaubeauty]

This is very very very helpful who would have known this info when buying a Fig.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

go2mount thank you!

[@jo-annjewett198]

I received two free cuttings with an order. The rooted beautifully and now they are about 2 plus feet tall in 30 gallon grow bags. Caveat: I don’t like figs! But I just had to grow these cuttings. Maybe I will like this variety?

[@lagalleta27]

Thank you very for all this information A very helpfull video . Thnx

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@tantrummanshow]

Subscribed! You really know your figs Very informative

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for the sub! I appreciate you watching!

[@kayokobenker7714]

Hi, I always watch you for help with my plants, I take your advises more than others, I’m in near Memphis TN, we’ve been having really hot days, my fig tree just showing figlets and double bumps on one of branches, but I don’t see any figlets on other branches, but I see double bumps, do you think I need pinch some branches tips? It looks a lot like your Raspberry Latte, I’m not sure what kind of fig I have, only I know it’s going to be purple fruits.