I have lots of new, rooting cuttings which have been transferred to 1 gallon pots this month.  How long should I plan on having them remain in this size pot?  Other than roots growing out the bottom, what are the signs to pot up into a larger container - and what size is next?

Andrew

i kept my last yrs spring cuttings in 1 gal till few last week. some are still in the 1 gal. it seems the roots are circling the pot, but they are not root bound. 

however, i think more room you give the tree, faster they will grow. i might be wrong.

first 3 trees that i purchased came in 1 gal container at the end of fall on the same yr they were rooted. i moved them into 3 gal container and wintered it. june of 2011, i moved them into 10 gal. by the end of the 2011, they were already 5' or taller. 

Last seasons rooted cuttings were in 1  gallon for 1-2 months, depending on the variety. They were up potted to 5 gallon buckets when the 1 gallon pots were full of roots, but before they got root bound.
I currently have 1 gallon cuttings that were started in the fall and have not been up potted to 5 gallon buckets only because there is no space for the 5 gallon containers (it is still too cold outside).

Most small fig plants that were purchased in 1 gallon containers (Lowes, Mission below and Online) were up potted to 5 gallon buckets and grew 3-4 feet in one season (last year).



One simple visual check of the 1 gallon pots is roots are visible at the surface and also at the drain holes. I then do a lift test when the potting mix is dry, carefully lift the plant by the stem, only about 1/2 inch, if the entire root ball is lifted from the container it is ready for repotting (the visual check is always performed first).

I did my first check today on my cuttings started in mid-Nov and transferred to 1-gallon nursery pots end of Dec.  I made sure the potting mix was well watered since I seem to have an easier job of removing the root ball with wet rather than dry soil.  Most of my figlets have roots which contained the potting mix (the root ball did not fall apart in my hands) and a few larger roots starting to circle the bottom of the pot.  I plan on transplanting to 3-gallon nursery pots in the next week or two.