This is the first year that I have grown fig trees in pots.  My question is when I bring the plants indoors and they go dorment do they still need watering, or any other type of care during the winter months.

FF, I have read on several posts on here that a little drink every 2 weeks should be good.

Dormant trees do not need regular watering but you have to make sure the soil  does not get bone dry but has some moisture. It depends where you store the dormant plant. I store mime in an enclosed cellar and never need to water from November to the end of April. Other provide a glass or a cup per plant every month or so. Experience will tell you but watch the soil dryness.
You have to keep the plant in an area with temp below 45F too keep it dormant. I try to keep it just above freezing temp if I can.
That is how I do.

Thanks to all who replied.  I will follow the advice.

my 10 gal trees got total of 16 oz. of water each last yr in my garage. i'm sure that's not typical, and i'm sure i under watered it. i was neglecting the trees last winter due to personal illness. but they made it.

on the other hand, all my 1 gal trees died. they got some water at the beginning of the winter like the big 'uns. and rest of the winter, didn't get a drop.

this year, i watered them heavy before putting them into the garage, 1 gal pots that is. my 10 gal pots are still out in the deck. my 3 gal is in the garage since last night was near 35. when the temp hits 32, my 10 gal will go into garage.

I have my figs in a root celler, with dirt sides and floor. I think that the thick insulated top will keep figs around  38 in temp. The only thing is that I cant water the figs I hope the cellar holds enough moisture so the figs dont dry out.I have 200 figs in there. Rex.

Is this your first year doing this? I be it gets awfully cold in VT?

I had my potted figs in a root cellar last year and they did great; I didn't lose any.  With a dirt floor, I think the natural humidity level is 80+%, so I only watered a few pots once from the end of November to March.  I'm not even sure they needed that.  I also potted up some cuttings in a moist mostly-perlite mix, left them in the root cellar, then brought those out in the Spring.  Most of the cuttings took, so it was the easiest way to root cuttings that I've used.  Good luck!

timclymer
You wrote " I also potted up some cuttings in a moist mostly-perlite mix, left them in the root cellar, then brought those out in the Spring.  Most of the cuttings took, so it was the easiest way to root cuttings that I've used."
You did not mention if the cuttings had developed root

They did not have roots when I put them in pots. They developed roots in the spring.

Well, I think I may have screwed up this past winter by not checking the stored pots in my shed. I had them stacked two to three levels high that I simply didn't want to be bothered in moving stuff around just to check the soil. Long story short, I THINK I may have lost nearly half my stock (19 pots) due to what I believe may have been dry soil. I don't think it was any colder this winter than normal so I refuse to think it was the cold, I did have some dieback but still, 19 pots?!?!?!?

I suppose it's still possible that they're still dormant, especially since some were up potted but I'm not too confident that is the case, what say you guys???

Give them a chance, fortisi876 .  Keep them moist and in the sun.  You may yet be suprised.   You've got nothing to lose, right?

No sir I don't.....hoping you are correct. Although I tossed two of them away after seeing no signs of green/life when scraping the bark down low. I double checked the root ball too and it was pretty dead, however the 3rd pot while checking the root ball, I did find some new root growth. I don't know if those roots let to weed seed or the good stuff so I repotted with a batch of 5:1:1 I had and tossed it into an airpot to boot hoping between the mix and pot it will invigorate new growth. After seeing this I decided to leave the rest alone for another month, just in case!

My cuttings are making progress but I wont need those pots for a while.

Thanks for the encouragement!

I have a beautiful little atreano growing in my front yard that was a dried up stick in a 3 gallon pot 15 months ago.  It's a beautiful little in ground tree.

Almost threw it away last year, because it just sat in it's pot looking dead all through spring and early summer.  But then it sprouted just a little.   Now it's a healthy lookig little tree.

Never give up.