What is proper way to trim a fig tree? Best way to wrap for winter?

Bil8908369
by Bil8908369
  6 answers
  • PJ Wise PJ Wise on Sep 14, 2017

    From Gardening Know How - https://www.gardeningknowhow.com


    Fig Tree Pruning – How To Trim A Fig Tree

    By Heather Rhoades

    Figs are an ancient and easy fruit tree to grow in the home garden. Mentions of figs being grown at home go back literally millennia. But, when it comes to fig tree pruning, many home gardeners are at a loss as to how to properly trim a fig tree. With a little knowledge, this “ancient” mystery is as easy to do as growing a fig tree[1]. Keep reading to learn more about how to prune fig trees.


    Pruning Fig Trees After Transplanting

    There are many situations where you might want to prune a fig tree. The first time you should be doing fig bush pruning is when you first transplant your young fig tree.


    When a fig tree is first planted, you should trim a fig tree back by about half. This will allow the tree to focus on developing its roots and becoming well established. It will also help the fig tree grow side branches for a bushier tree.

    In the next winter after transplanting, it is best to start pruning fig trees for “fruiting wood.” This is wood that you will be pruning to help keep the fruit healthy and easy to reach. Select four to six branches to be your fruiting wood and prune away the rest.


    How to Prune Fig Trees After They are Established

    After a fig tree is established, the best time when to prune a fig tree will be in the dormant (winter) season when the tree is not growing.

    Begin your fig tree pruning by removing any branches that are not growing out from your selected fruiting wood, as well as any dead or diseased wood. If there are suckers growing from the base of the tree[2], these should be removed as well.


    The next step in how to trim a fig tree is to remove any secondary branches (branches that are growing off the main branches) that are growing at less than a 45-degree angle from the main branches. This step in pruning fig trees will remove any branches that may eventually grow too close to the main trunk and will not produce the best fruit.


    The last step in how to prune fig trees is to cut back the main branches by one-third to one-quarter. This step in fig tree pruning helps the tree put more energy towards the fruit that will be produced next year, which makes for larger and sweeter fruit.


    Pruning fig trees the right way can help you to improve your fig crop. Now that you know how to prune fig trees, you can help your fig tree produce better and tastier figs.


    Also, from

    Gardening Know How - https://www.gardeningknowhow.com


    Fig Tree Winter Wrapping: Tips For Wrapping A Fig Tree For Winter

    By Amy Grant


    Archeologists have found carbonized remains of fig trees[1] aged between 11,400 and 11,200 years old, making the fig one of the first domesticated plants, possibly predating wheat and rye cultivation. Despite its historical longevity, this species is relatively delicate, and in some climates may require fig tree winter wrapping to survive the cold season.


    Why Does a Fig Tree Need Cover for Winter?

    The common fig, Ficus carica, is one of over 800 species of tropical and subtropical fig varieties in the genus Ficus. Found amongst this diverse group, one will find not only large trees, but trailing vine varieties as well.

    Figs are native to the Middle East, but have been brought to all corners of the globe that can accommodate their habitat. Figs were first introduced to North America by early colonists. They can now be found in Virginia to California to New Jersey to Washington State. Many immigrants brought prized fig starts from the “old country” to their new homeland in the United States. As a result, fig trees can be found in urban and suburban backyards in many USDA growing zones[2].


    Because of these diverse climatic growing areas, a fig tree cover or wrap for winter is often a necessity. Fig trees are tolerant of mild freezing temperatures, but extreme cold may kill the tree or damage it irreparably. Remember, the species heralds from tropical and subtropical regions.


    How to Wrap Fig Trees

    To protect a fig tree from cold winter temps, some people grow them in pots that can be moved into an indoor area to over winter, while others undertake wrapping the fig tree for winter. This can be as simple as wrapping a fig tree in some type of covering, to folding the entire tree down into a trench and then covering it with soil or mulch. The last method is pretty extreme, and in most cases a fig tree winter wrapping is sufficient to protect the plant during the winter months.


    Begin to consider wrapping a fig tree in the late autumn. Of course, this depends on where you live, but the basic rule is to wrap the tree after it has been exposed to a freeze and has lost its leaves. If you wrap the fig too early, the tree may mildew.


    Before wrapping the fig tree for winter, prune the tree[3] so it is easier to wrap. Choose three to four trunks and cut all others back. This will give you a good open canopy that will allow sun to penetrate for the next growing season. Next, tie the remaining branches together with organic twine.

    Now it is time to wrap the tree. You can use an old piece of carpet, old blankets or a large piece of fiberglass insulation. Drape this winter fig tree cover with a tarp, but don’t use a black or clear plastic, which may result in too much heat building up inside the cover on sunny days. The tarp should have some small holes in it to allow heat to escape. Tie the tarp with some heavy cord.


    Keep an eye on the temperature later in winter and earliest spring. You don’t want to keep the fig tree wrapping for winter on when it starts to warm up. When you unwrap the fig in the spring, there may be some brown tips, but these can be pruned with no damage to the tree.


  • Ann Ann on Sep 14, 2017

    we live in USA gardening zone 6, and we don't do anything for the figs over winter. I don't know the variety name, so yours might be different.

  • Lisa Lisa on Sep 14, 2017

    i live in Michigan near the lake and I use burlap and stakes to protect my plants for our winters here.

  • Bernadette Staal Bernadette Staal on Sep 15, 2017

    consult the internet for video's like the one above or visit your local garden nursery.