We have a spot with SW sun, next to a couple Mexican fan palms.  They are not competitors for anything.  They exist on this land.

Last summer, when we moved here, we planted one of my treasured figs in a gopher basket in that spot.  The fig struggled, and eventually died.  It had water.  Well drained soil.  Sun... like too much?  Anyway, sadly, it died.  Gophers didn't touch the fig.  It just got planted mid summer, and didn't have time to dig in!  My bad!  Didn't really understand the picture or the repercussions...  New to in-ground.  Old timer with containers.

I look at the 10 figs I have in containers and try to decide which one to sacrifice.  I chose "Wild One."  Some of you might remember my stealthy cutting mission at 4:00 AM on an unknown fig, located on county property.  I chose it because it's not a treasured fig.  It's an unknown.  We split it by serious blasts of water, and planted the big one under the palms.  The little guy is in a container.  Looking forward to figs this year.  Could be a caprifig.  I do not know.

Suzi

Suzi,

You may not be looking to be a Mom to another fig but I have a suggestion.  Try a Salce from Saxonfig.  Of all my one year old trees this year the Salce seemd to need the least amount of water this past summer.  It may love your hot and dry environment.

Wouldn't someone who would sacrifice a fig, sacrifice a kid, too?

Lamb! sacrifies Lamb. and where the blood shed plant a fig tree... greek myth to new home blessing, hehe

Hi Desertdance,

Being a gardener I would only plant a tree of interest . Why plant a fig tree that might not produce anything ?
So here is my way to go : take a cutting or a root shoot from your best fig tree.
Go to the place where you want to plant it with your best shovel and a beer . Dig a hole of 50 cm depth and 40-50 cm wide - remove all the dirt - drink the beer :) .
Buy one or two 80 Liters compost bag and fill the hole - an option is to first put an 80 Liter plastic trashcan (remove the plastic at the bottom completely) in the hole and fill it with the compost - the choice is yours.

Your soils is perhaps too much draining and replacing it with compost might be the trick .
Don't plant the tree thinking that it will be sacrified, or the fig tree might come back to haunt youooooouuuuuuu !

I have it's twin in a container, so not really a sacrifice.  I just worry about that spot.  Same hill, same soil, just across from it is LSU Gold.  It had amazing growth and is doing fine.  If we had a lack of space, I'd have put a known fig, but we have a lot of land with better spots for known figs.   I've seen Wild One's mother, and she is one beautiful tree!.  That spot could use some beauty, and the mother tree grew wild in a similar spot on a steep hill.

Just tried to insert a photo, but got this response:  (Failed)2012-10-09_RanchoBernardoWildOne.jpg
Sorry, you do not have permission to perform this action.

??

Suzi