new fig tree - prune or not? - Ask Extension
Hello
Last year I bought a Desert King (I believe is the name, can't find the tag) fig tree and put it in a large pot. It was outside all winter and...
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new fig tree - prune or not? #830917
Asked May 19, 2023, 1:20 PM EDT
Hello
Last year I bought a Desert King (I believe is the name, can't find the tag) fig tree and put it in a large pot. It was outside all winter and is doing well but I wonder if I should prune it back. As you can see from the pics, there are a lot of small shoots coming out from the base. I would think a fruit tree would have one main trunk. So should I remove all the small shoots? It's looking more bushy than tree-ish. I have never had a fig tree before so I don't know too much about them. Thank you for your help, I don't know what I would do without you Master Gardeners!
Washington County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question, Chris. You've missed the optimal time to prune, and trying to train them into being single-trunked is worst than, well, many things. You need to think about its longer term needs. This article will do that: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/dont-be-fooled-figs-grow-fine-western-oregon
Hope this helps. Good luck!
Hope this helps. Good luck!