Ok, stay with me here ...... ;o) Mesophyll tissue between the upper and lower epidermis (leaf surface) contains chloroplasts, which is where photosynthesis takes place. This mesophyll tissue is divided into two distinct layers. The palisade mesophyll is just below the upper leaf surface and is composed of regular layers of elongated cells. Lying below them is the spongy mesophyll, composed of loosely arranged cells of irregular shape. This layer contains fewer chloroplasts and has many intercellular spaces for the diffusion of gases (required for respiration and photosynthesis). Because there are many more chloroplasts near the upper leaf surface, most photosynthesis occurs there. I would recommend fluorescent bulbs that concentrate their light in the blue portion of the spectrum (cool white). They should be placed very close to the foliage. Incandescent bulbs are a poor choice, turning energy into heat and providing little light. Pot size depends largely on soil choice. Here's a copy/paste job that sort of explains it: "Over-potting" is a term that arises from a lack of basic knowledge about the 3-way relationship between plant material/ soil composition/ container size, which together, logically determine appropriate container size(s). It's often parroted that you should only move up 1 size in containers when "potting-up". The reasoning is that the soil will remain wet too long and cause root rot issues. Of course, that's true if you're growing in a heavy, inappropriate soil, but it can be remedied by changing the soil to one that drains freely. The size/mass of the material and soil type/composition determine both the upper & lower limits of appropriate container size. Plants grown in slow soils need to be grown in containers with smaller soil volumes so that the plant can use water quickly, allowing air to return to the soil. This (smaller soil volumes) will cause plants to both extend branches and gain o/a mass much more slowly. Rampant growth can be had by growing in very large containers and in very fast soils where frequent watering and fertilizing is required - so it's not that trees necessarily rebel at being potted into very large containers per se, but rather, they rebel at being potted into very large containers with a soil that is too slow. We know that there is an inverse relationship between soil particle size and the height of the PWT in containers. As particle size increases, the height of the PWT decreases, until at about a particle size of just under 1/8 inch, soils will no longer hold perched water. If there is no perched water, the soil is ALWAYS well aerated, even when the soil is at container capacity (saturated). If you wish to grow in a large container - please do. Just be certain that your soil supports no, or very little perched water. You have all the tools you need to make an excellent soil. Now all you need is the confidence and the materials. ;o) If you're interested in more in-depth discussion about soil choices, how soil choice relates to container size, and a better understanding of soils in general, you can follow the link below. Al Here is a link that might be useful: More about soils.

I'm new to blueberries this year as well and mine are doing the leafy color change as well, the same as you show in the last pic. I'm in a heavy clay/alkaline soil area also, so I amended my soil with ammonium sulfate to instantly lower the PH as well as mixed in sulfur for it to take the 6 months or so it does to further work into the soil to help maintain acidity. The local soil is present along with thoroughbred compost and topsoil mix. I finished off my beds with pine bark mulch which is also said to be on the acidic side (ya gotta do everything ya can in a limestone region). I water my blueberry plants using ONLY rain water that I connect from the gutters on my house in the disappointedly few times it has rained all spring. The last 'good' rain lasted 25 minutes, but I filled over a dozen 4-gallon kitty litter containers, put on their lids and store under my back deck for everyday use. I noticed the leaves tend to crimp at the ends in a yellow-green area while the more mature leaves do the reddish border. I've witnessed these conditions periodically go away and come back. I suspect it may have to do with the amount of water I give to each plant because when it does rain (seemingly rarely, as it seems to miss my area relentlessly), the fresh rainwater will perk up the plants and the colors will go to a darker green (at least for awhile). As it tends to get dryer out, the newer leaves curl and the older ones get the red borders again. See if you notice the same pattern..

not sure about that last pic, but the rest of the tree looks fine. what area or zone are you in? perhaps you brought it out too late, figs can be brought out as long as there's no frost, i'd suggest about 36'F and higher if potted as not to dmg the roots. edit: yes if you upload directly to this forum its one pic per post. or if you use photobucket or imageshack or any other photo hosting websites you can upload a bunch then link them in your post. This post was edited by houstontexas123 on Tue, May 21, 13 at 22:54

nomen_nudum: and when scientists did exactly that, they found that yes, indeed, waterdrops on plant leaf surfaces CAN cause sunburn to varying degrees. Oddly, the above research paper has been widely referenced in articles claiming that water on plant leaves = burnt foliage has been entirely debunked. When that is exactly NOT what the researchers said, LOL! Here in the hot arid desert, if I water and get water drops on the leaves, it does - sometimes - damage the leaves. But not always, or even as often as I sometimes fear. And the damage is generally slight when it does occur. And no, it is not leafminers or some other pest. Fortunately (and I never thought I would use the word "fortunately" in this context) since it IS a desert, it rarely rains. I can see where even small amounts of damage could accumulate to lots of damage in an area where it rains nearly every day, followed by hours of fierce sunshine. Sadly I have no solution - except maybe to run out after it rains and try to knock some of the excess water off the leaves. The use of shade cloth might be worth trying however. When I lived in Puerto Rico, I never had a problem with sunscald. I grew peas and lettuce under shade cloth. Peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, all grew like mad things. We would get torrential downpours several times a week, but they didn't generally last long. I don't know why this would be a problem in FL but not in PR - maybe something about the different varieties being grown? I have NO IDEA any more what exact varieties I was growing there, but I really regret not being there long enough to establish a good plot of pineapple! I did have a couple of orange trees in the yard that grew the most hideous, scabrous, scary-looking, juicy, delicious oranges I have ever tasted. This post was edited by zensojourner on Wed, Oct 8, 14 at 15:51