Hello members, all because of you I now have a collection of Figs.  WOW!!  And I feel like I have survived the panics and destructions, (and ultimately learning phases) of molds, knats, soils, etc.  I have about 50 figlets in #1's and up that have been outside in semi shade for 30+ days going gangbusters.  Our temps have been cool for us staying below 90'.  The fig family is drinking 4 gallons of assorted spiked water every 3 days and enjoying the sunshine. Now it is going up to 109 + over the next three days.  A few have very droopy leaves.  Are they ok with me just increasing water and misting or should they come into full shade or the house?  This fig birthing is some process.  I will never look at another tree the same way!  Much appreciation for all it takes to get them grown and fruiting.  Looking forward to the sage advise of the members in the heat zone.  Jodi sweating it out in AZ!!!

Very nice Jody, Now going on vacation requires finding a tree sitter.
In that size container, especially the smaller ones, I would not want to move them to full sun.I would water them every day or every other day depending on how hot it gets.
Congratulations on your new collection.

Bottom watered with a kiddie pool shaded during the hottest part of the day is how I would go. Cover up those black pots with something white or at least light colored too.

I wouldn't mist under direct sunlight thinking it might been the leaves.

  We aren't far behind you, Jodi...  the temps here are threatening to push through the 108* ceiling that has been forecast.

   I moved my grafts up into the shade of our porch when the mercury started rising.  All of them had new leaves just a week old.   They fared well for the first few days, even in this heat, but I made the mistake of allowing some of the plants to have a glimpse of sun for the last 30 minutes of the day.  (8:15 to 8:45pm)  Even that much added heat was too much for them...  all of the leaves that were hit by the sunshine were fried.   ;-(

Thanks friends.  I was thinking to pull them into afternoon shade, the kiddy pool idea and misting.  I just hooked up a one minute mister to come on during the worst heat.  And funny thing is I am heading for the mountains and have to get a fig sitter!!!  Crazy fig bug fever.  Thanks everyone.  Sending you perfect figging weather where ever you are.  ;-)  Jodi

I definately recommend getting a  scale like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SMHWZ42/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Water by weight. You should have  a minimum weight and  a max weight. When it gets to the minimum weight you add water until it reaches the max weight. If a fig is wilting simply because of the heat and not because of lack of water, and you try to remedy by watering it you will likely kill it.

I just went to Costa Rica for a week and left my 15 year old son in charge of about 100 plants (mostly figs). Not one single plant died. I am very proud of him. But there is some credit to the method also.

By the way. Couldn't find a  single fig in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

Great idea Blackfoot.  Very cool that your son kept the figs going.  I'm praying for mine to have a great summer too.  Happy figging, Jodi

Greetings from Yuma, AZ Jodi----We're expecting highs up to 116 degrees the next 4 days so understand your concerns. The first time I had cuttings rooted in small pots here in Yuma,  like you have now, I nearly killed them all by over watering during an early heat wave. Luckily the friend who got me started with figs saved me from my good, but mis-guided intentions. Over watering in this heat is like boiling a potato, you just cook the roots. He loaned me one of those cheap water meters, like the ones found on EBAY and told me to keep the moisture level at about 30%, keep the pots in an filtered sunlight area and if I absolutely had to water something lightly spray the area around the pots and the OUTSIDE of the pots for evaporative cooling. Worked like a charm and still does. Sure the leaves may sag a little during the day but they perk back up by morning. Just add enough water to keep the meter about 1/3 of the way up. Figs are dry country natives and survive heat just fine but they don't like to much water. Another thing that works here in Yuma is I try to get my new cuttings in the ground by the the end of April, mid-May at the latest. That's about 60-75 days for most. I only start as many cuttings as I have places to plant them, I give away some of them but only to people who have a place ready to plant them.

I'm going to be out and about tomorrow and will take some pics of some that were adopted this year and edit them in here.     
sdpops, Yuma, AZ zone 10

Yes Alan I do mean baby trees! Funny now that you point it out! My starter trees are giving me fits of worry. Not a bunch of real figlets yet! ;-)

Wow you must really have to be careful with your baby trees sdpops! Yuma is the ultimate cooker! Thank you for the sage advise on over watering. My sister had a huge, super productive white kadota in Phoenix that she killed watering every time the leaves drooped! I also want to say how cool it is that you are sharing the passion for Figs with willing friends. For the love of Figs! Jodi

Jodi,
Congrats on the success so far, the little plants look great.  Shading the pots from the sun can save the roots.  Dark pots are very hard on roots, especially the young ones.  I don't think the problem is your partial sun on the leaves.

Hey Ed yes My lil project is definitely out of hand. I had no idea I'd love the Figs and the process sooo much! Lots of missteps and just when I think I'm over the hard stuff another challenge shows up! Like black pots. Guess I will be punting them. Ha. And it is thanks to the members I have soooo many great varieties started up. I have that established young tree for you from Daisy's IBT. I was waiting for it to settle down so it would survive shipping and now its pretty hot. Do I think I should wait to ship it? I'll send you a picture. Your Kathleen's Black has the biggest leaves of any variety I have. She is a beaut! Thanks again Ed. Happy figging. Jodi

More great advice.  Thank you Alan.  I had never considered the "oven effect" of the black and the soil line on potted plants.  Growing up in AZ with a CA raised gardening father, we kept plants deeper in ground for the same reasons here in the harsh, dry AZ heat.  I have not had experience with keeping plants in pots at all here.  I see your point that when they are in pots it is a whole different situation.  Can I remedy it by adding a mulch or 5-1-1 mix from their present position in the posts up to the pot rim?  Or just be conscious of this when repotting them?  Thanks again, Jodi

Hi Jodi,

I am up the road a bit from you in Cottonwood.  I have shade cloth protecting a lot of my in ground veggies, but also covering an in ground newly rooted fig and the couple of potted ones I still have left.  Also, if you can put a barrier between the pot and the sun so as to shade it...a 2x6 or whatever you have handy, that will help keep the pots from heating up and protect the roots.

My wife and I have been on nutrisystem for several months now, and our frozen food arrives in 12" x 21" white Styrofoam containers that are perfect to put pots in.  If you ever get up our way you can have some, as we have more than we need and are getting rid of the excess containers anyway.

Definitely see the importance of not overwatering.  It seems to be a seductive pitfall to see the droopy leaves and think ah more water.  I will be very careful, using my moisture meter, weight of the pots and just looking to see if the soil is coming away from the sides.  All sage advice.  

And Dave glad to hear from you.  I'd love to come visit your garden.  My friend Daisy is over on that side of the valley with her magnificent fruit orchard, including a crazy big IBT and grand vegi gardens.  I am looking forward to the start of the summer Farmer's Markets.  Although, I hear that last year was the bumper fruit year and this year we have had some damaging late frost.  I am traveling for about a week, then I will send you a PM.  

Tomorrow is predicted to be the hottest day yet.  Hopeful that I can care for my starter trees in a good way so that get to have figlets!  ;-)  Jodi

That will work.  Might have some Desert King, Mission,  and/or Havasu brebas ripe by next week if you'd like to try them.  With any luck our current heat wave wil be over and we'll be back down into the mid 90's.

Took some temperature readings a few weeks ago on the black pot scenario just to be able to show folks.  Last year I nearly lost all of my small potted plants but at the advice of others to cover them, I buried the pots in a wood chips compost, raised bed and they all recovered.  This year I have several new gallon size pots and decided to try something different.

 

This is a tyvek (priority mail envelope) pot right next to the black plastic pot, same day...

 

I have a lot of priority mail envelopes laying around and covered the pots with them as a temporary reflective.  Turning it inside out as somebody suggested elsewhere results in the corners being pleated on the inside and they fit nicely over a gallon trade pot.

 

    

Now all my driveway pots are covered as well as black root pouch grow bags.  Even using some as experimental pots by themselves.  Everything so far seems to be going well and I have not noticed any heat stress.

No idea how long these will hold up.  UV will degrade the envelopes over some time but that remains to be known exactly how long.

A few weeks ago...

    

This morning...

 

I agree with Alan. Fill up with soil close to the top of the pot and some mulch on top. More soil will cover additional part of the trunk and will soon have some more roots from newly covered part of the trunk adding to moisture intake by the plant thus slowing down the droop or stress. Mulch will help in slowing down moisture evaporation as well as keeping the top soil from getting too hot.

Thank you all for the advice and cautions. I hate to think I could have lost these dearly come by new members of my garden family! I have moved them all into a shady place in blue kiddy pools, filled the pots to the rim with 5-1-1. The mailer envelope idea is great. I have tons of those too. Sooo appreciate all of the timely advice! ;-)

I have 3/4 of a roll of house wrap left over. So I started cutting it own lengths to wrap the pots.