What tree shape is suitable for fig cultivation?
According to the growth and fruiting habits of figs, the suitable tree shapes are the multi-main-branch natural open-center shape and the trunkless non-tiered shape with a main trunk.
The training process for the multi-main-branch natural open-center shape is: after the young seedling is planted, head it back at a height of 70-80 cm. If grown in a courtyard, the heading height can be somewhat higher; for bonsai ornamental cultivation, heading and selection of a suitable tree shape with ornamental value can be carried out according to different needs.
After the newly planted young seedling sprouts new shoots, select 3 new shoots with suitable angles and orientations as main branches, pinch the remaining new shoots for use as auxiliary nurturing branches, and thin out the excess. The 3 selected main branches should be staggered with one another, not overlapping, and the branching angle should not be less than 60 degrees, so as to avoid poor union with the main trunk that could cause splitting.
During winter pruning in the 2nd year, attention should be paid to adjusting the balanced growth vigor among the main branches; vigorous branches should be pruned somewhat more heavily, while weak branches should be pruned somewhat more lightly, and those with annual growth of less than 40 cm may be left unheaded. The bud at the pruning cut of the main branch extension shoot is generally kept as an outward-facing bud, but if the branch is weak or has a relatively wide opening angle, an inward-facing bud may also be selected. To balance the growth vigor among the main branches and strive for sturdiness, vigorous new shoots near the extension shoots of the main branches should be controlled or thinned out in time, and among the remaining new shoots, those with suitable angles can be selected as side branches.
Pruning in the 3rd year and thereafter is mainly to promote expansion of the canopy, adjust the balanced growth vigor of the main and side branches, select and retain auxiliary nurturing branches, and make full use of space and light and heat resources. After the tree shape is formed, the main task is to maintain balanced tree vigor through maintenance pruning. Useless water sprouts should be thinned out in time; water sprouts intended for use should be pinched early to promote shoot maturation and the sprouting of branches.
Because figs have relatively weak branching ability, the branches in the canopy generally do not become excessively crowded, so the degree of thinning should be as light as possible. For varieties whose main crop is autumn figs, the fruiting mother branches should not be headed back, otherwise the yield will be affected. Dead branches damaged by freezing in winter should be pruned away in time, and attention should be paid to selecting suitably positioned water sprouts to replace them, so as to avoid reducing fruiting sites and affecting yield.