If you have more than a few fig trees in pots, it's just not practical to hand water. Drip irrigation or SIP are the only ways to go. SIP always seemed to have some issues, so I went with the drip method. I have about 100 fig trees up to 20 gallons. It takes me several hours to set up but then it is maintenance free for the rest of the season.
Here are the components you need:
1. Timer. This one is good because you can have it water once every hour or two hours. Better than the one where the smallest interval is 4 hours. I think it also had the 1/2 inch nozzle needed to hook up to #4 below. $29: http://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R675CT-Analog-3-Dial-Water/dp/B00FBOUEJC/ref=pd_sim_86_9?ie=UTF8&refRID=0TE0MTW7XJK7JMRDDEJC
2. Emitters. I recommend 1/2 GPH. $14 for 50 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044FUQ1A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
3. Hole punch. I tried using the connectors (#7 and #8 below) that are supposed to be self-punching but what a pain. Just spend the $7 to make your life easy: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQW8J4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
4. 1/2 inch tube. $12 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WU5GGQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
5. 1/4 inch tube: $7 for 100 feet (includes some connectors): http://www.harborfreight.com/irrigation-drip-kit-46095.html
5.b or could get it from amazon. most of the emitters on the harborfreight one are junk, but the other connectors are OK: http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Bird-T22-100-Irrigation-Distribution/dp/B0019THNCE/ref=pd_sim_86_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1ACF8146RW4KWFM5M7WP
6. End closure. Could just use tape or something but it's only $0.47 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FK010Y?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
7. 1/4 inch barbed tees: $8 for 50: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LNYAHU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
8. 1/4 inch barbed coupling: $6 for 50: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049C911O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
9. Inline drip emitters: $22: http://www.amazon.com/Toro-53640-Sprinkler-Emitters-100-Feet/dp/B0026TA5JE/ref=pd_sim_86_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1V5FEPAMFXS04HAG3RZ0
10. A bunch of old wire hangers and a wire cutter or plyers: free if you already have a wire cutter or plyers. Cut off the hook part and throw it away. Then cut the remaining part into two pieces. You are left with two U-shaped wires about 8 or 10 inches long each, perfect for securing the emitters in the pots.
That adds up to a little more than $100 for my 100 pots. If done correctly most of it should last several seasons. If you have a smaller # of pots, you could spend $40 and get it all in one package. : http://www.amazon.com/Raindrip-R560DP-Automatic-Container-Hanging/dp/B00J2NRUBI/ref=pd_sim_86_5?&ie=UTF8&refRID=12MP5EWF7CJEMM9KA6RD&tag=viglink20276-20
Here are some things I learned:
1. Don't even try to think about making your own emitters by just poking holes in tubing. This doesn't work. It either flows too much or not at all. Use quality emitters instead. I can't emphasize this enough.
2. I always try to save money when I do things. So I figured that with #9 I got 200 emitters for $22, which is much better than anything else you can get. True, but it takes more work this way. More on this later.
3. You could skip # 4 and just run 1/4 inch all the way, depending on how many feet you have to go in total. If it's a long distance I think 1/2 inch will do a better job of delivering uniform water to all plants.
4. If you buy the drip irrigation package from harborfreight, the first thing to do is throw away all the emitters. They are total junk. The tubing and connectors are fine.
What I would do is take #9 and cut off a section containing two emitters. So if I had 2 pots next to each other, I would cut the coat hanger in half and use this to secure an emitter in each pot. Then I could continue to run more inline using pieces of the 1/4 inch tubing and fasteners, or I could put one of the emitters (#2 above) on one end and then run tubing from the other end to the 1/2 inch main line, etc. Or use the T connectors to split off and do 2 of the end-emitters. It's basically just a project of connecting everything together in a way that works. Use T connector, straight connector, 1/2 inch tubing, 1/4 inch tubing, inline emitters, end emitters, etc. I find it fun, unless it's a really hot day.
I run mine 3 minutes every 2 hours. I guess that works out to about 1/3 gallon per day per pot. Probably could do a bit less but I'd have to give extra emitters to the larger trees, and I haven't gotten around to doing that. What runoff their is goes to my tomato plants, which are adjacent to my fig pots. I don't water my tomatoes all year. They just get the runoff from the figs. They grow like weeds. My biggest problem now is that I can barely get to the figs because the tomato plants have grown so large
Oh, one more thing, my primary potting mix is about 5 parts pine bark to 1 part peat.
Comments/thoughts/suggestions welcome. I will try to get some photos up at some point.