Pollard Pruning Fig Trees: The Pros, Cons & Alternative Pruning Methods

Details of the annual Fig Boss cutting sale: https://www.figboss.com/post/fall-fig-sale-2025 Companion pruning guide: https://www.figboss.com/post/a-comprehensive-guide-to-pruning-fig-trees-in-containers-large-in-ground-trees-young-trees-old In the YouTube video "How to Pollard a Fig Tree: The Pros, Cons & Alternatives," Ross Raddi thoroughly explains and demonstrates pollarding—a drastic pruning technique where everything above an imaginary horizontal line is cut away to control a fig tree's height. He clearly warns that while it instantly makes a tall tree reachable, it comes with serious downsides: the tree responds with explosive vegetative growth (7–10 feet the following season), shifts energy away from fruit production, delays ripening by about a month, and completely eliminates any chance of a breba (early) crop since those figs form on the previous year's wood that gets removed. For growers in short-season or marginal climates like the UK or Pacific Northwest who depend on that early breba harvest, pollarding can ruin an entire year's production and produce lower-quality, later fruit. Despite the drawbacks, Ross acknowledges pollarding can make sense in specific situations: commercial growers who need to keep orchards low for easier mechanical harvesting, people taking a more "hands-off" approach who don't mind the annual heavy pruning, or those with very long growing seasons who want an extended (though later and sometimes lower-quality) harvest window. He then demonstrates the technique on one of his own trees, aggressively cutting all laterals back to the main scaffolds while leaving the trunk and primary structure intact. More importantly, he shows a far better alternative for most home growers: instead of pollarding, selectively shorten the tallest branches by cutting them back to lower, outward-facing buds on fruitful wood. This keeps the tree compact without triggering the massive regrowth response, preserves the breba crop, and results in earlier, better-tasting figs the following season—an approach he strongly recommends over routine pollarding for virtually everyone except in the niche cases mentioned. Looking for fig trees or cuttings? Check out the Fig Boss storefront: https://www.figboss.com/category/all-products For more fig growing tips, check out the Fig Boss blog: https://www.figboss.com/ The Fig Tree Timeline: https://shorturl.at/p5u6q Need help with your fig tree? Contact me: https://www.figboss.com/contact Follow me! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rossraddi/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rossraddi/ Support My Work! MERCH! - Posters, Mugs, & Shirts: https://fig-boss.creator-spring.com/ Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/rossraddi One Time Donations: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/rossraddi The Tools, Fertilizers, and Products I Use to Grow Food: https://www.amazon.com/shop/rossraddi Consulting Services: https://www.figboss.com/consulting Zone 7A - Greater Philadelphia What is Pollarding? (0:48): Explains pollarding as drawing an imaginary horizontal line and removing everything above it, primarily to control tree height. The Major Downside – Explosive Regrowth (1:10): After pollarding, fig trees typically explode with 7–10 feet of new growth the following season, requiring the exact same heavy prune every single year forever. How Pollarding Ruins Fruiting (1:45): The tree shifts energy from fruit production to vegetative growth, ripening occurs ~1 month later, and fruit quality declines. Why Pollarding Completely Eliminates Your Breba Crop (2:07): Breba figs form on last year’s wood; pollarding removes all of it, so growers in marginal climates (UK, Pacific Northwest, etc.) can lose their entire early crop. Lower Fruit Quality & Longer (But Later) Harvest Window (2:49): Remaining main-crop figs are larger but less flavorful, and harvesting stretches out over a longer period. The Actual Benefits of Pollarding (3:07): Extended harvest window, easier picking height, and a somewhat lazier annual maintenance approach. Who Should Actually Pollard Their Trees (3:31): Best suited for commercial growers, people with extremely long seasons, or those who want to revitalize old/neglected trees and don’t mind annual heavy pruning. The Much Better Alternative for Home Growers (4:00): Instead of pollarding, selectively cut tall branches back to lower outward-facing buds on mature wood to control height without sacrificing fruit quality or breba crop. Live Pollarding Demonstration (4:48): Ross aggressively pollards a tall in-ground fig tree, cutting all laterals back to the main scaffolds and trunk. After Pollarding – The Finished Tree (5:52): Shows the dramatically shortened tree and explains why leaving some small stubs with apical buds gives the best of both worlds. Conclusion & Follow-Up Next Year (6:18): Wrap-up, reminder to like/subscribe, and promise to show this exact tree’s regrowth the following season so viewers can see the real results.