Saturday, April 30, 2011

The Great Fig Tree

We have a monster fig tree.


It is prolific, in every sense. Near constant growth. New limbs, lots of leaves and huge crops of fruit:


Each summer, the bright green figs weigh down the limbs, causing them to reach down to the grass.

We don't know much about how to properly prune the tree. I've done some online research, but haven't tried too hard to do it "just right." Evidently, it doesn't really matter how we prune. I prune the tree three times a year, and it just keeps growing!

The snow in this picture helps show how thick the branches are, and how high I cut the branches back when I prune at the end of the summer:


See that big pile of branches? That is from one pruning. And look at the tree- you can't even tell it's been pruned!


The fig tree today, Saturday, April 30th, 2011:


I've lobbied hard to keep the fig tree. I've heard many times that fruit trees add value to a home. Like the rest of the yard, the tree is overdue for a clean-up. We'll cut down one of the three trucks, and give it a major pruning.

Do you have figs? Is it as out of control as ours? Because this tree is getting out of hand!

2 comments:

  1. I'm so jealous! Our fig trees are tiny babies.

    The mature fruit trees in the backyard of our little cottage were a *huge* selling point.

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  2. Good to know! I never had figs before we moved in. And the fruit wasn't ripe when we saw the house, so we didn't realize what it was. But, if I do say, the fruit is pretty popular with friends and neighbors.

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