Here are some of the plants I've collected and started to care for. They all seem to love Al's Gritty Mix, and my wife and I finally moved somewhere I'm comfortable they won't get vandalized if they are outside for the summer! From left to right: Little Miss Figgy that is finally recovering after it got damaged in shipping, a hidden adenium obesum seedling, "California red-tip" crassula ovata (jade), mini/compact jade (supposedly crosby compact), PVN1 dwarf schefflera arboricola (much smaller than a typical dwarf schef), ficus retusa, ficus benjamina (3 cuttings that are fusing together), little miss figgy, 2-more adenium obesum seedlings. Here is a closer shot of the retusa, which I plan on hard-pruning in May, once the plant has regained some energy from the spring sun. It was overgrown and went through a rough patch during which it lost a lot of internal leaves. I did a light prune last year as to not sap any more of it energy, but with the hope of some back-budding (which hardly occurred). My plan is to basically prune all the secondary branches so they are only about a half inch long from the primary (trunk). I'd appreciate any advice! PS - I plan on moving some of these from my front porch to my back porch once they acclimate to the outdoor sun. The front gets morning (eastern) sun until about 1pm when the roof over the porch blocks the light. The back porch gets hotter afternoon sun (western).

Thanks for your comments & support, Anna. I was fairly gentle while massaging & trimming her roots & hope I didn't do anything too severe...but she is looking good this morning. We had rain for a few hours yesterday afternoon which I think helped her get settled in her new pot & soil. The figs are still attached so time will tell if they make it.

Jae, "Encourage root development," preposterous!!! Root growth follows leaf growth, not precedes it. Remove all its leaves and a tree will essentially stop root production, even balance its root load by aborting (dying back), those roots that are no longer needed since there are no leaves to support. Leaves feed a tree. They are a tree's mouth, and stomach, and bowels. They "eat" (so to say), the nutrients, and the water their roots provide to nourish the tree. Eliminate the leaves and the roots have nothing to do but stop functioning, go dormant and/or die off until new leaves emerge, and start the "green factory" going again. Figs are tough, extremely adaptable, and respond like crazy to good care. There's hardly a more lush looking fruiting tree than a well cared for fig tree. Let your denuded fig just recover now. It should be pushing out new growth by now. If we have a warm fall, the growth should get a foot or so long by Thanksgiving/season's end. Give it good care. In spring, just as it begins to leaf out, start shaping it to the form, single or multiple trunked as you choose. It should sprout new growth down low that you can encourage if you want a multi-trunk fig tree. There is a fig nursery out your way in NJ, French Fig Farm, frenchfigfarm@gmail.com. Give them a call or visit. Their web site is extremely informational for cold climate fig growers like us. Keep your fig between 40 and 25 degrees F. all winter long. No light is needed. Water when needed just to keep soil moist. Do not let the fig sit in water in a catch tray. Its roots will rot. My largest fig pot is 10 gallons. I use black nursery pots, Gro Pro pots, made in USA, and BPA free, are best. Through periodic root and branch pruning a fig tree (I keep my fig trees at 4-5' X 3-4'), can grow excellently, and produce tons of figs. You don't need a larger pot to have success. Of course, a larger pot is perfectly OK, cumbersome, but fine, too. The larger the pot, the harder it is to shuffle it around. Your back will not thank you. I wish you great success. Moses

Anna, Figs almost seem to have personalities like people. Some varieties are slow to grow, need to be stimulated, while others are bursting with energy and grow like weeds. Then there's a particular tree of a known very vigorous variety that just has no energy or motivation to thrive no matter what we do to nurture it. As much as I like my fig trees, there are no freeloaders tolerated. If after a reasonable amount of time, and after every effort is made to help it along, if a tree is a poor grower, it gets discarded....hard to do, but what else is there to do? You do have to give such figs time, though, sometimes a few years. Baby figs are like baby anything. They need TLC. It's best to start training a fig tree when it is a baby. It's easier to just rub off a emerging growth you don't want than prune it away when it is 3' long. Remember too, a fig tree is not the most balanced looking tree even with the most careful training. They seem to have a mind of their own regarding where a growth will emerge. I go along with them to some degree, as long as they don't look too lopsided. Enjoy your figs! Moses