I just received a new fig in the mail today.  It was mailed bare root and dormant.   Do I pot it and put it outside, or is there something else I should do with it.  Last year my 2 figs never seemed to go dormant even though we had numerous freezes (the longest cold snap was about 5-6 days with freezing temperatures most of those nights).  I can bring it indoors on prospective freeze nights if needed.


Lisa
zone 9A
Lakeland, FL

Lisa, I sure there will be better qualified to give you some answers but I throw a little at you. Being the tree is bare root and dormant it must have come from a colder climate. Moving it into a warmer zone will probably awaken it. I would say you need to pot it up immediately for the protection of the roots which you do not want to dry out. Put it in an appropriate size pot for the tree size using the best potting soil you can buy. I would stay away for the soil with the fertilizer already in it or the moisture crystals. You can better control both of these yourself. If you are to become a fig nut you will have to get a handle on these things. In your zone you should be having mild weather now and can put the plant out in an area protected from the sun and wind and see how it behaves. If you have a shady cool spot to put it, it might remain asleep for a while. Just bring it in out of the weather if you get a cold snap. It is too young to survive very cold weather this year.

Now let the more knowledgeable help you.

Liza, you can easily keep it in the refer for another 2-3 months as long as the roots stay moist ( a benefit of it being dormant).

If you want to pot it up, and are afraid of excess moisture, you can make a mix of ~30% perlite and potting soil to put it in. Please post if you have any questions.