This Desert King fig in Bellevue had grown over two stories high; only the birds could harvest the fruit! Two of the branches were cut nearly to the ground to encourage renewal growth. Each year two or three more of the tall limbs would be cut to the ground and then each year after 1/3 of the limbs would be cut near to the ground to keep the fruiting branches within reach for netting (if birds are a problem) and for harvesting.
This fig has been pruned back to the area of the white circle, keeping the fruiting branches at a convenient height where the figs can be reached without stooping or climbing a ladder. Photo taken September, 2015.
Here is the same row of figs in April, 2012.
This Lattarula is a handsome plant carrying a Main crop at the time of the photo – will it have time to ripen?
Don’t prune your figs this way! (The fig bush is behind the fence.)
This is a “California Cut.” It works great if you live in California where the Main crop figs can ripen, but not if you live in Western Washington because there is little or no one year wood left to produce a Breba crop! Two branches should have been cut back near the trunk and a number of one year old branches should have been left to produce a Breba crop.
