Can I prune my fig tree eventhough new growth has begun?

My 20 year old fig tree has gotten too large (15-20 ft) , and too tall. I need to cut it bak to about 8 ft tall and remove a large limb. I failed to do so this winter. Now there is new spring growth, and formed figs. Can I cut the tree back radically, and not hurt the tree for next year?

Can I prune my fig tree eventhough new growth has begun?
Heavy pruning of a tree or shrub during the period of maximum growth can cause heavy damage or injury and even lead to a condition that can lead to death.





Early Spring for most plants is the WORST time to do it.





Late WINTER but before bud break is the best time because the sap is down. Spring pruning can cause heavy bleeding and allow insect or fungal attacks. Spring pruning is dumb dumb dumb.





Late Winter before bud break is also a great time for rooting hardwood cuttings of things like Snowball Bush or Forsythia where a two foot cutting placed directly in the ground where you want it to grow and kept moist once bud break occurs....





That's an easy way to acquire FREE plants from old ones. One of about 30 methods of asexual reproduction I've explored from division to air layers to stooling and dropping, you name it, I've done it.





Most gardnerers I've seen are idiots when it comes to pruning. You should never prune more than 10% of a plants area. If you are going to prune a shrub or small tree over 50% of its area, you might as well cut the bastard down to the roots and see if it survives.





It's like topping a White Pine or Norway Spruce because it's too big. It will make the tree hideous. Might as well cut it down and replace with something small like a dogwood or redbud tree.





Pruning Evergreens like Hollies or Spruces is or shrubs of a similar nature like some Junipers sps is quite an art.





When small, most intelligent gardeners use a method known as bud pruning or bud nipping which by careful use can create the exact form you desire.





If you wish to save your fig tree, the best bet is to NOT prune it NOW but wait until mid to late Winter and cut all the way to the base. When Spring comes you'll probably have some suckers coming up from the root. Select ONE of the most vigorous and eliminate the rest unless you want to convert it to a multitrunk form and then use selective pruning from then on. Most hardwood types of trees and shrubs will recover and sometimes look a million times better if rejuvenated by this method. But timing is of the essence. Severe Spring pruning can lead to bleeding which allows fungal and insect attacks and the shock can kill some low vigor trees or shrubs outright.





Also you have to know your species. Some pines will NOT recover if cut to the base, other types [like Pitch Pine] will.


Most hardwoods like Maples regrow from the base from total removal, but there are some exceptions.





Also if I were you and needed to remove something like a fig [which roots very easy by air layering] I'd root several cuttings first or created multiple air layers, that way I have "children" from the parent plant even if "momma" has to go! Figs are great for air layers which are so easy to do it doesn't take a Green Thumb.

addis