FIG - pruning

[tim]

Forgot to do it in June. Is it too late? If not, how hard??
It is really romping away!

[tim]

[SMP1704]

My experience of fig pruning is really just hacking back my neighbour's totally rampant Brown Turkey.

My observations are:

Pruning at any time of the year is OK

Pruning will encourage more growth the following spring - not just one polite shoot but multiple

Leave on tiny fruits to over winter and ripen next year

Figs are totally indestructible and believe me I have tried ;D ;D

[sarah]

thats interesting, i was led to believe that you remove the small unripened fruit. cant remember why though.

[cleo]

It`s not too late.

Looking at the photo I would take out the forward facing growth and then just tie in with a view to making a fan against the wall.

Remember that the sap can irritate the skin so if you are not sure wear gloves

[tim]

Thanks for all that. It was a fan!!

As to leaving rhe baby fruit, Wife wants me to do that this year, despite the advice to take out anything larger than a pea. I feel that the chances of fruit surviving the Winter up here are pretty remote?

[Duke Ellington]

thats interesting, i was led to believe that you remove the small unripened fruit. cant remember why though.

I believe you should leave on any teeny just forming fruits and take off large figs that haven't ripened. The large ones are likely to drop off during the winter anyway.

I pruned my fig hard this spring and have some little figs appearing on it now which I will leave.:)
Duke

[saddad]

In Derby... and so probably for Tim anything you can identify as a fig is best removed... leaving the tiny peas to develop next year...  :)

[GRACELAND]

i would only prune what is needed ie crossed branches - ones in the way etc


http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0103/fig.asp

[SMP1704]

There is an article about fig pruning in the October issue of Grow your Own - happy to type up the relevant bits for fan training - let me know..........or you may be able to access the article on the GYP website.

[Unwashed]

I'm sure I remember Bob Flowerdew on GQT saying quite emphatically to remove every single one of the tiny fruit.  I think the rationale was that they would never ripen, but would take energy from the plant trying.

[tim]

Great stuff - thanks.

Meanwhile, what's up Doc??

PS Looks a bit better now I've tied it back a bit,