Wild, that depends does your tree give a breba crop, main crop or both? If is a main cropper, then prune away. If you need the beba crop (like DK) then do it very carefully because if you cut it back to much you may not get any figs. :(

Let us know.

If you decide to cut back, you don't loose the wood - you gain cuttings.
Young trees don't usually hold a lot of brebas, so it might not be much of a sacrifice. And main crop figs form on new wood (which will be stimulated with pruning).

Fignut, I like the way you think! Lemons = Lemonaide

most fig tree's are very flexable.why not bend it down and around and tie or tape it in place for the winter. now it can be transported to the winter storage place. then next fall decide what you want to cut off. try bending and see.

kevin

Prune it.

I like pitangadiego detailed analysis of the situation.

It's a blue celeste which I believe does get brebas. But it is also young and it dropped last years brebas. The main crop was excellent though.

Ok, so how heavily am I allowed to prune? I do plan to root prune as well. I would like to reduce ALL of the main branches to 6 or 8 inches. Is that too extreme? Reccommendations? The branches currently (with this years growth) extend and branch to about 2 - 2.5 feet from the trunk.

I might also be able to get a picture this Saturday, but it's dark when I leave for work and dark when I return on the weekdays.

You won't harm a healthy fig tree by heavily pruning it. I would go all the way and cut it back the way you want it.

I color coded (dark to light = back to front) this image so that it's easier to pick out where the branches are. It was tough before, trust me.

The longest branch, in the upper right corner measures a little over 2 1/2 feet from base to tip. Hopefully that helps with scale.

Now, the reason I'm posting this is because now thatthe tree has lost it's leaves I'm not so sure I want to prune it anymore. This ALWYAS happens to me. It will be easier if people could give pruning suggestions.

The main problem I have with the tree is that the branches are pretty long coming out from the base and I feel like they should be shorter. But maybe they shouldn't. Anyone?

With some burlap and twine you can tie that tree up nice and tight and will not hurt for transport and keep the branches for nice fig production next year if you choose, if you cut branches as othe posters have suggested you will not hurt the tree, some think fig tree's are real tender actually there very resiliant to our mistakes .
Martin

Martin, Your main crop will be carried on new growth. A potted fig can only support a certain sized top. If you don't prune the amount of new wood produced each year will decrease (and so will the number of figs).
If you take the branches down to 6-8inches now, you will have vigorous growth next year, and since it is a young tree - a good framework for future pruning.
My two cents - prune it.

Sorry Martin - that was for wild forager. Jon has the right idea with an "edit" function on his forum for us old fogeys.

Fignut your probably right, i was just thinking about the size i keep my tree;s at and his size tree as it is now and if he left it as is how it might look. But then its like you said how big a canopy can be supported by a pot one is useing. I was going by how mine are as i dont prune branches down to 6 inches im afraid in our short season it would not work as good as in another area, i prune a little just to keep at this size every year. But here are a few of mine near chicago. I would have like to post these though in middle of winter as forum slows down. ; )
Martin

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Martin

I forgot to add the tree in middle gave me over 200 figs this year that were sweet its a EL Sals that really bears lots of figs more than Hrady Chicago picture first of left, but to me pesonal taste Hardy Chicago has better taste, the 3rd tree from left over season had as many as Sals but only 25% ever ripen because my season is just to short for it but they are very good taste so i keep it growing each year. My other tree's are to small and not worth mention here yet. Hope each who reads enjoy pictures of summer tree's.
Martin

Martin - Beautiful trees! I'm training a couple in tree form instead of bush form. Seeing how nice yours are - and that they bear in Chicago - is encouraging.
Are you pinching new growth?

Thanks Fignut for nice compliment,
I do pinch new growth tips , then it gets more branches around that area which is nice for the figs to grow cause i get more leaves, you know as i grew up the family always grew them as tree's and not the bushy type tree, i guess maybe this is why i favor the tree type of growth also we always had the dark figs to eat so i favor them as well. I think the bushy type tree though would make more figs than the way i grow the tree's but i get plenty so im happy and lucky.
Best Of Health
Martin

hi friends,
i have to tell you what i found,
for those of us who have heirloom figs
passed on to us from grandparents from southern europe.
some are late maturing and won't mature figs if
over pruned or tip burn occurs. it is important
to keep the tips of the tree alive. i wrap the tips
more carefully than i do the common figs cultivated here.
if you have one of these varieties try to have two trees
and alternate trimming one per year.
just my own experience.

marcantonio