This morning I've gone to my father's orchard to "prune" the fig trees, this mean in fact "cut" the fig tree at ten feet to the ground, because I've "shortened" the upper 12 feet, (too tall to harvest). The trees are on a steep slope, back the home, near the river, where my father (95 y.o.) has "corrected" the form of the slope a lot of years ago, by addition of A LOT of tons of: - brocken concrete - pieces of brick - broken tiles (almost 6 tons) - lavatoryes (almost 2) - plastic pipes (a lot) - two stoves - duct of stoves - one ot two bath-basin - perfored steel pipes - sorted electric wires - 12 dors and windows - a lot of forniture - and so on (My father obtained this material from the demolition of an Hotel). When I've stopped this disaster my father said: do not preoccupe, I've to to finish covering all by half feet of thin soil obtained from ligth pieces of broken-off plaster, mixed with little q.ty of compost. In spring now there is a nice slope greenish, also if in summer the grass yellowish. The five big figs here planted grow vigorously, and bear a lot of fruits; every year we increase the "manure" adding in fall, branches, cuttings and leaves of fruit plants and vines, to rot on the basis of the fig trees. No one has never seen nematodes, or better figs are have never say me anything. Sergio

Bellamart, You may still want to give fig pot culture a look, instead of in the ground. I bet you have a cold place to store a fig tree you have not thought of yet. You don't need a lot of room. You don't need light, just a place that stays between approx. 25-40 degrees F. during the winter to keep the fig dormant. Here are my reasons pot culture over in ground culture would work the best for you: 1. Any variety, even the most winter intolerant ones can be grown. Since the fig is winterized in an unheated location: garage, shed, summer porch, fruit cellar, etc., its winter hardiness is irrelevant. This opens up a huge selection window for you. 2. Why pot culturing figs is so important to you living in a short growing season climate is that you can select the earliest ripening varieties, which may be the least winter hardy ones, which lack of hardiness, again, is irrelevant. Growing under the same conditions otherwise, a pot cultured fig will ripen its figs quicker, than if it was growing in the ground. This ensures a successful ripening of your crop. There's nothing more disheartening than having not yet ripe figs never ripening because the weather is closing in. All that work for not. 3. Portability is a great advantage over growing in the ground. Select the hottest, sunniest spot for your fig(s). This may be a: cement patio, car pad, deck, roof garden...where you cannot plant a fig into the ground. Figs can take all the sun and heat you can give them. Just faithful watering is required. °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° A 10 gallon pot is the largest size pot you will ever need. Even a fig that grows 20 feet tall in the ground in California can be pruned/trained to a modest 5 foot beauty in your pot. Pot cultured productive varieties routinely yield 200-300 figs a year on a mature tree. A gallon size purchased fig, given proper care will be mature in about 4-5 years. An immature fig tree produces lots of figs!....just not at their mature rate. The only drawback is that you have to be adequately read up on figs and their management under pot culture. This is fun and enlightening to me, but too much work for some folks. These type of gardeners just want to plant a fig tree in the spring, forget about it, and later harvest figs. No effort. Pot culture figs is not for these kind of folks. Moses

Hi, the Brown Turkey I bought was from an ebay seller. It is 18 to 20 inches tall, planted in a 20 oz styrofoam cup and very healthy looking. It has many leaves and they are not stretched or anything, nicely spaced I mean. I may pot up so I don't have to worry about it drying too quickly. I am still waiting on the Gurneys order. I am hopeful that it will be the golden celeste that another person received :). I like what I read about Just Fruits and Exotics, per everyones advice, I will wait until spring. In the meantime. I am interested in learning about fig propagation so will continue learning all I can from you guys who are enjoying those succulent looking fruits :). I will post back here when the Gurneys order comes. I wonder what they will send. Take care, 3jsmom31

i believe i addressed planting on a slope .. at the link below .. also look at the second link in general ... always include where you are.. like my name shows ... it would also be nice to know if juniper tip blight is a problem in your area ... and if these are problematic with such ... finally .. i highly recommend an engineered drip line .. rather than the common carp one sold ... e.g. at 3rd link ... a few fittings.. and you ought to easily attach it to a hose ... the key is.. equal drippage over distance .... with equalized pressure ... no real comment on your plant choice ... ken http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1827881/how-to-transpalnt-a-conifer-tree-huge-pix-post https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub http://www.lowes.com/pd_15888-1029-MLD-HDT100_1z0wg7b__?productId=1038191&pl=1