[College of ACES] [University of Illinois] [Illinois CES]

pruning fig trees

lnelson@globalserve.net
Wed, 4 Feb 1998 14:40:23 -0600

I am in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and have had two fig trees
growing for two years now. Originally, they were growing
outside, but I brought them in in the late fall this year
and put them in large pots under grow lights. They grew.
The problem is that they are naturally a reasonably tall
tree and one is now bent over at the ceiling.

My Italian-born neighbours, from whom I got the saplings,
winter their trees in various ways including winching them
down to the ground and covering them with straw and sheet
metal (to shed rain and snow) and digging them out and
burying them in the garden wrapped in plastic. I brought
mine in because I had lost so much wood last winter and
because I knew I might move before winter was over.

Over the winter I saw a TV feature on a nursery in the U.S.
where bearing fig trees are grown in pots; so I know it's
possible to keep them that way. My question is how best
to prune them. How much wood will die back from the point
where I cut; do I need to seal the tree where I prune; and
is there anything else I should know, perhaps regarding
feeding the trees, before I do prune them.

Any help anyone can give me with this will be appreciated.
Other tips re: basic care for these trees is also welcome.

Thanks for your help!