Annette.... Growing fig trees is probably one of the easiest, and most delicious things you could do. Decide whether in ground, or containerized. Decide on location. (Full-sun, and heat, is good) Figs grow/develop on new wood, so prune if you must to control growth. Read postings on this forum about when/where to prune, and pinch new growth. The winter will be your problem. If containerized, and heavy...buy a dolly @ Home Depot and roll the plant(s) around. Read postings on winter storage/dormancy. Buying a twig/small, rooted-cuttings is a waste of time. Get a bearing-age tree, and you'll have fruit this year. Check your local garden centers for good trees. Twigs die out if not grown perfectly, and in the long run, you'll get more bang for the buck by starting off with a larger plant. I grow my 6 foot tall, single-stem trees in large storage tubs (with drainage holes), and all branches are grown at the top of the long bare trunks. I roll the trees around on dollies. This saves the back, and I'm hernia free. If you can store the trees (containerized) in an unheated garage or dark, cool, storage shed you'll probably solve your winter problems. Buy a short-season fig variety. If at a bearing age, and growing vigorously, pinch back new growth to 6 leaves on each branch for earlier ripening of main-crop figs. You'll be chowin' down on figs by September, or earlier! Seriously, this forum is the only place to get good, solid, up-to-date, fig-growing information. If you are going to buy figs through the mail, stay away, no...run away! from Ty-Ty, and Willis Orchards. Why?...search this forum. Also, west-coast nurseries are known for selling fig trees with mosaic virus. I learned the hard way. I personally have grown only one short-season variety called "Atreano"...which makes a very large, golden-yellow fig that's really sweet... if, ripened correctly. Do a search for this excellent, smaller-growing fig variety. It's a good start. Deer might not be a problem, but birds could be! Hope this helps you decide what to do. Read everything about growing figs on this forum, then decide how you will want to grow the tree(s)...then, go shopping. It's fun, and you'll be hooked. We were all normal once. : ) : ) BronxFigs

I have 3 fig cuttings from last year, they are about 12 inches tall. They dropped their leaves in the fall and I wintered them in the garage. I watered them about once a month in the winter. I just looked at them today and noticed there were some new leave tips at a the very top, which have dried out and the stem is dried out also, Should I water and trim off the dried out stem. Also when is a good time to put the pots outside. I don't plan on planting them in the ground but want to keep in pots for awhile. Any suggestions or advice is appreciated.

I discovered by accident what herman2 adviced in his earlier post. My fruits were green with some darkening stripes but still very hard. Forgot to water my potted fig tree for a week, the leaves drooped and the green hard fruits got soft (but a "bad" soft, as if its being dried up inside, not the ripening swolen soft). Then I watered regularly again, and immediately within the next couple days the leaves recovered, the fruits got harden back, and I noticed the fruits started to turn more and more purple and start swelling and softening in a "ripen" way. Got all of them to ripe in about 2 weeks after that incident. If it wasn't for that week that I forgot to water, I would guess the hard green fruits weren't gonna ripe until at least another month or so.

Hey, can someone advise on this: In zone (7a) Long Island, NY Right now I have: 2 Peaches in pots, bare root(miracle grow potting mix) (freshly potted about a week) with osmocote added. 2 Pomegranates in pots, not bare root(miracle grow potting mix) (freshly potted about a week) with osmocote added. 2 Cherries in pots, bare root(miracle grow potting mix) (freshly potted about a week) with osmocote added. I have coming tomorrow: 2 apples(bare root) Originally, I was going to keep all these fruit trees in pots until spring 2018, but now I have decided to get them in the ground and I feel like I'm in a race against time. I was reading the Starksbros website where I had purchased them from and they recommend to add either pete moss, garden compost, or manure as 1/3 concentration into the soil where the roots are. My question is, when I take the trees back out of the pots to plant, can I use the miracle grow potting mix that I already have from the pots, and work it into the soil instead of the above?