I am looking for advice on staking one of my fig trees in a 5gal bucket. I had just watered it and wouldn't you know it, about 10 min later we had 20 mph winds & the poor thing blew over in the pot.

I have never staked any type of plant/tree before so forgive me in advance if I ask obvious questions that one should know.

I do have access to bamboo (in abundance) if its needed. Thats what I thought to use, but I'm a little scared to mess up the roots by pushing it down into the soil.

Sooo, if anyone could advise me I would be very grateful!

Should not hurt the roots at all. I try to push it through the soil/roots about two inches or so away from the trunk. You can use
what eve  you have available to tie it. I use velcro sold at hydroponics stores around me. HD or Lowes may have it also. You can
also use an old piece of panty hose. I tie mine 4-5 inches from the bottom and again 6-8 ijnches from the top.

I used to grow in 5 gallon buckets when I lived in Houston.  The trees were anchored well, so I just secured the buckets.  My method was to build a "ladder" out of 1X4 rails and 2X4 rungs.  Each end was supported cinder blocks.  When the buckets were slipped in, the fulcrum changed to the lip of the bucket.  The weight of the growing mix prevented the containers from blowing over.



If the trees needed additional support, a length of 1X1 wood could be screwed into the rails and the tree attached to them.  This was a later design, but same principle.
 

Hi jenn42,
In ground trees can be staked with big stakes up to 3 centimeters big/width and one to one meter and a half of height (I use those round posts).
In pot, you have two options.
The first is to put the stake in the pot, and so you can only use thin stakes. I would use tomato twisted stakes.
The second option is to put the stakes in the dirt around the pot (around the pot - outside of the pot ). You could use whatever the size you like for the stake.
Of course if the pot is on concrete ...

Option one will not help with the wind making your pots fall to the side, so I would go for option two.
You could put four stakes -E,N,S,W- around the pot, and the pot will no longer move, while allowing you to attach some stems to those outside stakes.
The system that James has done is another good option. It all depends on how many pots you do have to secure.

I use newndogs suggestion, panty hose and bamboo, works like a charm.

I use bamboo and green nursery tape. The tape stretches with the growth of the tree and I can get bamboo (river cane) free from creeks in the area.

You could take two bamboo stakes duct tape them 180 degrees apart around the outside of your 5 gallon bucket.  2 rings of good duct tape should hold through the season fine.  If too ghetto for you, they make colored tape, maybe match bucket color to "conceal" it.  :)

That is funny Don!! I'm in the country so getto is ok lol.

The buckets haven't fallen over (yet) just the tree inside the bucket. I think the soil was too loose after I deeply watered them & it just fell over with the wind. I will cut some bamboo this afternoon & use a stocking to secure it to the tree.

Thank you for all the advice!!