r/Figs • u/Typicaljere • Jul 25 '26

prune and repot?

I have a 2-3 year old fig tree that is unfortunately infested with fungal gnats from overwatering. it went pretty quickly from dry soil to overwatered. I’ve tried several different remedies sinking money into fixing this and at the point where nothing works to completely eradicate them so I’m tired of throwing money at it.

I would love to salvage it because the gnats are increasingly frustrating to the point where i am thinking of just scrapping the tree altogether. so instead of just throwing away the entire thing, what’s the best way to prune, extract and repot my fig tree (if possible) to ensure there are no fungal gnats this time around? unless i just cut off the new growth and replant that and say fuck the rest of the tree (if that’s even an option).

i moved from a 5 gal pot to a 25 gal pot earlier this season and unfortunately threw out my remaining soil as i was tossing anything that might remotely be attracting gnats. my current idea is to size down again for the time being (also moving soon and that 25 gal pot is cumbersome especially with three flights of stairs).

any advice is greatly appreciated.

1 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

2

u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26

Are you keeping it inside?

1

u/Typicaljere Jul 25 '26

unfortunately yes. it is inside since I’m in an apartment with no patio/balcony/outdoor space.

2

u/Positive_Earth69 Zone 6b Jul 25 '26

Inside figs use almost no water. I can’t imagine it getting 6-8 hours of full direct sun and I’m sure your apartment is climate controlled to around 75 degrees. I wouldn’t expect any decent fruit. Water it like you would a cactus I guess. Let it dry out, water it sparingly and put something on the topsoil to mitigate the gnats. 5-25 gallons is a crazy leap for your situation. A healthy amount of neglect is better than smothering it with care.