Several of my 1 gal figs have roots wrapped all around the inside of the pots.  So I'm thinking of potting them up.  I'd like to go straight to 5 gal buckets, but only filling them up about 75% full of medium.  I'd like to keep them in buckets, if possible, to keep weight and size down, and make them easier to store in the garage.  I want to make a good choice now so I don't waste time or money on things I don't need.

The following picture and quote (which may not apply to figs or to containers with 5-1-1 mix) were taken from page 3 of this link.  The pic from this link claims 70% of roots are in the top half of the root depth.  If so, then it seems that a bucket much taller than wider is a waste of medium and creates unnecessary extra weight and size.  The last pic (can't find the link to it) claims that a full container shaped like a 5 gallon bucket would also tend to be too dry in the top half of the root zone where water is mostly needed.

I've seen many pics of your figs successfully growing in buckets.  For you who do use 5 gal buckets (buckets that are about 50% taller than they are wider, or more), do you find that the roots are primarily in the top half of the growing medium?  How full do you fill the bucket-50%, 75%, full?  Does it seem that you need to water more often?  And for you who don't like to overthink things, does it really matter?

http://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/NY/ATTRA_SoilMoistureMonitoringTools&Methods_2006.pdf
                                           


Figure 3. Eff ective Root Zone: the top half of the actual rooting depth, which supplies about 70% of the crop’s water needs.
Plants get most of their water from the upper (shallow) portion of the root zone. The term effective root zone refers to about the upper half of the root zone depth, where roughly 70 percent of the plant’s water is taken up.

If you've ever un-potted a plant that's been in its container a few years you know that most of the roots are circling the bottom.  If the container is on soil some roots find their way out of the container and in to the soil.  This is somebody's fantasy.

That diagram refers to plants in the ground, and is not applicable, I believe, to an artificial system like growing in a bucket or a SIP made from buckets.
I have only experience so far with veggies(peppers and tomatoes) in 5g buckets and their roots fill every part of the soil eventually.  I will be doing my first 5g SIPs for figs in near future.

If there is a perched water table in a container then to me a taller container is better. That gives more volume above the wet zone. If the container drains well enough or can be managed so as to avoid the overly wet zone at the bottom, then shallower might be better, say a fabric, air-pruning container.

Agree the diagram applies mostly to soil. PLants use more water in a soil from shallower depths because that's the zone that is rewetted the most. If soil had a water table in the root zone, say at 3-4ft, and no rainfall/irrigation, then most water use would be from deeper layers.

To have a chance at being correct, that diagram must apply to a plant that is growing in ground, or in a sufficiently large container that the roots are not inhibited at all. 

Figs tend to send out roots pretty far/wide/deep.  So, if you are growing a fig tree in a container, unless it is huge (> 20 gallons at least), you are restricting the roots.  So they will grow outward and downward.  When they hit a surface, they will run along it.  That's why you will have many circling roots at the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket.  In this situation I don't think it matters much whether the pot is wide or deep. 

@Steve: If using 5-1-1 mix, there won't be much of a perched water table, if any. 

If you have a lot of 5 gallon buckets on hand and would rather use them than purchase a bunch of pots, I think that makes sense, and I think you can work it out.  However, you might want to try/consider a few things:
1. I saw photos of someone who had drilled a bunch of holes in the sides of his 5 gallon buckets in an attempt to get the roots to prune themselves, thereby reducing circling.  Should work somewhat, and would have the added benefit of supplying plenty of fresh air to root zone.
2. If you have buckets that are currently uncompromised, you could try this:  First, don't drill any holes in the bottoms.  Drill holes on the sides right near the bottom.  Do this all around the pot.  Then bury the pot a couple inches into the soil.  Over a season roots will find their way into the soil and can access water/nutrients from the ground.  Then at the end of the season take a spade and just cut off those roots and put the trees in the garage.  This way is kind of having your cake and eating it too because they can develop a decent in ground root system but also sleep more comfortably in the garage.  This should effectively make your 5 gallon buckets feel larger to the trees them.  If you put the holes in the bottom you will have a heck of a time pulling those pots up.  They can and will get very thick and strong in one season. 

I do think you are definitely over-thinking the shape of your containers.  Use what you can get cheaply, use a good potting mix, water sufficiently, and you will have success with figs.  They may outgrow the 5 gallon buckets faster than you think, though.

Drilling holes at the base of the pot and part-burying them has worked for me. First, it acts a a decent drain if over watering is a problem and yes, the roots might find their way in the native soil and benefit from such nutrients as are present. Chopping them at the end of the year works fine. This is definitely the "having your cake and eating it" solution!  ;-)   Joe

I pull instead of chop.  I put the plant, pot and excess roots in the garage and next season after putting them out cover them with soil or another pot and they have a head start.

I do 5 gallon buckets with no holes in the bottom and 32 one inch holes in the sides going up about 3/4 of the way up the bucket.  It's 4 rows of 8 holes starting right at the bottom edge of the bucket's sides and then staggering the rows.  I plant the buckets each spring to just above the top holes, mulch over the whole bucket with wood chips to protect the buckets from ever drying out and from getting UV damaged.  Every fall after they go dormant I have to root prune all the roots that have grown out into the garden soil, which is substantial.  My garden's water table is high enough that with mulch I never have to water.  Only task during the growing season is pinching.

ALWAYS good answers on this forum.

I have very little experience with trees in containers and none with figs needing to be stored for the winter.  Since the figs will spread roots all over the container, and I have the buckets, that settles that.

@Rob, Joe and Bob....That is exactly where I was headed with the buckets, partially burying them.  I was planning on cutting 1" wide slots down the sides of the buckets, maybe 8 or so evenly spaced around and about 4-6 long, to let them root out in the ground til dormant and then cut the roots and pull the buckets for storing. But as you say, just drilling holes should do the same.  I'm hoping that in my climate 5 gal of roots plus whatever grows out of that into the ground will be enough to make figs and not just green top growth. 

Thanks for the advice!

@Greg....I was hoping the ground would provide most of my watering needs.  So, how often have you had to root prune inside the bucket?

Hi Tim,
I've only been doing this for the last 3 years, but so far no issues with roots circling in the bucket.  They seem to find the holes and grow out vigorously from those.  My 3 year olds are 5 foot tall shrubs and they still seem very happy.  I have some pictures of the buckets and the root ball when pulled out, I just need to save them in a more compact format so they're small enough to post.

Greg,

Little watering and root pruning is a happy thought to me.  I would like to see any pics of a fig's life in a bucket when/if you're able to post them.

FWIW Here's my favorite fig pic so far.  I just got back from vacation and found my very first little fig on a Celeste today.  It is exciting, even though it probably won't ripen.  More will come next year...

 
Here's the hole pattern I've been using.

 
Here's a shot of the roots after shearing them off in the fall

 
And here's a picture of the root ball pulled out of the bucket.  This is from a 5' tall bush that's been in the same bucket for 3 years.  The roots just get a nice pruning every year when I lift the bucket for winter storage.  It's a little bit of work to shear off the roots that are outside the bucket with a spade, but really not that bad.  The fig shuffle is more work.

I imagine that you must do some digging to shear the roots before you can pull the bucket.  Is there some sort of handy-dandy digger that you use to do that?  After that, is there any special method you use to pull the bucket out of the hole?  I can also imagine that a stuck bucket could be a more than a little problem.  I does seem to be a great method.

Tim,
I usually go from 1 gallon pots to 5 gallon buckets with about 12" of 5-1-1 +1(Calcined clay) mix and they are planted several inches deeper when up potted. The roots usually fill the entire 5 gallon buckets. The time between root pruning can be extended by lining the bucket with homemade Pot Pruners...
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1277982582&postcount=27

and the trees can be very productive with regular vegetative Pruning...
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6388743

My 5 gallon buckets now have eight evenly spaced 3/4" hole on the side centered 1" up from the bottom of the bucket. They are then lined with spun Landscape fabric liners. They can and have been buried several inches in soil and or mulch to allow the roots to "grow out the drainage holes" http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4728896 or can be placed on any hard surface. 5 gallon SIPs would provide a better growing environment for the roots for the increased water requirements of the larger trees, but any automated watering system should work.

I'm currently doing a long term test of different cultivars in 5 gallon buckets...
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6798163 and have had several cultivars in 5 gallon buckets for 3 years now with good fig production, over 60 on most 2 year old plants.

Good Luck
   .

 Charlie, I've just been using a normal spade, but you've got me thinking....I should probably be using a spade designed for cutting roots when transplanting trees.  Maybe something like one of these spades.  I'll have to try some new tools out....my back might thank you!
    

After peeking around on the web for a bit I realized I should ask the F4F community...anyone have a recommendation for a good balling spade that they like?  I've never owned/used one before.

I was sort of thinking about something with a fairly long shovel head but not too wide.  Narrower should be better as it would take less effort to push into the ground and the cutting / digging would be closer to the pot.  The closest thing I could think of is a trenching shovel, something like your first pictured tool.

Depending upon soil type, something like a machette could also work.  Water heavy on the outside of the pot and come back the next day to cut her out.

I have a nice long sharp spade I plan on using.

@Greg.....Nice pics.  Lots of nice roots, but not really rootbound.

@Pete....I'm with you on the fabric to line the holes.  I used some felt-like stuff in the bottom of my 1 gal pots to hold the medium in but keep excellent drainage.  The roots had no problem growing through/around it.  I hope the space around the buckets becomes a virtual container that just grows with the roots as needed by the tree, until it goes dormant.



Thanks for the links.  Questions Pete (or anyone with an opinion), always more questions. 

Shouldn't the natural cooling of the ground help the roots not to overheat in the container?  If so, should burying the pots do away with the need to paint them white then?

Also, shouldn't using buckets with heat and light in a garage or where ever in the early spring let us extend the growing season to help ripen figs needing a longer season, resulting in more production? I mean, we root cuttings that way, but is it enough for trees?

Hey there neighbor! I have 2 in 5 gallon buckets so far and they seem to be doing well! No figs yet so I am jealous you have one! Haha. You saved me a fortune on your dirt/supply source, do you happen to have a good source for 5 gallon buckets?

   

Tim,
The landscape fabric (Pot Pruner) only lines the sides of the pots, its not used to block the drainage holes, the roots are "pruned" by apical tip capture in the fabric and are also allowed to escape through the drainage holes where they are air pruned, if the holes are above ground. This reduces circling roots at the bottom of the bucket.

Yes, burying the pot with mulch or soil will keep the roots cooler and allow the roots to "escape", but direct sunlight on the side of the pots will still overheat the roots at those locations. White or light colored pots or shading will keep the exposed areas cooler, especially if there isn't a developed leaf canopy.

And yes, since they are in containers, the fig shuffle in the early spring and early fall will definitely extend the growing season, as will adding heat and or light. They can be awoken early and put to bed late.

Pete, I like that fabric cloth idea. I have a big roll of the stuff and was wondering how I might use it. I still have lots of figs that need moving up. Good timing.

This post is terrific; it ties right in with my post the other day, looking for ideas in pot sizes when moving up.   Lots of great suggestions and discussion!   Burying the pot part way, then putting down a good layer of mulch around it, would work for me and the area I have.  Let the roots escape and have access to moisture under mulch.  In my zone (no shuffle), looks like this would add time in smaller (5 gal) pot without need of potting up soon.   I like…..!   Thanks…!

Hi figpit,
The drawing works for tomatoes but not for figs.

I have problems with rodents and three years ago suddenly three grouped and newly rooted trees/cuttings in ground started wilting . I was sick !
I thought : well the roots are still shallow ... let's dig the trees out and put them in an eighty liters buried trashcan ... One cutting after 3 months of growth had a root deeper than fifty centimeters ... I cut the root at that depth and did not follow deeper to see its total length.
So figtrees will use all the depth you'll give to them - unlike tomatoes that will mostly use down to 30 centimeters in a sort of a ball shape - I often see that when removing my tomatoes from the dirt in the end of the season ...