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Should I keep potting this fig up?

11 years ago

Hi,

I just got a tall and leggy fig tree from a local nursery. It's on sale. The tree suffered from irregular watering and too small pots.

After getting it, I put it under full sun and repot it into a much bigger pot. Since then I have one fig developing and no new growth. But the new pot was filled with roots again. The new roots are so aggressive, it grow into every possible inch of soil. Should I repot it now? Or wait till next spring. I live in zone 5a, so I have to overwinter this fig in my unheated garage.

Any idea will be appreciated.

Thanks

Yt

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Comments (6)

bronxfigs: New York City/7b
11 years ago
Yt...

You haven't mentioned the pot size, either original, or, the larger pot. Figs are very dynamic growers and will quickly fill pots with roots. You will slow the plant down if you allow the tree to become root-bound. If you must, slip the plant out of the bigger pot, and re-plant into a much larger pot with a good growing medium that drains well. Disturb the roots as little as possible and you will be fine.

You may have to root=prune your new tree, after dormancy period, next Spring. Do a search on this forum for root pruning instructions, or go to You-Tube and watch root-pruning videos.

You will be able to grow your tree in the same large container for years, You just need to root-prune, and replant into new medium every few years.

Good luck.

Frank
yellowthumb
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Frank,

The old pot is only 8 inch. I repoted it into a 10 inch. Now the pot was filled with white roots. But I didn't see any new growth. My plan is to prune it next spring. So not sure I should repot it again into a much bigger pot.

YT
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Root rot is nasty. Avoid it at all cost. I would go 3 gallon next spring. Then early spring of 2019, before dormancy break, check the root mass. If it is pot bound, then trim/tease/slit the circling roots. It may not be pot bound, which is unlikely, but do this next step in either case. Plant in a ten gallon pot at this time, but only add soil enough to fill the pot to the 6-7 gallon mark, including the transplanted fig from the 3 gal. Pot. You are using a 10 gal. pot as a 6-7 gallon pot. The soil level of your fig in 2019 will be well below the pot rim by many inches. Always repot your fig with the soil line mark on the tree's trunk at the same place at soil level, no matter what size pot you use, or how low in the pot the fig sits. In early spring 2020, lift out your fig tree, if it is aggressively growing roots, then fill the bottom of the 10 gal. with enough soil to raise the soil level to the normal height for a 10 gal. pot, a couple inches below the pot's rim with the trunk's soil level mark right on target. In 2-3 years time, lift out your fig, and reduce both sides and bottom the root mass by 1/3 with a saw or sturdy serrated turkey carving knife, then repot with fresh soil. Do this every 2-3 years, ad infinitum. Moses
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dieseler
11 years ago
Hi YT,
question you need to ask yourself is what is the final size pot this will be in if not to be grown inground.

Plant now filled 8 inch and quickly filled 10 inch pot.
Its time to put in final size pot as it sounds like its an aggressive grower like some fig plants are such as mission and ronde to name a few.

With these i quickly put into final size pot and was careful not to drown its roots with water in such large pot and there fine and grew into them very fast.

Mind you such a plant needs root pruning within 3 seasons and sometimes after 2 full seasons in there final pot size but if this is kept up plant will thrive for possibly your lifetime.
Hope this helps,
Martin
olympia_gardener
11 years ago
People in zone 5 grow fig trees in ground. It is better to grow in ground. Just need to bend the tree branches down and heavy mulch it or bury it.
dieseler
11 years ago
olympia_gardener ,
not all do and i know several from the other forum and also many from the other forum in nearby states that do as i and store them in garage .My grandmother near Midway airport back in the 60 buried hers each season to much work when one has many fig plants.
As a note i started doing the fig shuffle in vey early spring many years back.
Martin
yellowthumb
Original Author
11 years ago
I have another brown turkey fig that currently living in a 45 gallon pot. I don't want to put this small fig into that big pot.

My dilemma is that since I have to prune this fig tree hard next spring. It might be a better time to repot this fig at the same time.

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