If you’ve got a fig tree, pruning can feel confusing — especially if you’re not sure which branches to cut or when to do it.
In this video, I’ll show you exactly how I prune my fig tree to keep it manageable and increase fruit production. These simple cuts will help your tree stay open, healthy, and focused on producing new growth — which is where figs develop.
I’ll also walk through how to prune if your tree didn’t go fully dormant, and what to focus on if you’re working with a younger tree that doesn’t have much dead wood yet.
And at the end, I’ll show you how to turn your pruning into brand new fig trees using cuttings.
🌱 What You’ll Learn
– When to prune fig trees
– The 3 cuts that matter most
– How to keep your tree from getting too tall
– How to open up the canopy for better fruiting
– How to propagate fig trees from cuttings
If you want to get more out of your garden this season, watch this next:
👉 https://youtu.be/9w-7RoH_uic?si=C409bIaYbKpJDJvc
🌿 MORE FROM NEXT LEVEL GARDENING
Website: https://nextlevelgardening.tv
Garden Guide: https://gardenguide.com
CHAPTERS
0:00 Don’t Prune Your Fig Tree Until You See This
0:25 Pruning Timing (Dormant vs Not Dormant)
1:09 No Dead Wood? What to Do Instead
1:32 How Fig Trees Grow (Why Pruning Works)
2:50 Control the Height (First Cut)
3:54 Remove Vertical Shoots
4:54 Open the Center for Sunlight
5:48 Shape the Tree for Future Growth
6:37 Pruning in Warm Climates
7:12 Biggest Fig Pruning Mistake
7:35 Turn Cuttings Into New Fig Trees
18 Comments
Hi there, I was just wondering how to trim. I'm at 4000 ft. Its 5. yrs old and struggle every year. Great info. Can you propagate from the shoots you cut off? Thank you just answered me!
propagation – do the stems go in shade to avoid sun burn,&focus on root growth or the opposite -must sit in sun. im in zone5
Very timely video! A buddy gave me some cuttings last fall. I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, so I put them in a pot down the basement under a grow light. I've been keeping the soil in the pot moist. They still look dormant. I did this on a whim not knowing much about figs. They still look dormant, so I'm hoping that they will grow. My plan is to put them outside in a pot to get them growing and then transplant.
Thank you Brian😁
Fig leaves are edible (use as a wrap, like grape leaves, sub for spinach, flavor a simple syrup, or make an herbal tea)
I bought two starts last year and kept them in large pots in my greenhouse where they grew quickly and lived happily. Then they went into unheated shop to overwinter. I’m in zone 6 NW mountains of Montana. We had an unusually warm winter. So they started budding out early. They with all my overwintered pots are now in greenhouse. We have had some cold nights so I just throw some heavy duty freeze cloths over everything. I don’t think I’ll need to do any pruning yet. They will probably be fine in the size pots they are in for at least this year. When they go out onto my patio they will be on rolling stands and I will have to put a cage around them to keep the critters away. Just a fact of life here. I’ll definitely try propagate some to share
My neighbours fig tree, lost its leaves by December, but the majority of the figs never ripened and are still on the tree right now from last year. Very strange. This is England. Any answers greatly appreciated.
I planted my own Brown Turkey fig tree last year and looking good.
I live in warm area, Arizona.
my issue is I only pruned in winter. Even if I pruned enough the tree would make huge number of unneeded new branches in spring – I find in addition to major winter prune you need periodic removal of unneeded growth
Thanks for the pruning tips much appreciated 🤘💚
I have a Chicago hardy fig but I don’t think that I’ll ever get figs from it . I did just plant it last year but I’m still not hopeful. 🥺🌷💚🙃
I have no luck taking cuttings and making new trees for some reason. After 14 cuttings I managed to get one to grow. And that one has a crooket trunk. Guess I will try again when I trim my fig.
Thank you Brian. 🌷💚🙃
Time to air root those figs if you are going to prune back.
I put my fig in a much bigger pot from what it started in. So hopefully I get some good growth this year. Once it's a little bigger, I can stick it down in my orchard where I will build a fence around it to keep the deer off of it.
i cut my grandmas down to the grown almost flush and every year it comes back just as big lmao
No freezes this Winter🤯 I’m so jealous. My wife decided to prune my blackberry bush last fall and cut off most of the first year growth😢. Great video and I like the way you are plugging your previous vids. Smart move!!
Are you in Hawaii? Do you grow Hoya plants?
So I notice a common theme for some fruit trees. Definitely cut the ones growing towards the inside. I think.