From all I have read there seems to be much more to these fig trees other than planting trees and waiting on figs to appear.  There seems to be different trick to change tree behavior.  There seems to be pinching, pruning, grafting, and this is all I have read about, but seems to be more hidden secrets than I understand and I'm thinking I just have heard some of the things that growers use to get more and get better results. Now how do I learn these tricks.

Like everyone else. Read all you can and try experimenting with your plants. This is a very good place to learn. But don't just ask a question and run like many newbies afraid of sounding dumb. We were all newbies once. I still feel that way after 10 yrs growing figs.

Texas in general is a very friendly place for fig trees. Just remember that healthy roots mean a healthy tree. If you allow the tree to establish its roots especially in ground, then you will see amazing results. This usually takes a few seasons (between four and seven years). All the rest is trivial.
As an example, I did not touch my Col de Dame Gris in its third year and it appears for the first time to be loaded with figs.
Some varieties will take a long time to produce and are adapted to large spaces while others are ok for container gardening. Some are slow growers while some are super fast growers.
If you are looking for a crop then plant your tree in ground and give it time. Remember to cover it with a net to keep the birds away.

Hi sonnya,

Sorry but you missed the number ONE trick : the strain .
If you read through the forum, you'll see that the more discussed topic is : "what strain performs better ?" or in general it is hands on experience : "this is how this tree of this strain performs/performed for me" . - of course, mislabeling makes a come back every now and then...
There is then a subtopic that is "This is how this tree performed in this/my climate" and this is important too, due to splitting issues, rotting issues ... bad weather at the bad time, too cold a weather ...
To be honest : you don't need to learn about grafting for raising fig trees.

Shaping, and pruning is important. But more when the trees have been 5 years in the place IMO . We buy them small, so really, the first years there is nothing to do, but make them grow.

You missed the number two trick that is more secret : cares through the year (not just one month in the year - just like any other plant in fact ). Watering and Fertilizing is important. You could do without, but don't complain about poor results then.
I have a neighbor that I gave a small tree. I have a sister tree that grew 3 times more in the same time frame - mine in pot and hers in the ground ... She barely waters or fertilizes her trees, she disturbed the roots by moving the tree... . Sometimes weather does it for you ... But to be sure, do it yourself. Some use drip irrigation .

Then the number 3 trick - I can hear some yelling already - : PATIENCE, PATience, Patience, patience (when the good cares are performed, I mean ).
Your trees will take between 3 and 6 years to be fully productive and that is without any hard reset along the way : damn bad winter --> back to square one, moles voles -->square one , dry weather and no watering --> square one , growing in containers and no water -->square one , dog broke the trunk --> square one , poor nourishing the tree will take 2 or 3 years more to be productive ...

You just planted one tree ... Increase your chances plant 4 or 20. Don't be shy, some planted 100 ...
Good luck !

Sonnya...

The first thing I did after buying a few fig trees was to join a fig forum and read through all the hundreds of prior postings that were available.  It can take a few weeks, but you will gain important knowledge, and find the answers to all your present and future questions.  Growing fig trees is easy if you stick to a few basic principals.  Be very aware that the culture for growing containerized trees is very different than the culture used for growing fig trees planted into the ground.  Concentrate on learning what needs to be done to keep your tree alive and thriving. 

Good luck, and have fun with the process.  You'll be eating your own, properly ripened, figs in no time at all.

BTW, Wellspring Gardens, FL has many of the varieties that you have listed.  The plants are tiny, but can grow into bearing age trees in just two seasons....and, the plants are cheap.  You will/should have no trouble growing trees in Texas.  If you do....check your culture.

Frank

Sonnya, are you planning to grow you trees in pots or in ground?

Man what a load of information, love it.  I would like to grown in ground, but there seems advantages to growing in pots.  The soil here in Temple, TX is clay and alkaline dirt, do not know if Figs will grown in this soil.  I have purchased a ton of plants when I first got here from Florida and planted them to find out that this plant (NO Figs) will not grown in this type of soil. So, I have contacted the County Extension Office to find out, get soil tested. Now I guess I need to make some decisions about what fig growns in containers and what do not do well.  Is a 5 gallon bucket large enough to leave for it's lifetime home?

Sonya
Figs can grow in any soil that does not have drainage issues. 
I have grown them in soils of clay, sandy loam, gravel and even bedrock 1' down.  The fig roots find their way and are happy as long as you don't drown them.  One nice thing is they tend to taste slightly different as the soil (terroir) varies. 

There are different challenges in places like SE Asia and other tropical climates since hot, humid and wet all year round.

You're best to check with others in Texas zone 8b but if you have the land why not try some in ground and see for yourself. 
This is by far the simplest and easiest demand of your time.  Plus you will get much more fig production and IMO better tasting figs.

I am sure you will get lots of advice on the best pot cultural practices on the forums.
My simple rule of thumb;
You can keep figs in a 5 gal pot indefinitely IF every year you root prune and balance branch prune and refresh the potting mix.
You will also need to stick to a regimented feeding schedule for the potted figs.

I agree with Pino. I have clay in my yard and the trees might take longer to get established but they will.
FYI I had trees that grew their roots through the five gallon pots and you could easily see the difference in the health of the tree vs the ones that had their roots bound.
I had to pull a few as I did not want them to be permanently at that location and the health of the tree declined almost immediately.
So there is a definite advantage to planting a tree in ground regardless of the type of soil.
I also have a lot of 5 gallon trees , but the best performers are the ones in the large Walmart SIPs which are slightly larger. Anything larger than that and your root pruning would become more difficult on your back. One of the advantage of having too many in pots is that if you don't have the room in ground you get to pick and taste different varieties of figs all summer long. But if given the choice I prefer to have all my trees in ground. Even growing them as a hedge that you can control in my opinion in TX would probably be better than keeping them in pots. Just keep them away from the foundation.
From observation, one of the main reasons as to why they would do better in ground is that the roots would not overheat when temperatures reach over 100 degrees.
In any case either way works. If in pots you could easily change your mind and move them. If in ground make sure that you have adequate space.
In North Austin, none of my trees are protected in winter.
Here's an example of how they might look like in pots. These were pruned and root pruned this year while dormant.

Sonnya....

Soil issues around your home will be no problem if you containerize your fig trees.  Make sure you understand the cultural requirements of growing figs in containers.  They will need constant attention re: watering routine/fertilizing/repotting, etc.  Vacations????....you'll need a responsible "fig-sitter" to make sure your trees don't dry out and cook.  It can be done, and you'll have more control over your trees when they are containerized. 

You can containerize any variety in your climate, and you will have many growing options.  Just make sure you use a quick draining mix, and don't skip the regular, supplemental feedings, using a complete fertilizer, like ESPOMA IRON-TONE (organic), and dilute Miracle-Grow tonics.  BTW, I just learned about a good trick to use when repotting....bury a raw egg under the roots of your tree.  As it decays (no smell either) the egg will release plenty of good nutrients directly around the tree's root system, and that's a good thing.

In my opinion a 5-gallon bucket will be too small, and will quickly fill with roots.  Roots growing near a hot container wall will cook in the TX sun, real quick.  18 gallons, minimum....25 is better if you don't want to root-prune every year. Home Depot sells half-Whiskey barrels (plastic) for $19.00/22.5" diameter.  These containers hold at least 20 gallons of growing medium.  Be ready, they get heavy.  Use a dolly to roll your trees around...if you decide to containerize your trees.

You have a few choices to think about.

Frank