fig branches at the bottom?

[frdnicholas]

I have a fig bush/tree about 5 ft. tall. It produced figs last year for the first time. There are branches, if that's the correct word, coming up from the soil at the bottom of the plants. Should I prune those or let them be? Is it a matter of how I want the plant to look, or does it have to do with fruit production? I have another fig bush that we inherited when we moved into our house that also has many of these growths and the bush seems to have limited fruit each year, so I'm wondering if that has to do with the way it's grown or simply the age of the bush?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Let me find a video for you.

Here it is. Dr Powell is quite a good source. His son Jason also has a PhD in the greener arts and currently runs the nursery.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Here is a photo of a fig I am about to kill. You can see how robust the root becomes when you go about pruning, and you probably see a few shoots trying to come out as your posts describe. Dr Powell offers a pruning method that incorporates this low volunteer habit, as they do reach skyward after their petite grand entrances.