Trimming Ficus in winter

[MattA]

In Leong's book on ficus he says that he keeps his figs in fully trimmed show state all year round, including over winter, that is in Sydney's climate.

Do others do likewise with there Ficus or do you allow it to have free rein over winter? I know it will differ from north to south, I am in Newcastle (2hrs north of Sydney) and am wondering whether I should keep pinching back the new growth as it extends or just let it be until spring.

Matt

[Grant Bowie]

In Leong's book on ficus he says that he keeps his figs in fully trimmed show state all year round, including over winter, that is in Sydney's climate.

Do others do likewise with there Ficus or do you allow it to have free rein over winter? I know it will differ from north to south, I am in Newcastle (2hrs north of Sydney) and am wondering whether I should keep pinching back the new growth as it extends or just let it be until spring.

Matt

looks like I will have to take this one. In your climate if it moves pinch it as it will soon get out of shape.

Or let it get out of shape and then prune/defoliate in September/October or so.

This from someone in the cold heart of Canberra.

grant

[hugh grant]

That's something I've wondered about aswell, same kind of situation being on the central coast. But I don't really trim my figs in winter just because they won't bud back aswelll as what they would in spring.
But sometimes I will if a branch has grown too strongly.

Hugh

[Chris H]

If I have a branch which I want to wire up in a particularly twisty turning manner I will defoliate it in winter and put the wire on. The lengthier time frame to budding seems to give it better time to set into position. and without all the leaves its easier to do.

Otherwise I pinch a bit here and there but generally I need a break from sticky sappy fingers in winter.

[MattA]

looks like I will have to take this one. In your climate if it moves pinch it as it will soon get out of shape.

Or let it get out of shape and then prune/defoliate in September/October or so.

This from someone in the cold heart of Canberra.

grant

Had to stop myself laughing at "if it moves pinch it" before I could hit reply....

Thanks for taking it on Grant, it is well settled & I dont want things getting out of proportion so I will keep pinching as she grows. The growth has actually sped up again since I buried the whole tree up to the first branchs in bush mulch (testing one of my many theories, if it works I will expand on later in the year).

Will be repotting come October when I can make final adjustments to the cascading trunk line and start on foliage reduction & increasing ramification.

Matt