As my rooted cuttings are growing, I'm moving them up into gallon pots. I want to establish some sort of 'nursery'. I have a spot that gets sun from early morning till about 3 pm. This won't be their final home, just a holding area for them to grow until they are either planted in the ground or passed on.

The pots will go directly on soil, perhaps slightly buried, or at least have the bases mounded with mulch so when they are watered, their roots will have the chance of growing into the soil. In any event, I have to get them off the driveway. :)

My question is how far apart would be best to space the gallons?  I can reach the pots from both sides, so I was thinking rows of 4 wide, and maybe a foot apart. Or maybe 6 inches since I have so many. How does that sound?

That sounds fine, but honestly I have put my pots right next to each other if I run out of space and have seen tis done many times in other places, private collections and nurseries. As they go into larger pots they then need to be spread out more. I just stack them in as close as I can without too much crowding. If you have the space you can separate as much as you want. Probably will look much neater than cramming them together and will allow for room to grow  

Thanks. I guess I was looking for 'the right way', which of course doesn't exist. I was just outside repotting more and playing with the spacing of the gallons. I decided about 3 to 4 inches apart looked about right, and alternately spaced. That would also give them a bit of room to grow and still be easy to water. Any fig that really takes off can be separated and repotted.

With that spacing I can fit a lot into a small area but it will still look OK. This is in the front yard, so there are considerations, lol.

Geez I'd be afraid someone would walk off with my one gallon trees if I put them out front. Good luck!!

 Gina, I don't really know about the spacing, but I don't think it hurts to keep them close together. I would think it would  help keep them growing straight.  My cuttings are about the size of yours. I went to buy gallon pots and the man a the grower supply talked me into buying trade gallon pots instead of full 1 gallon pots since they were so much cheaper.  Now I am thinking I need to repot them. I am probably going to buy some 2 gallon pots and repot them.

I think as long as they don't shade each other out, they're fine. I also have pots on my deck next to one another.

Remember to mulch up to the pot rim exposed black plastic pots can become root cookers in direct sunlight the delicate roots can be cooked. bury as deep as you can then mulch up to the pot rim. I have used straw as a mulch it is cheap and works well.

I don't worry too much about theft, but I probably should. We are near the top of a steep, dead-end street. We have lots of walkers, but most wouldn't know a young fig if it bit 'em in the leg. Someone has stripped an orange tree of all it's fruits, and another year, someone took all my winter squash still on their vines that was in the front... I can't worry about it.

My gallons are a mish-mash from years of collecting pots at yard sales and trash heaps, etc. If there is a fig that needs moving up, or that is special to me (there are many) I have a good number of 2, 3 and 5 gallon pots in waiting. At the moment however, I don't want to have to use that much mix. Many of the cuttings I started this year will be given to gardening friends who have expressed interest. Of course I usually tell everyone I want my pots returned. :)

Will do. I have my blueberries planted that way (15 gallon pots half sunk, then mulched close to the rim) and they do so much better. I use free mulch from the city. When it's put on fresh, you can't really see the pots that well unless you are looking. 

I would separate them as you mentioned or further.  It's fine to let the pots touch when they're 6 inches tall but the faster ones do shade the slower ones and the bottom of the other fast ones fairly quickly.  Then the leaves start growing into the other pot and get tangled.  Those straight tight rows look great at first but it quickly becomes a jungle. 

Gina, I have a double exposure - front and back!  We don't have a fence, the houses have rear entry garages with alleys for access, which translates to a smaller road that divides the neighbors in the back. 

When we first moved here in '92 I was growing bonsai trees and kept them on the driveway.  It took awhile but they got stolen.   I was having a hard time keeping up with the watering in this heat anyway.

I want them in the front for two reasons. They are in 'full sun' for about 6-7 hours, but also will get afternoon shade. I want them to grow vegetatively, so considering what's best for the best fruit isn't an issue yet.

Perhaps more important, they are more likely to get regular water there. My 50 blueberries (in pots) also are in the front as landscaping hedges, and I have to water those by hand almost daily. And water pressure in front is fantastic so it's fast. I can get 'everyone' with the same hose. Also have some roses in pots there too. :) 

I don't want them tangled, so I'll have to watch for that.

I ended up using a spacing of about 3 inches between each pot, and 4 pots wide. I planted in 29 rooted cuttings in gallons, and watered them in. The bottoms are about 1 inch below soil surface, and then 'city mulch' put in between. It looks fine. Not sure if I'll have enough space to put all the rooted cuttings, but we'll see. Might have to colonize another area.. Then be more selective with cuttings next year, lol.

Click on photo to enlarge.

Congratulations on all the successful plants!

Gina keep taking them pictures as season marches on !

Looks good nice and neat

I have a place in morning shade, afternoon sun.  It was seriously overtaken by an evil herb called "mint."  We finally hit it with Round-up, and we really hope it is gone, but I plan to put my newest rooted cuttings in their pots about an inch under ground, and I will die a thousand deaths if a mint dares to invade those pots!  Truly!  This is NOT a herb you ever want!  Invasive!

Suzi

LOL, I'm betting on the mint sorry to say. It is very tough and nearly impossible to eradicate, just watch closely

I'm betting on the mint too. Let the area be fallow for awhile to make sure it's dead before you put any figs in pots there. Mint rhizomes will follow the water and grow up into your pots and fig roots... You don't want that. Invasion of the body snatchers. Eeek!