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Why is our Fig only showing new shoots/fruit at the very tip of each branch?

Our neighbours brown turkey does the same on unpruned branches - all the growth is at the tip.  On branches that I 'prune' there is new growth and fruit all along the branch.

Live & learn - thanks!

I'm glad you posted this Tim as my fig is the same, I bought it of ebay last year and it's about 6' high.

SMP1704
How much do you prune yours and when?

Neil

On the subject of figs, my littlen pulled off all my figs months ago and someone told me that they would be this years figs and I would have to wait another year, but there are new ones that have formed, someone please help me out.  ???    :-\      ;D ;D ;D

I have a Brown Turkey Kev, the little 'un did right. In a proper climate figs produce three crops a year. Here you need to start them at the right time to ripen in August/Sept. That means removing any "figs" hanging around in Winter, as the frost kills them but it won't start the next crop til they drop. Knocking them off makes it start again sooner....  :)

Yes "this year's" figs are usually about the size of a pea during the whole of winter. Sometimes a small pea sometimes a marrowfat

These are hardy and swell rapidly to produce the first (breba) crop.

The larger figs (main crop) left over from last year didn't ripen because our autumns aren't hot enough (sometimes they do ripen in a warm greenhouse).

Best removed as they won't ripen this year except very rarely in a warm greenhouse after an amazingly mild winter that allowed the figs to tick over for four months.

Doesn't sound like winter 09/10 does it??

Figs are basically 'tip bearers' so pruning should attempt to shorten old wood in a way that maximises the amount of new wood for next year.

Best to look it up but it is sort of similar to peach pruning.

Quote from: Vinlander on May 18, 2010, 23:35:11
Yes "this year's" figs are usually about the size of a pea during the whole of winter. Sometimes a small pea sometimes a marrowfat

These are hardy and swell rapidly to produce the first (breba) crop.

The larger figs (main crop) left over from last year didn't ripen because our autumns aren't hot enough (sometimes they do ripen in a warm greenhouse).

Best removed as they won't ripen this year except very rarely in a warm greenhouse after an amazingly mild winter that allowed the figs to tick over for four months.

Doesn't sound like winter 09/10 does it??

Figs are basically 'tip bearers' so pruning should attempt to shorten old wood in a way that maximises the amount of new wood for next year.

Best to look it up but it is sort of similar to peach pruning.

I Agree with all of the above post!!
Figs also perfom better if the roots are restricted ( I planted mine in a stainless drum from a washing machine)

Quote from: tonybloke on May 19, 2010, 07:55:35
Figs also perfom better if the roots are restricted ( I planted mine in a stainless drum from a washing machine)

Is the idea of restricting the roots to keep the tree small, or to produce more fruit?  When I planted my tree I didn't know about restricting the roots and it has grown into a very big tree which fruits heavily every year.

Quote from: Squash64 on May 19, 2010, 08:05:39

Quote from: tonybloke on May 19, 2010, 07:55:35
Figs also perfom better if the roots are restricted ( I planted mine in a stainless drum from a washing machine)

Is the idea of restricting the roots to keep the tree small, or to produce more fruit?  When I planted my tree I didn't know about restricting the roots and it has grown into a very big tree which fruits heavily every year.

It's a bit of both, Betty. figs fruit earlier in their life on restricted roots, (folk used to construct a 'fig-pit' from paving slabs) and to keep the tree at a manageable size. What do you do with loads of figs? supply the local constipation centre!! LOL

Figs can occasionally grow big and productive as long as the soil isn't too good and too deep.

However they normally only grow big and productive by finding fertile pockets in shallow, rocky soil.

There's a huge one overhanging Charterhouse Square near the Barbican, and I've seen it hundreds of times without ever seeing a single fig... it's on old monastery land so you can assume the soil is much too good.

I have high hopes for my figs in heavy London clay - soil that is virtually undug - they are productive and don't seem to be getting out of hand - yet.

Cheers.

Quote from: tonybloke on May 19, 2010, 08:23:01
What do you do with loads of figs? supply the local constipation centre!! LOL

;D

Nilly

The fig is my neighbours which has been allowed to grow out of control.  I periodically hack at the bits that are blocking out the light - I used to have a south facing garden :-\

This ' pruning' usually happens when it's in full leaf - not great as the leaf hairs and sap are very irritating.  If I am organised/neighbours co-operate then we have a joint prune in Feb/March.

Nothing dents it's progress :'( so last year I decided to start eating the fruit ;D

handy tip for those about to grow a Brown Turkey in a greenhouse-don`t.

Failing that prune it as though it was someone you really do not like-and I mean cut it back hard

Eventually they produce lovely figs on wood that is not growing everywhere--at least not for long-I have loppers and pruning shears ;)

Why do you say don't grow it in a greenhouse? Will it give a good crop outdoors?

Why do you say don't grow it in a greenhouse?

Because it`s a thug,leave it and it wants to become a tree. Mine is surrounded on three sides by bricks but it`s still got ambitions to take over-hence ruthless cutting back.

In hindsight I should have put it outside ,trained along my west facing wall where I`m sure it would have cropped almost as well

Quote from: SMP1704 on May 18, 2010, 18:35:08
Our neighbours brown turkey does the same on unpruned branches - all the growth is at the tip.  On branches that I 'prune' there is new growth and fruit all along the branch.

SMP, I just ran outside to see if that was true on our brown turkey which is in a pot.

As you said, the hard pruned branches had new growth all along (though no fruit yet) and the gangly branches I didn't want to cut have only a new tuft on the end.  It was also hit a bit by some late frost so I'm not sure if we'll have any fruit though.

One low hanging branch has been pressed under a stone to see if it will root.

This is it. No growth on the pruned sideshoots.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/general/fig2105.jpg

If we go on like this we'll hit the roof with nothing within reach?

Tim..I would chop 2/3 off of every other branch and then next year do same with those that were left this year... ;)
The tree looks nice though ;D

Thanks - but should it not sprout from the 4 or 5 cut back last year?