Dropping leaves on my poor fig!

[Jingle]

I got a Brown Turkey fig for Easter (healthier than a chocolate egg) that is in a pot & has been doing really well. It grew rapidly with huge leaves & a new little fig tree appeared out of the bottom but over the last few days the lower (older) leaves have been turning yellow & 1 dropped off today! Googled it but am now just more confused - I know it's not dried out, we've had 3 days of rain here but the leaves had started to turn before it started so I guess it's not over-watered. Do figs lose their leaves in the winter? & if so will it lose them all? Also it's getting very tall (about 6 foot) can I 'prune' it heightwise next year?
Thanks in advance
J

[WrexTheDragon]

Mine have done the same, lost all the big leaves.

It done the same last year, and grew more leaves about June.

You can prune, but keep it in a small pot.

[Jingle]

Thanks; what do you class as a small pot? it's in a pot about the size of a half barrel at the moment.

[WrexTheDragon]

That's why it has grown tall, you need to restrict the root growth to stop it growing.

[ginger ninger]

Its normal for fig trees to do this, if your going to prune your fig, keep an eye out for the fruit buds, if you cut these off you'll get no fruit next year. Figs like to be root bound, so don't pot it on every year, leave it at least 2 years. If your fig is in an exposed site, pop a bit of horticultural fleece round it and move it some were it will be out of the frost (when it gets here) hopefully you'll have lots of figs in the coming years. This year is the first time I've had figs off mine..and they were yummy.

[Two_Sheds]

That's why it has grown tall, you need to restrict the root growth to stop it growing.

Wrex is right: have a look at this older thread: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...igs_13079.html

[Reb Williams]

How harsh can you be with pruning figs? I mean, if you don't mind missing a year's fruit in order to get one back under control after a few years of neglect? I've got one in the ground, not a pot. Due to rearrangement of the garden, I need to cut it back a lot and encourage it to grow in a slightly different direction (left instead of right!) Sorry to hijack the thread a little, but it is related and I thought better to ask here than start a whole new one.

Reb
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[gojiberry]

Figs can be cut back fairly hard but as with most established plants it is better to do it over two or three years. Cut back between a third and a half this year and repeat over the next two or three years.

Ian