Buy a New Fig Instead of Propagating the Same One

Q. I have a large fig tree that gives me small green figs and that is all I get. I think not enough water as you said. I also saw the picture of cuttings to grow another tree?  Can I do that or should I buy a second tree? What about pruning? Is this a good time? 

A. I would buy another tree. They are not that expensive and you can get a different type of fig than the one you have now. Variety is the spice of life!

            But first you have to figure out what fig you have. Figs are all green when young and turn either yellow, off white, purple, purplish brown or nearly black. The white or yellow types have a more delicate flavor while the darker ones are usually more robust in their flavor. One dark one that has been given some nice reviews from homeowners in the valley is Blackjack and it is a smaller tree.

            Just make sure when you prune a fig tree, if you want two crops from it, that you leave some growth present that is last years. If you cut the tree back and take off all the growth from 2012 you will only have one crop, the main crop. If you leave some of this growth from last year you will have two crops of figs.

            You can prune as soon as the leaves drop. Figs can handle any amount of pruning you want to give them. I will be giving some pruning classes out at the orchard when I am back in Las Vegas on December 22 beginning at 9 am.