Anyone use sandy loam for pots?   If so, how did it work out for you.   Sandy loam only costs $32 per cubic yard vs. potting soil at say $6 per cubic foot.  It would cost a lot less just to use sandy loam.  

I have not used it but I don't think that's a fair way to compare, pricing something by the cubic yard vs. bagged product.  In March 2010 I had 10 cubic yards of potting mix mixed up (65% fir humus, 30% perlite, 5% top soil, and oyster shell lime to raise pH) cost me about $39/cubic yard without hauling (I took a dump trailer to pick it up, material had an estimated weight of 5,500 pounds.

If you're not moving the pots around much, the weight won't matter but it will be a lot heavier using straight sandy loam.  Water won't percolate as well but water and nutrient holding capacity should be very high.  I would worry some about cracks forming and water running through the pot too quickly unless you ended up using drip.

thats a lot of dirt

Based on personal experience, I would not recommend it.  Is it worth killing or stunting your tree to save a few bucks? 

So cost consideration aside for a moment, are the particles too small for good fig growing and good drainage.  The company selling it says it is 1/3 screened fill dirt, 1/3 mulch, 1/3 manure.  The mulch particles are not big chunks.   What if I amend it will half perlite.   I already got the sandy loam.

Since the consensus is that it's not the best to use. Do you have other potted plants like geraniums etc that you could use it in and maybe use some of it mixed in with different soil for the figs? You already got it so it would be a shame to not to be able to use it somehow.

I've already used it for my other plants.  I literally have several tons of it left.  That's why I'm trying to figure out what I need to add to it to use it for the potted figs.  I'm not sure why it would be bad so don't know what to mix with it.   

Sandy loam is a term given to natural/native soils comprised of a set range of different soil particle sizes without any regard to humus.  In my introductory university soil science class about 38 years ago I was introduced to this chart and we conducted experiments to rate different soil samples.

"dirt is soil out of place"  Once I track it into the house, there is little argument it's dirt! :)

It is composted and screened manure.  

I also have a ton of screened crushed granite that I could add, but that makes the pots super heavy, so I was thinking of only adding the granite to the bottom of the pots.  So is it drainage that's the main concern here, nutrients, or both?

I would not add granite.  The only concern that I have is that sand does not really have much nutrient holding capacity but the mulch and composted manure offset that.  A little perlite might be good, but you're probably fine to go as is.  Crushed granite is only good if you are trying to help prevent the wind from blowing the pots over....no nutrient holding capacity there.  You might check the pH, could be low with a lot of mulch, depending on the original source, unless they already added lime.

You may also want to find out what kind of manure it is.  Steer manure can add a lot of salt to the soil, though that probably isn't such a big deal if you are in an area with good water (primarily not in the West).  For that reason, chicken manure is often preferred.

Yes, they said it is manure from diary cows, and yup soil out here in the west is known to be salty.  I have homemade compost, but not enough.  Might need to buy some and mix it in.  So my worry is mainly drainage.  I'm not sure if it will drain well over time. 

Adequate composting of manure gets rid of the primary cause of its plant toxicity which is the ammonia and nitrites produced as it breaks down. Depending on how the composting was done, excessive salts are frequently leached out. You have to test. In fact there are a number of simple tests you can do that will tell you if what you have is acceptable as a potting soil. Attached are a couple of documents from the horticulture group at NC State University that should guide you in determining if what you have will perform adequately in pots. I hope they help!

Thanks.  That's good info there.  Looks like I'll be tinkering with the soil.