When to Prune a Fig Tree. Fig trees should be pruned in early spring when they are still dormant and before growth begins for the season, says Becky Sideman, a professor of hortic ...

as the tree’s sap can be irritating to the skin. You can re-pot the plant after pruning or wait until the spring. In Chicagoland, a ficus would do well outside between June and September.

Fig trees (Ficus carica) thrive in USDA hardiness zones ... fig trees also help with soil retention and erosion control. Pruning a fig tree annually is the gardener's secret to maintaining a ...