Based on your experience, how long does a new tree generally spend in a 1 gallon pot before needing to graduate to a larger pot?  I may try collecting larger pots now, as I'll have well over 50 trees to care for this year.  I have enough 1 gallons pots for now.

H Frank,

i'm no expert, but last year I transferred about 100 plants up from 1 gallon pots and noticed ones that waited "too long" were slower to adjust and ones that I potted up too soon did not hold the pot soil completely and suffered some root damage as a result of soil not being supported. In our short 4-5 month growing season I repotted most plants 2-3 times - to 2 gallons then 5 up to 10 gallon pots etc... Some of the pampered plants made it to 15 gallon pots in the first year. These are my thoughts....

For my own convenience I keep the newly rooted plant in 1-gallon pot for the first year except a vigorous grower that I may move to 2 or 3 gallon pot. The following spring I up-pot some to 3 and some to 5-gallon pots.

So after 1 year in the one gallon pot, are the trees root bound or at least holding the soil in place when you pull it out of the pot?  Thanks for the responses.

Frank,
I use the larger "true" 1 gallon pots and most plants stay in the pot from when they are moved up to 1 gallon until the next spring. However, I find the cuttings that I do early usually out grow the 1 gallon pots. So - if I place the cutting in 1 gallon after May -- it's good for the year, but if I put the earlier cuttings in the 1 gallon pots before May I usually have to up pot them. This, of course, doesn't count those "grow 6 foot tall the first year" plants that just can't wait.

In my observation, the the roots hold the soil well when removed from the 1-gallon pot and in some cases may need a little pocking in the soil in cases I see the start of root circle on the ooutside of soil.

Ok great.  I have cuttings that moved from 18oz cups to 1 gallon pots in October.  They're under grow lights right now.  So based on what you all are saying, I should expect to up-pot those sometime this summer.  And my new cuttings, which probably won't get to 1 gallon pots until March or April, should last until the end of the year, which should be up-potted while dormant.  Exceptions for the ones that grow very vigorously.  Sound right?
Thanks for all the help!

What I do is start the plants in winter, Jan - March from a 3 inch pot to a 1 gallon around march -may or june.  I will then usually pot them up to 3 gallon a few months after and leave them like that for the rest of the year.

1 yr should work. unless it's growing like mad and needs to move up really bad. most of my 1 gal are root bound right now. it will be easy work to take them out, trim some of the roots, untangle and move them up to 5 gal next month.. maybe. 

If they seem like they need watering more frequently than I'm doing then I up pot them.

   One of the indicators that tell me when to up pot is when a 1/4" gap appears around the rim of the 1gal. pot(meaning root bound in most cases).  Then it is a very easy task to slip the tree and root ball out of the 1gal. pot, and into a 3gal. or 5gal. pot.  Some time this indicator varries in time frame from plant to plant, even of the same variety, because some are more vigerous growers than others.
   Over time experience will be your best guide.  In the very beginning of my fig growing efforts, I always had reservations about when to up pot, but now(6 years later), my confidence level is much higher. 

When potting up, do one trim the roots, or uncoil them and spread them out?

Great info guys.  This really helps.

Dale,
Another good question!

musillid...many fig growers do prune the roots and loosen up the root ball and get good results.  I have always been apprehensive about  root shock so I have never done any major root work when transplanting the younger plants(eg. 1gal.  -  3gal.  etc.)   But when the trees start going into the really large pots( 25gal.  -  35gal.)  then they get seriously root pruned every 3 to 5 years.