"One example would be using compost and manures. These are pretty much universally viewed as desirable to incorporate into the ground, but nobody growing professionally in containers uses either as they tend to clog up drainage and impede the flow of oxygen through the container media." Funny you should mention that. Last year I mixed up some pots with lots of compost and aged horse manure in them, grew bell peppers in them very successfully. One I brought into the house over the winter, and then put outside a month ago. It has a lot of peppers on it already. I have been mixing up lots of pot soil recently. One project was planting marigold seeds and small flowers with some Girl Scouts I volunteer with at a homeless shelter. The marigolds were up in every one of their pots in 7 days, I was quite impressed. The other pots are for dahlias and smaller flowers that will go around my yard in various places. My mix is about 4 parts finished compost, 1 part aged, crumbled horse manure, and 1 part clay soil. At the very bottom of each pot I put a small layer of leaves, or of shredded leaves and branches. I figure that adds a bit of fluffiness and air and keeps the soil from coming out the holes in the pot. I sprinkle some horse manure on top of that (also very light and fluffy) and then put the soil mix on top and around the plants in question. The physics I taught didn't have much to do with soil! I don't really know what I am doing re: pots, am just too frugal to buy dirt, but it seems to work well for MY potted plants. The main problem I see in outside potted plants is that they dry out and the plants wither, so I would think that retaining moisture would be a good thing? I know that the plants in pots with my mix do better than the ones that come in the very light peat/vermiculite type stuff that flower plants are sold in. More nutrition and better water retention is my theory. I do know not to start seeds in this sort of thing normally, although as I said the marigolds did great. Marcia

I've up-potted figs at all times of the year with no problems. During the summer I'd give them a little extra water and perhaps some shade to help ease them into the new pot. If you also root pruning I'd probably wait until it's dormant -- but I don't think it makes much difference whether it's late fall or late winter/early spring.

Funny, but my latest horticultural phase has been tropical fruits. I have had had success growing the following tropical/subtropical fruits in the north: lemons, oranges, limes, and kumquats loquats mangos papayas bananas pineapple coconut figs grapes I am currently in the process of adding the following to my indoor/outdoor collection: Mammey sapote Guava Jackfruit Breadfruit So far, only my citrus have regularly flowered and fruited. A friend of mine though was successful in getting a small containerized mango to fruit. So far the the only banana that I have had flower is the Chinese banana (Musella lasiocarpa), but the fruit really isn't eaten. Hope springs eternal. Good luck!

Thank you, Michael! I don't need winter hardiness so I plan to get an August Beauty again, and possibly try one or two of the cold hardy varieties you recommended. I have the cool nights needed most of the growing season. I did not know this temp. drop was part of my success, because I was essentially flying by the seat of my pants in meeting the needs of my gardenia. It was 8 yrs. old when I gave it away. I liquid fed it heavily, almost weekly, with a ' bloom booster,' type formula, and once a month fed with Miracid to keep the foliage green. I never really had to spray for Camelia Scale or mites. I did get occasional bud drop, but to no significant degree. Once fall was well under way, just before Thanksgiving, I put my gardenia into cold storage in my fruit cellar, where it hovers around 35-40 degrees F., all winter, dipping to no lower than 25 on occasion. The gardenia did not even drop a leaf all winter. Buds did drop, but not open blooms or advanced blooms showing some white. The latter blooms actually opened in complete darkness. No new growth was made all winter. The gardenia just sat in the fruit cellar in a suspended state. I put it outside in late March. It would still get a few light/moderate frosts until mid-May with no ill effects. Why I gave this gardenia away, I still greatly regret, especially since it didn't even survive a year in its new home. Boy, am I itching to get a new gardenia!