Category: fruit in the home garden

The Budding Orchardist: Winter Pruning Little Miss Figgy for Spring

On By durhammastergardenersIn Cocoa Cinnamon Demonstration Garden, Downtown Durham, NC, Durham NC, figs, fruit in the home garden, fruit trees, pruning fruit trees, Uncategorized

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”

-Socrates

By Jeff Kanters, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

In February the Cocoa Cinnamon Demonstration Garden team was planning preparation of all the containers for the upcoming growing season. One task included the dormant pruning of the prized Little Miss Figgy fig tree located in one of the large planters. Deborah Pilkington, Master Gardener volunteer and leader for the Cocoa Cinnamon Demonstration Garden, reached out to me for guidance and assistance in winter pruning the fig. In preparation, the team re-familiarized themselves with the maintenance a fig requires, including general growth habits, and culture.

Two smiling individuals posing for a photo outdoors, with a blurred background showing a recreational area.
A hand holding six ripe, dark purple figs with a slightly shiny surface, set against a wooden floor background.

(Left) Master Gardener volunteers Jeff Kanters and Deborah Pilkington in February of 2025 examining and pruning the fig variety “Little Miss Figgy” (Ficus carica ‘MAJOAM‘), which grows in our urban container demonstration garden at Cocoa Cinnamon in downtown Durham. (Right) In July 2024, Little Miss Figgy produced delicious fruit during its third growing season. (Image credit: Allie Mullin; Deborah Pilkington)

Fig Characteristics and Growing Conditions

Figs or common fig trees, known as Ficus carica, are a woody, deciduous, multi-stemmed, spreading trees or shrubs grown widely throughout the United States. The plant is native to the southwestern Asia and eastern Mediterranean regions, known for producing the coveted delicious fruits or figs. Fig trees have large, hand-shaped multiple lobed leaves, almost tropical like. Some varieties can grow vigorously and become quite large, often reaching heights of up to 60 feet in some regions of the world. However, in the southeastern United States, the maximum heights are typically 10 to 30 feet tall. As with the many varieties of figs available, there are differences in growth habits and in cold hardiness.


Even though some varieties may be more cold hardy than others, most figs generally do the best in
warmer climates such as the subtropical southeast. Figs also need full sun (6 – 8 hours per day) for
optimal growth, health, and fruiting. Some varieties of figs produce two crops during the season. The first crop, called the breba crop, is produced on old wood and reaches maturity in the late spring. A second crop is produced on the new growth of the season and tends to be the heavier and tastier crop that reaches maturity by the late summer to fall.


If you need encouragement to try growing figs, note this: they an excellent source of antioxidants and nutrients. One medium size fig (approximately 50 grams) has 37 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates, and 1.5 grams of dietary fiber, which is slightly more than an equivalent amount of banana fruit.

Little Missy Figgy (Ficus carica ‘MAJOAM’)  is a fig tree cultivar, specifically a dwarf variety known for its compact size and small, sweet, edible figs. This tree typically reaches a height of 4 – 6 feet. This fig also produces two crops of figs per year, one in spring and another in fall. It can be grown in USDA Zones 5 – 10. Given the smaller size of this fig tree, it is attractive to many homeowners to grow and manage if they have a more limited garden space. And as we are proving in our urban demonstration garden, this fig can also grow in a large container.

A close-up view of a fig tree branch featuring small green figs, surrounded by green leaves. In the background, urban elements such as parked cars and café seating are visible under a cloudy sky.


Little Miss Figgy’s first breba crop. (Image credit: Deborah Pilkington)


Of special interest, while some figs rely on the tiny fig wasp to pollinate to produce fruit, other figs, such as Little Miss Figgy, do not require wasps for pollination and fruit production. These varieties are termed parthenocarpic, meaning they can produce fruit without pollination. Most commercial figs are grown without wasps. Light pruning in winter is usually necessary for figs to maintain an attractive and manageable open shape, and size.

Steps to Winter Pruning Little Miss Figgy

Inspection

The team inspected the fig onsite, and here’s what we found. Little Miss Figgy, while leafless in February, displayed many unruly branches and suckers that had grown up from the base or lower limbs the previous year. Higher up, side branches were found crossing over other branches, growing inward and upward in haphazard fashion from seven main trunks, a few of the trunks crossing over and rubbing on one another.

Pruning Process and Materials
A dormant fig tree, Little Miss Figgy, with bare branches in a container garden, surrounded by other plants.
Urban garden scene featuring a dormant fig tree in winter, surrounded by modern buildings and landscaping. The fig tree has multiple branches and is part of a community gardening project.


(Left) Here is a “before” photo of the plant in February prior to late winter pruning. Note the sprawling suckers and crossing branches visible while the plant is in its dormant stage. (Right) After the pruning makeover, Little Miss Figgy is all set for spring and summer growth and fruit production. (Image credit Allie Mullin)


The team designed a 5-point action plan for pruning:

  1. Select the main core trunks to serve as structure. This would involve removing those trunks
    crossing over other trunks.
  2. Remove one trunk with a few of the outward branches that were growing out into the seating
    area next to the fig.
  3. Remove all the previous season’s sucker growth from the base to direct energy to main trunks.
  4. Open the interior up by removing all upward, inward and downward growing branches.
  5. Leave the remaining four trunks alone without any heading cuts at the top as each displayed a
    shortened dwarfing growth that would limit further elongation.

Tools the team used for the job:

  • Gloves
  • Small to medium sized crescent-shaped pruning saw
  • Hand loppers
  • Standard hand pruning shears or battery-operated electric sheers

The Results

The team completed the pruning according the plan. As Little Miss Figgy began leafing out in April, we nipped off new green suckers that developed at the base. This allowed the plant to direct energy to the main trunks and canopy for fruit development. A new and improved Little Miss Figgy was ready for the season ahead.

A healthy Little Miss Figgy fig tree growing in an urban container garden, surrounded by metal planters and residential buildings in the background.

Little Miss Figgy in April 2025 following the winter pruning. (Image credit: Jeff Kanters)

Resources and Additional Information:

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Annual Grafting Workshop and Scion Exchange

On By durhammastergardenersIn ask a master gardener, fruit in the home garden, fruit production, Fruit tree propagation, fruit trees, gardening education, Gardening information, Grafting, plant propagation, pruning fruit trees, Scion, Scion exchange, Scions, sustainability, Uncategorized, Upcoming gardening events

By Jeff Kanters, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer

Are you interested in learning how to propagate woody plants, including your own fruit and nut trees? Come learn the art of cleft grafting with some of Durham’s Extension Master Gardener SM volunteers at our annual workshop which will be held on February 1,2025.

Grafting Class and Workshop

The workshop will teach you both how to graft and what plant combinations will be successful. Whether you are interested in preserving an heirloom family fruit tree or grafting multiple related fruits onto a single rootstock (Yes, “fruit cocktail trees” are a real thing), this workshop is the perfect opportunity to learn what works, what doesn’t and how to do it. Seats are limited and registration is required and available at the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers site.

Scion Workshop 2023 (Image credit: Ashley Troth)

The class will offer education on unusual fruits to consider for your landscape as well as how to propagate woody plants. The grafting workshop will teach how to graft and what plant combinations will be successful and provide hands-on practice. The schedule for the workshop is:

Schedule: February 1, 2025

9:00 to 9:25 am – Unusual Fruit to Grow At Home
Interested in growing fruit but bored with the run of the mill varieties? We will show you some alternatives to grow at home.

9:30 to 10:00 am – Hardwood Cuttings
Nothing to do on a cold winter day but daydream about how you’re going to get more plants this spring? We have the answer. Making hardwood cuttings while they’re dormant is one of the easiest ways to get lots more of your favorites. Join us to learn this simple method of vegetative propagation.

10:00 to 10:50 am– Grafting demo and hands on workshop

Imagine a rose bush with different colored blossoms or a nectarine/apricot tree. Do you want to increase your inventory of shrubs and trees but have little room? Learn the grafting method commonly used to add different varieties onto an existing plant so that both varieties produce flowers and/or fruit.

Image credit: Sarah Smith

Scion Exchange

February is the perfect time for winter pruning of trees and bushes including fruit and nut trees. Instead of composting the discarded branches (scions), exchange them for others and pick up some new-to-you varieties. The Scion Exchange will be held from 11:00-12:00 on February 1, 2025 at the NC Cooperative Extension (721 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701). Registration is not needed. Just show up with your scions and tools. Bring bagged and labeled dormant scions to share with others; empty plastic bags to collect new scions; and damp paper towels. Take only what you will use. A 6-8 inch scion can supply two to three pieces for grafting.

Gardeners enjoying a previous Scion Exchange (Image credit: Triangle Fruit Growers Association)

What is a Scion?

Scions are twigs of the above ground portion of a tree representing last year’s newest growth, typically 8-18 inches in length and roughly the size of a pencil. They can come from fruit trees, grapes, kiwi, berries, or woody ornamentals. Scions are used to graft onto existing trees or new root stock, the below ground portion of a tree.

At this event, you will be bringing scions (twigs) home with you to graft onto your existing tree or rootstock. We encourage you to bring scions from your garden to share with other scion exchange participants. The more plant varieties people bring, the better the choices will be!

For detailed instructions on collecting and preparing your scion, see the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers page: collecting and preparing scions . You can also email KatCauseyEMGV@gmail.com with any questions.

A group of scions labeled, bagged and ready to graft onto root stock. A close up of a grafted scion.

(Image credit: Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers Group.)

The History of the Scion Exchange Program in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) Area

Around 2015, Ms. Susan Emshwiller, moved to Durham, NC from California. An avid orchardist, she was surprised that, unlike California, a scion exchange program did not exist in the RTP area of North Carolina for fruit and nut orchardists. She decided to start one.

Acquiring the support of Seeds™, a non-profit, two-acre urban garden, and kitchen classroom operating in Durham, Susan initiated the Scion Exchange. This event incorporated classes on grafting along with the exchange of dormant scions for those interested in grafting different varieties on to their fruit trees.

In 2021, Susan, longing for open spaces, decided to go back west, this time to Arizona. Understanding that the scion program was in jeopardy without Susan, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer Kat Causey approached Ashley Troth, the Durham County Extension Agent, with a suggestion that the EMG program continue hosting the grafting workshop, scion exchange, and the scion exchange website.  Ashley agreed.

Kat, together with fellow member Sara Smith, visited Susan in her home to discuss this idea. They admired her many fruit trees with multiple varieties grafted on dwarf stock. Susan agreed to the transfer and relinquished her documents, website and knowledge to Kat and Sara.

In 2022, Kat and Sara, together with others on the plant propagation team, hosted the first grafting workshop and scion exchange. This time it was held at the Cooperative Extension building on Foster Street under the Master Garden SM program of Durham. It was a success. We thank Kat and Sara for their early vision and continued service to the community.

Additional Readings and Resources

Want to know more about propagation techniques and growing tree fruit and nuts in your home garden? Check out these two chapters from the North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/15-tree-fruit-and-nuts


For more information on grafting and different techniques, see NCSU Grafting and Budding Publication : https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/grafting-and-budding-nursery-crop-plants

The Missouri Extension Service also has a publication on grafting: Read Missouri Extension
publication for more in-depth information. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6971

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