Hi, everyone. It has been a few years since I've visited this forum. I've been enjoying and growing my fig collection... with the exception of my Green Ischia. I wanted to get some advice/help from fellow fig friends. 

I'm in Orlando, Florida. I have a 4.5-foot Green Ischia that i've grown in a pot. She liked the pot. But I moved into a new home and placed it in the ground, without amendments to the sandy soil in my backyard. After a  year of no new growth and falling-off leaves, I pulled it and placed it in a pot. Then BAM! She started to grow again, producing leaves and figs. After a few months of growth, I decided to put it back in the ground, this time I widened the hole and amended the soil with nice quality of soil that I know works great with figs. NO NEW GROWTH. I cannot figure out what's going on. I've tried giving it fert and the whole 9, but nothing.  It gets full sun and plenty of water in the spot. I have other figs in pots next to it which are doing fine. By the bye, I have a Celeste fig nearby in-ground that does not grow either. 

Any ideas why my figs don't like the central florida soil? Help? Tips? Suggestions?

Thank you,
DM

mulch?
The figs I have in ground need mulch to help hold moisture.


Doug

This may be a different issue,but the director of a department where I worked told me he had a place in his yard where he tried to grow a tree several times .  Each time it died   He called in a gardener who said his dowsing rod said that is a hot spot and trees cant grow there. ??  He planted one nearby and it grew fine.  I dont know that is possible but I have suspected that some spots dont grow well for some reason.  see if the pot plant will grow in the pot where you planted the one that failed. It would be interesting to see what happens.

One thing to check first is if that area is well drained? 
Figs don't like to sit in water for too long during the growing season. 

Now you have amended the soil so you need to give the plant time for the roots to get established.  Were the roots in the pot untangled up?  You should prune and untangle the roots first.

Hopefully someone from that area that knows your soil can make some suggestions.  
Is there a University extension department nearby that may have farm information on soils in your area?

If the problem continues you may want to get your soil tested (PH, mineral content..).

Indeed. It is mulched. Both times I mulched it.

I did try periods of watering a lot and periods of underwatering. No movement. Just a stagnant fig tree in the ground. I might pull it out and just keep her in a pot permanently. 

It was root bound when I first took it out of the pot, but I trimmed it back and stuck it in the ground. Figs, though, don't take a year to get reestablished. Must just be a "hot spot," or whatever voodoo that dowsing rod picked up. 

Perhaps it's nematodes?