Enormous Fig Tree - Please help!

11 years ago

last modified: 11 years ago

It feels like I have read every post on the web, but I still need help...

I have a strong, proud, prolific Mission Fig that does not want to be contained. She is about 20 feet tall now and absolutely beautiful to look at. I live in San Jose. We have long, hot summers and mild winters -- and she loves it here. She has two main trunks -- each about 10-14 inches in diameter. In a good year, she produces 200-300 large delicious figs.

Wonderful, right? Anyone with a fig knows the problem. Not only can I not get all the fruit, but she crowds out other trees in the vicinity (see navel orange at left). Every time I trim her, my wife and neighbors accuse me of murder, but she keeps coming back strong. Nothing can kill this tree. She is too strong. So how can I take her back to a reasonable height and keep her there?

Most recently, 3 years ago, I took her back to shoulder height -- yep, trunk only, no branches (you can see the three flat cuts in the picture below). I waited until the fruit was harvested and then hacked away. I'm trying everything I can. But she came back stronger than ever. We got no fruit the first year (and her shape was beautiful), a little fruit the second year (and she was already getting large), and then a ton of fruit and a gigantic tree this year. A LOT of the growth is straight up. Nothing is going on in the middle of the tree (see picture). Most of the fruit is on lower branches. And most of the branches/fruit are to one side (away from the shade of the giant oak next door).

The fruiting branches are full -- about 10-15 figs per branch (the one below has 17!), but only 1 out of 5-10 branches bear fruit. Interestingly they seem to always come back in the same locations -- i.e. the places where the most fruit grows is always at right about the same spot (on the South side, away from the oak). I'm assuming this is sun related, although the whole tree gets full sun almost all day. Also, one trunk seems to produce much more fruit than the other.

How do I keep this beautiful tree producing while also keeping her to a reasonable size? I have tried pinching, although I'm not always clear about what needs to be pinched since the first leaves often form 4-6 feet down the branch (by which time the tree is already huge). I have tried pruning. I cut the suckers. I leave horizontal branches. I don't know what else to do. Should I cut her back to 3 feet tall and start over? Any help would be much appreciated.

Featured Answer

Liam Coldwell (Zone 9a)

10 years ago

@Macmike Hughes, black mission is commonly found at nursery's, if they have figs the'll have black mission

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Comments (17)

tobybul2 - Zone 6 SW MI
11 years ago
Does it drop leaves and go dormant in the winter?
PRO
EF Home and Garden Design
Original Author
11 years ago
Yes. Like clockwork. Usually in December.
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tobybul2 - Zone 6 SW MI
11 years ago
if you are not already doing it that would be a good time to prune the way you want to shape it. might have to do.it very year.
PRO
EF Home and Garden Design
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the advice. I think I do need to prune every year. The question is how and how much in order to keep it manageable, and ensure it continues to bear fruit every year. What do you think?
rayrose SC 8
11 years ago
I'd call the california fruit growers association and ask their advice.
tobybul2 - Zone 6 SW MI
11 years ago
Sammy, this might not give you the answers you need but it might be worth reading Bill's article. You can also call him and he might have some thoughts:

http://figs4fun.com/bills_figs.html
PRO
EF Home and Garden Design
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks all.
Macmike Hughes
11 years ago
How do the figs taste?
kudzu9
11 years ago
Just keep a balance: remember that figs bear on the previous year's growth, so heavy pruning will reduce your yield.
Don Kyatin
11 years ago
Breba figs grow on previous years growth, main crop will be on this years growth.

Do Mission figs have brebas? Lovely tree.

How much new growth do you get in an average year? I would prune to that point yearly if your growing for only the main crop.
A J
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Looks like it has already been heavily pruned once before. Like a chainsaw to those main two main branches.

If you look at the interior limbs they are very skinny and trying to reach sun. That tree needs heavy pruning and the center opened up to allow light inside. As mentioned, you won't get fruit the next year after the pruning. If the cuts are large in diameter you may have to put something to seal the cuts to stop diseases.
tobybul2 - Zone 6 SW MI
10 years ago
"She has two main trunks -- each about 10-14 inches in diameter..."

Did you mean circumference? Diameter seems awfully big.
Francesco Delvillani
10 years ago
You had to prune it every year....now you can prune it severely, normally Figs produce on the mood of the year and you couldn't lose the crop....anyway you'll get it for sure the year after.

Let it grow in large...yes, the first year the tree will not have a good-looking, but if you'll prune every year you can keep it smaller....
tbf211
10 years ago
If you going to prune it, I'd love to have the cutting :) feel free to contact me :)
Liam Coldwell (Zone 9a)
10 years ago
I have a conadria, it has a breba and a main crop, anyway not to much pruning
Macmike Hughes
10 years ago
I would love some cuttings off that one.