arlenem...

Perhaps, if you could post some photos of your tree, it will be easier to suggest a solution for your problems.

Fig wood is both weak, and, brash. It doesn't take much to snap a branch, especially a branch loaded with fruit. If a branch can bend and deflect from its own weight, and fruit...it's probably too long.

Without a photo it's hard to tell you what to do. I usually cut/prune back branches on my trees so that no branch is longer than 12". This keeps them stiff. As the branches sub-divide into smaller branchlets, pinch out the terminal buds after the branches grow 6-8 leaves. That will force figs to develop and ripen quicker, and at the same time, keep the branchlets shorter and stronger. A search on this forum for pruning fig trees will give you more complete answers.

I suspect that with some corrective pruning, your tree will be fine once you have the growth under control.

Hope this might help.

Frank

one of my aunt's fig trees is huge. it had tons of fruit, but a few weeks ago we had very heavy rains and strong winds, and several of the branches snapped. they were thick too, about 6" diameter.