Once you decide that it's time to move your cutting from a cup to a pot, what size pot should you move it to? How long before you move it up yet again and what size should you move it up to at this point? So on and so forth up to 5 gallons. I appreciate any input immensly, Luke.

I've been going from cups to 1 gallon  (or 3/4 gallon if that's what I have on hand).  Then to a 3 gallon or 5 gallon (whichever I have on hand).  Not sure if it's what the more experienced guys do... I've got more years experience with inground.

Mike

For plants that I'm trying to just grow as large as I can--the group all of my figs are in right now--I like to let them get rootbound then move them up once size and let them get rootbound again and so forth.  The reason for this is to get the maximum amount of value from the small space in the pot and to encourage a consistently ball shaped rootmass rather than a long kind of 'wig' of roots that takes up more pot space than it should.

So cups to 1 gallon to 2 gallon to 5 to 10 to 25.

Since I just started growing figs last year my biggest pots are 2 gallon right now.  But I should have been more on top of it and gotten them up to 10 gallons with two repottings last summer I just was lazy.  Could have had much larger trees to start this year with.  ::sigh::

From cups to 1 gallon containers, then when 1 gallon container is full of roots (usually 2 months), but before it is root bound transplant to 5 gallon container.

Several cuttings of different varieties started in May 2012 were 3-4 feet and 3/4 to 1 inch caliper, at soil line, by fall in the 5 gallon containers (buckets). But that was my first season with figs.

I also used the 5-1-1 potting mix (Pine Bark Mulch-Peat-Perlite) described on the Forum with 1 cup of Dolemite Limestone per 5 gallon for all containers 1 gallon and larger.

eather from cups to ground, or cups, 1 gal, ground. i have a couple that will be potted up so i plant on going cup,1,3,5 ,10

Luke,
   What I do is start with 32oz deli cups, then go to 1 gal. containers for 1 season (they are usually root bound by that time).  Then I make a giant leap to 25. gal self watering planters (need a special moving device to wheel them back into the tool shed at the end of the season).  What Greg says is true (post#3 above) the roots spread out and get "wiggy", but the advantage is that those trees dont get root bound again for about 5 years, which means less shock to the tree every time it has to get up potted.  At the end of 5 years they get removed from the planter and severly root pruned and placed back in the planter for another 5 years.

Vince,

      What does "severely' mean?

It means I take the tree out of the large planter, lay it on it's side and use a chain saw to cut a 3" thick disk off the bottom of the root ball.  Then I stand it upright and use the chain saw to cut 4 sides of the rootball straight down to square it off.  Then, put it back in the planter with new potting soil on the bottom and sides of the root ball. Then I store it for the winter to let it settle in after the trauma. And when it comes out of the tool shed in spring time, it's ready to go.  This gets done every 5 years.

Vince.  Thanks for explaining that in great detail.  Makes good sense.

Instead of continually potting up it works well to sink the pot a few inches into the ground in June so the roots can grow out of the pot. Block the bottom hole to make it easier to dig at the end of the season if you want. It reduces transplant shock, cools the root zone and lessens watering needs.

Frank,
I plan on using 5 gallon buckets with eight 1/2 in diameter hole cut in the side. Note attache Topic with description and pictures. Last season, I had a few 5 gallon plants send roots into the ground, I will be encouraging it this year.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4728896

Thank you Pete!  Great info.

I would say a very large one Frank! I really have no idea, I plant them out ASAP.