Okay, so I’ve got this fig tree in a pot, right? It was getting a bit out of control, all leggy and not really producing much fruit. I knew it needed a good pruning, but I was a bit nervous, to be honest. I mean, what if I messed it up and killed my precious fig tree?
But, I did some digging around, watched a few videos, and felt like, “Okay, I can do this!” So, I grabbed my pruning shears – made sure they were nice and clean – and headed out to the patio.
Getting Started
First thing I did was just look at the tree. I mean, really look at it. I was trying to figure out which branches were the main ones, the ones I definitely wanted to keep. I also looked for any dead or damaged branches – those were the first to go, obviously.
- Identify the main branches – those are your keepers!
- Look for dead/damaged branches – get rid of those ASAP.
The Pruning Process
I started by snipping off the easy stuff – the dead bits and any small, twiggy growth that was just cluttering things up. Then, I took a deep breath and started on the bigger branches.
The main thing I learned is that you want to make your cuts just above a node – that’s the little bump where a leaf or branch grows out. Apparently, that’s where the tree will send out new growth, so you want to cut just above it, at a slight angle.
I was careful not to take off too much at once. The general rule is to remove no more than one-third of the tree’s total growth. I probably took off a bit less than that, just to be safe. I focused on thinning out the center of the tree to let in more light and air. That’s supposed to help with fruit production.
The Aftermath
Once I was done, I stood back and…well, it looked a bit naked, to be honest! But I knew it was for the best. I gave it a good watering, and now I’m just waiting to see what happens. It’s supposed to take a few weeks for new growth to really start showing, so I’m trying to be patient.
Overall, I’d say it was a success! It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be, and I feel good about giving my fig tree a fresh start. Now, fingers crossed for a bumper crop of figs next season!
