Plastic bin as container

17 years ago

One of the production methods used in Japan utilizes container-growing fig trees with a thick trunk about a foot tall from which there are four horizontal branches growing and forming an X. These horizontal branches look to be about six to eight inches long, and it is on vertical branches growing from these horizontal branches where fruit production takes place. The article stated that they get over seventy figs per plant.

What caught my eye was the fact that they were using plastic bins, those with the lattice-work sides, as their containers. Has anyone on the forum ever tried growing their fig trees in such open containers?.....Elder

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Comments (11)

User
17 years ago
Yes i used a few 20 gallon,utility containers,with holes on bottom sides,but when you fill them with compost/soil,they are too havy to store away at the end of year,no matter what transportation you use.
That is why 41/4-5 gallon buckets,with the necesary drilled holes,and buried half in the ground,is a better metod,wich i think will give the same results.
It will be a lot easyer,to store at the end of year.
Also the taste might be better because the healthy fig will send roots in the ground quiqly
So you see ,not only the Japanese have ingenious idea.This idea slowley came up on our FIG Forum,and was told by an Italian young who herd it from old Italian Studs,Ha Ha Ha!!!!
This is my honest opinion,Happy Gardening
bjs496
17 years ago
Elder,

At one time, I had contemplated building "wall-less containers" out of 1/4 inch meshed, galvanized, hardware cloth. Unfortunately, for this conversation, I found the Air-Pots before I had a chance to build a prototype. I don't see the pictures you are referring to. By my estimation, the Air-Pots are about 20% open.

~james
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gorgi
17 years ago
OH YES!
The ~5 gallon bucket method with many side VERTICAL
drain holes at the bottom and 1/2-1/4
summer-dirt-immersed/winter-garage-stored,
is the best way for me!
George (NJ)
gorgi
17 years ago
P.S.,
Forgot to say much THANKS to our Herman for introducing
this idea earlier on this FF. Well, it worked very nicely
to me last year (my first implantation)...
elder
Original Author
17 years ago
James et all, Go to your search engine and type in - growing figs in Japan. This should bring up a site called Hawaiifruit.net/Figs-Japan. Scroll down to the first set of links, and it is the second from last link, I think it's called field station. Anyway, there are several pictures there of the bins used for fig trees.

Herman, weight does not seem to be an issue for the Japanese, apparently the bins remain stationary as they are already within some type of enclosure (greenhouse?)(if Mohammed won't go to the mountain, then etc., etc.). I do get the feeling that watering must be done frequently. Still, I enjoy playing with new ideas....Elder
gorgi
17 years ago
Is (fig) winter the same as here (NE) USA?
User
17 years ago
Sorry George this ideea was not mine to begin with,It was Giussepe"s fro m Upstate NewYork,and he learned it from Older Italians in his area.
Then he Explained (Email)to me,and as i have a big mouth,it was on Fig Forum in no time!!!
chills71
17 years ago
So, what do you use to make the vertical slits into the bucket? And how many slits do you recommend? (and how far up?

~Chills
User
17 years ago
Chills,Easyest is to drill with half inchor larger drill bit.
You drill holes all the way down at bottom,so water do not pile in the bucket ever.
10 holes minimum,the more the better.
---On the other hand i am lasy,and i made up,a chisell wich i grounded to a round point,and i am punching the holes with it.It works well but sometimes it splits the bucket,and when retrived out it closes,the hole,and i do not want that.This happen only on rare hard plastic buckets.
gorgi
17 years ago
The reason to have drain hole on the (very bottom) vertical
sides - rather than on the very horizontal bottom,
is so that it would be relatively much easier to sever
the roots, e.g., with a spade, in autumn for winter storage.
During summer, roots will come out of these hole and feed.
I so far have been drilling the hole at the very bottom
too. I know that figs hate 'excess' water, BUT thinking
hard, maybe something like a ~1/2" water 'reservoir' may
also be of some value. Will try one or two this summer.
User
17 years ago
Water reservoir at bottom invites roots not to seek water off the container and grow in circles at bottom of bucket.
I want to avoid that and invite roots to look for water outside the container,so i think it works perfect with holes at lowest point!!!.