Hi Leon:I am not using the boat ,anymore because,I can't launch it,to water,after I had Back Surgery,in 2006. But I used it before and had good fun,going fishing on Delaware river tributaries. As for the pruning,I really used the tree to get some extra Money. I sold all those cuttings,on Ebay,and,I am sure whoever grows it will be very Happy with the results. I know I am. Best Regards

Thanks Suzi, Marten If I under stand this right we need to pot fig trees the same as I should pot my citrus trees. My boss and I are looking to sell these as in the ground trees. What we are looking into was 2 parts coarse sand, 1 part organic potting soil (not peat based) 2 parts Pine fines. Our business already has the organic potting soil and pine fines. Sand can come in a dump truck. My plan is to root cuttings and get them up to 6+ inches. Any one can buy a hardy chicago fig tree in a 5+ gallon pot. for $50 or more. We can provide an ORGANIC tree for under $10 that will go into the ground and put on 20+ feet of combined twig growth the first year as my original 6 inch $8 tree I started out with 3 years ago. We also want to direct people how to best grow their trees in pots if that is their plan. This is wheir your advice is most needed and It appears you have provide excellent choices. Thanks again Steve

You are not by chance feeding it too much nitrogen are you? I've heard that fig trees that receive too much nitrogen tend to grow vigorously but do not fruit. Also, you might want to try pinching any stems after 5 leaves which will encourage fruiting.

a few years ago I successfully grew Chicago hardy figs in Zone 5. it was my first experience with figs, and they tasted amazing! There are better tasting figs out there and there are a few different flavor profiles you can get with Figs. If in the ground is necessary, get the Chicago hardy, know it will die to the ground each year, and it may not show new growth until May/June from the roots. If you can keep it on the south side of your house, you will likely have even better success. If you are willing to look after pots and move them into the garage or an unheated shed for winter, you could grow a whole slew of different figs.