Jokarva,

It should be done when trees are still completely dormant just before spring growth starts, not now when they are already leafing out. If each trunk of the "V" has roots coming from it, it can be done, but is still risky, needing expert care. The cut must be surgically neat, with lots of healthy roots coming from each trunk.

Your pot culture plan is a good one. I wish you success.

Moses

Located outside asheville NC, halfway up a mountain at around 3500 ft. The winters have been bitter recently, and the wind can be brutal. I half heartedly covered my fig trees (undetermined variety from cuttings out of my parent's FL yard) the first few years we were here, but they always died back. Two don't seem to have survived last winter, so pots are probably my best choice.

Appreciate the info and good wishes, I can certainly use both.

Select the branch that you want and air layer the other. You'll have one guaranteed tree (the original) and a good chance to get a second tree (the airlayer) with good roots. I think airlayers is less risky than trying to split the roots and it would set back both halves if successful as the trees recover from the shock.

You may want to look for a Chicago Hardy variety as they tend to be hardier.

Figs are trees by nature and you cannot "split" or divide trees :-) Jason's suggestion is a good one - air layer the second stem. Otherwise, just remove if you want a single trunked tree.

What GG said

Jokarva,

If you intend to winterize your pot cultured fig trees over the winter in a location that does not go above 40°F. or below 25° F., like a fruit/cellar, unheated garage, etc., your fig tree's winter hardiness is irrelevant, since they are not wintering over in the ground. This loss a whole lot of possibilities as to the best figs to grow under your growing conditions.

However, your fig trees' early ripening ability, which varies from variety to variety is critical to success. This range from 90-120 days to ripening per named variety, once the tiny, mustard seed figlet begins forming at the base of a leaf.

Perhaps the earliest ripening fig variety is Ronde de Bordeaux. Look into growing early ripening varieties, regardless of their winter hardiness.

I would pot grow your figs this year, but do a little procedure that will ensure roots form on each of the branched trunks.

On each trunk, just below ground level, about an inch down, make a shallow wedge cut, no more than 3 /16" deep, 1/8" wide into the trunk about 1/2" long. The cut lies diagonal to the trunk, not parallel with it. Dampen the cut, and put some rooting hormone on it. Return the soil around the cut with a 2" high mound of fresh soil against the wounded trunks.

Roots should grow at the wounds, insuring that when you separate the trunks just before dormancy break next spring there will be plenty of roots on each trunk. Trim back growth next spring when each fig tree is repotted to minimize stress, and balance the top with the roots.

Moses

Thank you all, you're a wealth of information.

I do have 2 Chicago Hardy treelets, one of which may go in the ground just to see how it does. I will mulch and wrap to give it protection, but I'm curious how hardy it actually is. Otherwise they will be potted up and stored in an unheated garage over winter. Moses, thank you for your good advice on early bearing varieties, and rooting, it's much appreciated!