I don't think it is so much that fig trees in pots are tortured but that their living conditions are different, are more conducive to early cropping.
Potted trees also benefit from the fig shuffle, keeping them warmer at night than their in ground brethren.
All this lets them produce main crop figs sooner.
I posted pics last year of two plants, same variety, one in pot, one in ground. The in ground tree was just pushing leaves, while the potted plant, thanks to all the aforementioned advantages was already forming main crop figs. In ground trees have to wait on the weather while potted plants do not.
So if you want to plant in ground and get figs, you have to know which varieties will be early in your climatic conditions. Potted figs are not a way to know this, again because their living conditions are different from in ground.

My in ground and potted figs are roughly at the same progress, I kept trying to slow down my potted figs because of the cold snaps to try and limit their shock later on so even my Black Maderia should be pushing figlets in the next couple weeks so I am hoping for some in september and if it's a nice crop I will try and make some Jam from them, maybe only a couple cups but still it should be tasty if I can.

Growing in pots is also called "Forcing the figs"
Of course The plants do not like to be forced ,but they have no choice,and so ,yes forcing create stress,in the life of a fig plant.
An inground fig grow it's roots as far as 50 foot away from the plant,while in a pot the same 50 foot are circling around the inside of the pot around and around,being constrained to that limited space in the pot.
So the stressed plant in pot,reacts by producing seeds as early as possible which explain why figs in pot fruit earlier.
Like someone else in a previous post mentioned,figs in pots can't tell us,if the cultivar is early ripening or late ripening.
Only growing them in ground can tell that and this is the end of the story about this subject.
My topic was  intentionally created to find out if there are another early cultivars I do not have from testimony from other people but ,it got totally misinterpreted,and the goal of my Topic was lost.

I have a Celeste that is more productive as a one year old neglected plant in a pot than as a 7 year old in ground tree. The mother just grows rampant and will not form more than a couple dozen figs, even with pinching, and almost all drop. Seems clear to me that at least in some circumstances the added stress and reduced growth will force fruit. 

my vote has always been figs belong in the ground!


even the young babies it is only for our fun not theirs to pot them!

if he gets sick because of container induced calamity, the ultimate treatment is field growing him.

we can get very good at pot culture, but flavor impact, stress, and risk is always lurking compared to in ground.

btw herman i didnt post yet because even with in ground figs home growing means variable sun to each plant.

perhaps add approx hours of sun for each to standardize? i and imagine others put large late figs in more sun to help catch up!

i think the bottom line is "what works for you". i fully understand that it's more natural for the fig trees to be in ground. and it's can stretch out the root and take in necessary nutrients and all that. but for some, that's not possible, or desirable. i have very few trees and plants in ground and they are all other than figs. i worry too much with figs to just leave them to natrure. too much rain, soil not draining well enough.. tho i did promise my wife i'll plant few this weekend in ground. i'm thinking Hardy Chicago, and Nero 600M that survived my lime attack. maybe two yr old VdB also. it's partial shaded area so i'm not too thrilled about it, but my wife says that's where they will go in. i'll have to choose a choice one and put in the full sun also.

@ Pete I agree in that container figs are an awesome idea. I would do it more if/when needed and already do it. Container and in ground both have pros/cons which are pretty self-evident. We're all pretty much on the same page here.

@Herman, I am confused about spotting the embryo before I can confidently post about in ground trees that had no greenhouse head start for this season.

Sometimes I see his clear round small head. Sometimes in same relative locations(near stem of leaf)--I see a double raised notch/slit thing protruding maybe 3mm that I hope may become an embryo!? If not I will not have as many figs as I planned on. Only VdB has embryo for sure- the rest are the double notch things. I should post picture--or will find just find out in a week or two if ALL of those become embryos or not.

I have Battaglia Green (7.5hrs sun), JH Adriatic(4hrs sun), VdB (5.5 hrs sun but against warm house wall), Hardy Chicago (5 hrs sun), and Unknown likely a Brunswick variant (8.5hrs sun) as my inground specimens no cheating greenhouse headstart. I am outside Wash DC northern VA zone 7a, heat wave last week helping move things along finally.

VdB is the only one that DEFINITELY has some but few embryos--it is against warm wall 5.5-6 hours of sun--it had embryo sited I think May 28. The rest all have double notch thing since May 28 as well except JH Adriatic started double notch thing June 2. Since I heard JH Adriatic is early variety I put him in least sun maybe 4 hours (will transplant to more sun if does not ripen fruit this way, but more sun is opening up for him soon anyway.)

persianmd2orchard,

i also have problem finding which one is which. sometimes new bud coming out looks very much like the fig embryo. i always wait a bit to determine which is which. it's specially hard with Kathleen's Black for me. half of the time, both the fig and bud push and depends on what the trees feels like it will go one or the other way. i have seen both new branch and fig coming out last yr. VdB is really reliable and it always pushes faster that my others. also found out Genovese Nero is also pushing out with definite shape for me. Figo Preto also. so far only tree that i have that i'm having issue determining which one is fig and which is new bud is KB. few day ago, i noticed the definite shape taking place for KB and know they are figs.

Normally I have seen that the double notch is that the bigger one is the figs and the smaller one is the leaf bud.  Some varieties are easier especially when they have a red eye, makes it easier to tell.

Whenever you see a double notch,even if very small.if is split in 2,then you got a growing bud,and a fruit side by side.
I also agree with chivas,that is how it go.

persianmd2orchard:Adriatic Jh is not early,it is middle season,like Violette de Bordeaux is,but of course much better behavior ripening during rain.

It is too shady for Adriatic JH.
That spot could have been better for Improved Celeste,Atreano,or Marseilles black vs.

I haven't tried tipping before.  I counted one Panache branch which had 18 leaves and main crop figs at the bottom 10 leaves.  Should I still try tipping?  Same situation for many others, I just didn't count them all.

It is up to you in Sacramento area.
But if you want to shape a tree tha way you want,pinching the tips on the branching you want to stop growing is much better than cutting a half lenght branch later in the Fall or next Spring.
So pinching to shaPE THE TREE IS BEST IN ANY CLIMATE,IF YOU GOT THE TIME AND ,the energy to do it.

Thank you guys--in that case these double notches I hope give me fruit!! In regards to shade, in a few days JH Adriatic will enjoy more sun with shade being cleared up, hopefully in time this season to make impact!!!

Sometimes, not always, I have figs push out first them a second bud comes out later beside the fig.

Reporting from Zone 5a north, as expected with the kind of spring we are having, no sign of embryo on any potted figs. The general growth is slow so very few pinching opportunities unless I do it after 4 or 3  leaves which I started. I am not sure if the embryos will get delayed further after tonight cold snap of 6 dec C.

Reporting from NJ zone 6b my Battaglia and Alma both have matchhead figs as of 6/1. These two figs are potted and were protected.
By the way, what is a double notch?

My potted ones have main fruit that is grape size, while in ground ones have pea size ones. The heat and rain lately have forced quite a bit of green growth on the larger trees

just noticed last night that Black Madeira UCD, Col de Dame Blanche UCD, JH Adriatic, and White Greek are definitely forming figs. even if they ripen late, i should be sampling 1 yr fig off them by mid/end sept. with our temp, usually, still in high 80's by oct., these figs will be something i will look forward to.

Yes Pete Definitely,you will get ripe fruits from all trees that show matchhead embryos size at this time,it is guaranteed.
In order that your Guaranty stay valid,remove all embryos that will appear after July 15,at leaST,on the late ripening cultivars known to be late ripening.

My Black Maderia wants to form figs it has them about half the size of a grain of rice right now, it's about all the same for all my in ground and potted trees so if the weather stays good, I should be eating a lot of figs in half august to half september.  A week of bad weather of course will delay this.

I checked my plants last night, my figs are all in pots and I have embryos on negronne, sals, and an unknown

Herman2,
Thanks for starting this topic and explaining the timing.

I don't have any named varieties in ground, but have access to a few older unknowns from the Bronx that I've posted. They are all planted in ground, without winter protection. Currently Main Crop embryos are formed and swelling on the following (they all have developed brebas)...
Alexlight, BryantDark, KrmkDark, KrmkLight, RalphDark, RalphLight, RoseDark, RoseLight, TimLight.

The pictures below were taken today...