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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: tim on September 14, 2009, 08:38:56

Title: FIG - pruning
Post by: tim on September 14, 2009, 08:38:56
Forgot to do it in June. Is it too late? If not, how hard??
It is really romping away!
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: SMP1704 on September 14, 2009, 08:59:05
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
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: sarah on September 14, 2009, 09:02:59
thats interesting, i was led to believe that you remove the small unripened fruit. cant remember why though.
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: cleo on September 14, 2009, 09:47:12
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
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: tim on September 14, 2009, 10:36:10
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?
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: Duke Ellington on September 14, 2009, 11:26:15
Quote from: sarah on September 14, 2009, 09:02:59
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
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: saddad on September 15, 2009, 15:15:58
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...  :)
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: GRACELAND on September 15, 2009, 15:44:37
i would only prune what is needed ie crossed branches - ones in the way etc


http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0103/fig.asp
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: SMP1704 on September 15, 2009, 21:42:14
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.
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: Unwashed on September 15, 2009, 21:46:38
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.
Title: Re: FIG - pruning
Post by: tim on September 17, 2009, 09:37:10
Great stuff - thanks.

Meanwhile, what's up Doc??

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