If that's a Home Depot fig tree, I'd knock it out of the pot and inspect the roots and make sure they are not compacted to the point where water will not penetrate the solid mass of roots. If that's the case I would slice down the root ball-like you would cut a cake- and try to gently spread/pry that root-ball apart slightly...but not too much. I would plant that tree into the ground, or into a much larger container filled with a quick-draining, moisture-retentive mix. Home Depot sells 18 gallon storage tubs for about 8 bucks. Drill holes in the bottom of the tub, and plant the tree...or,.... sink the tub, tree and all, halfway into the ground. That tree will take off! Keep it watered and fed. I bet you'll get figs this season. Decide if the tree will stay in the ground, or, go into storage/garage for the cooler months. It's time to make a move. Frank DV

I just realized that I may have given the wrong impression by saying lots of afternoon sun. Its dappled sun most of the day, sun only on top crown "mushroom shaped area" only, for 2-3 hours, then dappled again. It isn't in 'blazing sun" much at all.... And lower part is dappled sun/shade all the time. Since this is in a lower "pocket" surrounded by ponds, probably slightly higher humidity than usual. During the summer, I can hang my "Lowes clearance" $3 orchids that need "rejuevenating" out there, and they take off like gangbusters. I am VERY positive Mary A is appreciative that I took the time to find knowlegeable help and that she doesn't have to depend on her hillbilly red-neck mom buying whatever is on sale at Lowes. She forgets I have pictures of her hunting crawdaddies in the creek at the farm... Thanks!

Carrie, I remember the rose you showed us that bloomed pink then turned red. I didn't realize it was a Cecile Brunner. That may get too large. Janie, it bugs the heck out of me to see all the spent blooms way up high that need dead heading and the ground is very unlevel with the stone path under it so I hate to climb up there. Kylie, I have the pink lemonade honeysuckle and it's my favorite but it's pretty slow growing. Mine is pretty big but it's 3 years old now. I bought 2 more last fall and planted them in semi shade and they're blooming their little heads off. This decision is so hard.

I do try to be helpful, and I try to write with the idea that more than one person will read what I say and hopefully gain more enjoyment from the growing experience because of something they learned. I enjoy nurturing plants, and look at nurturing people who also enjoy nurturing plants as a natural extension of my own growing experience. If I couldn't know I was helping, my efforts would be for naught & I'd quickly lose interest; which is why kind comments like yours are always appreciated. Thank you ..... and I enjoyed your story. ;-) In reference to the part you italicized ...... I always figured it's pretty hard to push someone up a ladder unless they were wanting to climb. ;-) So from what I gather from your linked post is this: • I should definitely repot my plant to a slightly larger container and not just pot up. It hasn't been done in at least four and a half years. You can repot or divide PLs for best outcome. If you repot, it might not need to go into another pot, but the root structure of PLs doesn't make them top candidates for root operations related to repotting. You can also simply cut the leaves off each plant and most of the roots, divide the plants and repot into the same pot they came from. They'll recover quickly & take right off. Of course, you have to look at a bare pot for a month, or just stick it in bright indirect light outdoors somewhere & ck on water needs every few days. • When repotting, I should remove all old soil and prune any large roots, upward traveling roots, and "j-hooked" roots. When I do this, where do I clip? As high as possible? This is the part that scares me the most! Honestly, IO'd divide thios plant and save the root pruning learning experience for plants that really need it as part of their care regimen. • I should find a general potting soil (I'm thinking Miracle Grow brand because, as a beginner, it is the only thing I know of that has a seemingly good reputation) and mix it with Natures Helper and Perlite. If this is correct, what should my ratio be? MGs reputation is more a result of its advertising campaign than its performance record. If I were you, I'd seek out a source for pine bark in an appropriate size. If you can find it, you can use perlite and the MG potting soil as small fractions of the soil (added to a large fraction of pine bark) to make a very good soil. A good soil can eliminate over-watering concerns and make a sound nutritional supplementation program monkey easy. See pine bark from 3 different suppliers at 3, 6, & 9 o'clock, and finished soil in the middle: When I refill the new container with the soil mix, how far up should I fill it? There are a lot of stem cuttings that are visible. That's probably not the correct terminology but I assume you understand what I mean. Should I clean this up? Should I bury these any if at all? The soil level should be .5-1" below the pot rim, minimum; and the plants should be planted so the crown is above the soil line to prevent crown rot. Lastly, if I remove all of the old soil, will I need to pack in new soil to fill the void at the thickest part of the roots? I'm sure some of these are silly questions but I truly have no idea what I'm doing and this plant means a lot to me. I want to do what's best for it. I use a wooden dowel rod, sharpened in a pencil sharpener (same tool as you can use as a tell to show when plants need water) to work soil into the voids between roots. See the 2 tools on the right. They serve the same purpose, except I favor the white one I made. Al