Hi everyone,

I was researching the forum threads,  trying to find out what kind of garden soil figs need but now realize it might be too late to transplant. I have two fig plants that have been in pots for four seasons and I've never gotten fruit from them either! (They are both about 4 ft tall.) The soil would inevitably dry out - not enough to kill the tree or cause them to loose leaves - but they just limp along.

My last garden didn't have enough sun but I recently moved to Victoria and brought the figs with me because I like their leaves and have this hope that in my new garden I can put them in the ground and they will get more sunlight and a slightly milder climate than in Vancouver.

And no, I've never root pruned them. One is tightly crammed in a clay pot with Italian herbs competing for space. The other is in a plastic pot and it might be possible to root prune it but I much prefer to put in ground and prune what grows above the earth.

My burning question is whether it's too late to transplant into the new garden this year. Spring arrived early and these figs are most definitely in leaf.

Thanks,
Happy Victoria Day Weekend!
jm

Nope, not too late. Containerized plants can be planted at any time the soil is workable.

Just loosen the root ball a bit and keep it well watered and put a bit of shading over the plant while it gets established.  Good luck and let us know how they do!

Thanks! Will let you know how we do.

Follow-up question though is what sort of soil amendments should I put into the hole? I've dug up an area in the lawn which 12 years ago was an amazing garden plot according to neighbours... so the soil WAS garden plot but has been lawn. The hole I dug shows lots of sandy loam but maybe it needs compost? or bonemeal? or...???

Thanks again!!!

No amendments in the hole!  You want those roots to get into native soil asap.

Hi jm
Nevver too late but youd have to water more.
Btw After planting 20 trees pot to garden in my parents place.
If i would have to do it again id give them a good start by digging a large hole and filling it with mix of potting mix with compost . After i would plant the potted tree into the mix.

It will have a better start , tchallenging the roots in young age with heavy soil can be too much.

Thanks. I put that baby (6' baby) in a hole. WIll post a photo later. Thanks for your suggestions. Very much appreciated.

Well, I hate to add a third opinion into the "mix", but I'm in-between Smatthew & Elin! :)

I would dig a larger hole, add a good soil mix AND mix it in with your native soil.  That way, the roots will have a nice transition from the "good stuff" to whatever you have natively.  Also, before I transplanted, I would break up the roots and/or cut an "X" in the bottom of the rootball.

Well, what I did was tear away some of the roots that were at the bottom of the pot and then I put a little sprinkling of bonemeal at the bottom of the hole. I would say we put another foot around the plant, so if the root ball was 1.5 feet in diameter, the hole was 3 to 3.5 feet in diameter. The native soil is a sandy loam and the medium it was in was more humusy. I tried to mix some of the pot soil into the fill soil.

Here's another question: any plants that make good companions for the  area around the trunk? Right now I've covered the soil with bark mulch.

Cheers.