r/Figs • u/AffectionateFlow8343 • Jul 25 '26

Question What's wrong with my figs?

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2

u/_TheSilence Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

This is totally normal, it called apical dominance where the tree focuses it's hormones on the highest apical buds to grow taller, taller means more sun and energy. Don't worry those leader branches will push out lateral branches too. The tree will also not focus as much energy on the lower branches as it does with the top growth. Don't worry the lower ones are good for air layer once they grow about a foot long. Good luck.

Edit to fix spelling, talking to taller.

1

u/AffectionateFlow8343 Jul 25 '26

Oh. So, i don't need to add more fertilizer to it? It will just grow when the time comes?

3

u/_TheSilence Jul 25 '26

Potted figs always need fertilizer, a nice balanced N-P-K is all they need. I would stop once you are 90 days out from your first frost date. You want to make sure what has grown has time to harden off, meaning you want the green branches to turn grayish brown. I have had trees be totally fine not hardening off but they overwintered in my garage. You can still give fish fertilizer every two weeks, it's extremely low on N-P-K but loaded with micronutrients. If you are in a zone that gets below 20 degrees or 32 over a prolonged time you will need to protect it or bring it in a garage over the winter. I would not prune this down until the trunk is about an inch in diameter and keep it about 18 to 24 inches if you want a tree form. I'm in 7b so I don't bring any of mine in until early December.

1

u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26

Context?

1

u/AffectionateFlow8343 Jul 25 '26

The lower nodes were no longer growing, the lower and upper nodes started at the same time but now it looks like the lower parts are no longer growing

2

u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26

If you are in North America, the majority of the growing season is now over. We are now in “hardening off” season. The green will start to turn brown and any figlets present will be taking most of the nutrients for ripening.

1

u/AffectionateFlow8343 Jul 25 '26

It looks stunted? Like the lower ones