If you are the proud owner of a beautiful fig tree, then the odds are that you’d like to make the most of it and try to grow your very own delicious figs. In that case, one of the most important aspects of a fig tree’s general maintenance is pruning.
Fig tree pruning can not only keep them in a suitable shape with a great aesthetic appearance, but it is also important for maintaining their peak and optimal health. And of course, pruning can help your fig tree in producing larger and tastier figs.
In this article, we will teach you how to prune a fig tree in Australia so that you can get the very best results with some impressive yields. If you’d like to know more, then simply read on for our essential guide.
How to prune a fig tree
If you would like to know how to prune fig trees in Australia, then this here is your essential guide.
- To prune a fig tree, you should begin by removing any of the branches which are not growing out from your primary fruiting wood. In addition to that, be sure to remove any visibly dead or diseased wood as this will hinder the future health of the tree.
- If there are suckers growing out from the base of your fig tree, don’t forget to remove these as well.
- Following that, when trimming a fig tree, you need to remove any secondary branches. These are branches that are growing off of the main branches. Any secondary branches that are at less than a 45-degree angle from the main branches should be removed. This is a crucial step in pruning fig trees as you will be removing any branches that are likely to grow too close to the main tree and thus will not produce the best fruit.
- Finally, when pruning your fig tree, you will want to cut back the main branches by at least one-third to a quarter. This is essential for helping your fig tree to allocate more energy towards growing the fruit next year, thus making your yield much larger and sweeter. Mmmm!
- Pruning your fig tree right away is a great way of improving the overall quality of your fig crop. With these steps in mind, you should have no trouble producing some truly delicious figs next time around!
How to prune a mature fig tree
Fig trees are among some of the hardiest species of tree in the world. Thus, it is rather difficult to damage them beyond repair by pruning. Of course, you should always take extra special care when pruning anyway, but you don’t need to take any extra precautions with a mature fig tree maintenance. As a rule of thumb, when pruning a mature fig, you can follow the same procedure as mentioned above. There aren’t really any special requirements needed for a mature fig.
Now that you have the fig tree pruning process locked down, let’s take a look at when to prune a fig tree…
When to prune fig trees in Australia
Once your fig tree has been properly established, the best time to begin pruning is going to be when the fig tree is dormant, which is during the winter months. This is the season when the tree will not be growing. We highly recommend that you don’t attempt pruning in any other season. The winter months are best and will produce the greatest fruit when done properly.
When to prune fig trees in Sydney, NSW and Vic
Winter in Australia starts on 1st June and officially ends on the 31st August. It is during this season that you will be better off pruning your fig tree because (as mentioned above) the fig tree will be dormant and thus not experiencing rapid growth spurts.
When to prune fig trees in Perth and WA
Whilst Sydney enjoys a temperate and humid climate with abundant sunshine throughout the year, Perth is renowned for being extremely sunny. So much so in fact, that they get around 3,200 hours of extreme sunshine annually. This is much higher than any of the other major cities in Australia. With this in mind, you should begin pruning your fig tree during the month of July as this is when the weather is at its coldest and the fig tree will be dormant.
Although fig trees are hardy and can withstand a fair amount of pruning if you don’t feel too confident, don’t have the time, or simply wish to call in some assistance in WA, we recommend hiring a tree lopping professional in Perth. They can help you set up an annual fig tree pruning regime that will keep yours looking great and feeling healthy, whilst producing some of the tastiest figs around!
When to prune fig trees in Brisbane, QLD and NT
In Brisbane, the coldest months tend to be during June and July, so you should begin pruning your fig tree around this time for the best results.
Conclusion on pruning fig trees in Australia
You can’t really go wrong with a fig tree. They are beautiful and hardy trees that when cared for properly, can produce some truly delicious fruit. This is ideal for those who want a gorgeous looking tree in their garden that can regularly supply them with some of their own fruit to feast on.
Again, pruning during the winter months (July through August), when the fig tree is dormant is the best time for pruning fig trees in Australia.
