Fig Trees

[Jean]

I was pruning our fig tree today. About three years ago we noticed the trunk had been chewed at ground level by presumably either rabbits or rats. We put plastic around the trunk, end of chewing.

However, the trunk grew, the plastic split and now we have some shoots coming up from the trunk - I imagine where it was chewed.

My question is, should I cut these out? The tree is big and fruits well. The other branches are more on a horizontal, these are totally vertical and so growing pretty much on the inside of the tree. My instinct is to cut them out but would they then grow back? And how do I stop that?

Any words of wisdom would be appreciated! I love my fig trees (all for of them). The fruit never gets as far as the kitchen

[old tree man]

with fruit trees we always used to take the suckers off, if left on it can take the nutrients away from the rest of the tree, eventually they can overtake the tree and you may lose some fruit production.
all the best

Russ

[hedgewitch]

Definately cut them off.

[Jean]

Thanks, secateurs out this afternoon!