Pruning Advice -- odd shape Fiddle Leaf Fig

[christabell.m]

We have a fiddle leaf fig with three branches that we have had for a few years now and it has become leggy and lopsided. There was a time when it wasn't getting a lot of light or watered enough so the lower leaves fell off but its in better conditions now and has had consistent new growth. The only thing is that I want it to look more tree like with a taller trunk and more condensed bushy top. I'm thinking both branches are too low and wide so I would like to cut them eventually. I want to create more branches but higher up than the current ones. So i'm not sure what I should do first and how much i should do at once. cut the sides branches off/ or one side branch off/ or try to get branches higher up by cutting the top off or notching it where i would like the new branches to be/ or potentially some combination of those things. Im also planning on putting a stake in it to straighten it out. Any thoughts or advice on the pruning of my tree would be greatly appreciated. (I know if this works it is going to be more of a long term thing and i wont see results quickly as it will take alot of time to prune and fill in)

 

[cpp gardener]

Go ahead and cut off both side branches at the same time, it won't hurt the plant. You can also remove as much of the top as you want. It will branch below the cut, but it may just go straight up. I haven't done the notching myself, but it should work. Notch just above a leaf pointing in the direction you want it to grow and that should work. It probably won't take as long as you think since the plant still has all the roots that are feeding it now, but fewer leaves to maintain. You could even do several leaves at the same time, they might all branch!