Can anyone help my fig tree? (house, money, trees)

[Chaka]

I've asked on a fig tree forum as well, but figured some of you in SA may also have a fig tree who can offer advice.


We have a wonderful fig tree that is growing wild.
A few years ago we bought the historic Money Pit, which at one time had had a lawn and trees to be lauded. After years of neglect of house and garden, it was overgrown with weeds. Lots of mature trees but also a semi-jungle.

So this fig had a couple of trees growing right next to its trunk. We got rid of those but there's another big tree (not sure what kind) right next to it. The whole area forms a sort of canopy (we do like the canopy) but the fig is not sure what to do. It grows very well with little effort from us, but it is shooting up everywhere - every which way. Last year with all the rain we had a ton of fruit (which we had to battle the birds for), but it's also kind of a mess. We do water it,but not very often. Mostly I use the bucket of a/c water once every few days.
How do I prune it?
What do I do under it? It's just dirt, which = weeds. Should I put mulch down under it? It ends up looking really messy. I'm not too much worried about excessive manicuring, but I also don't want it to look like a jungle. Thanks!


How do I load pictures here? I can point you to the blog with pictures if you're interested.