My biggest plans is more grafting in the spring,rearanging my raisebeds.I need expansion of hillside plantings.

I have to find a better way to prune my figtree's,planning to do the fanshape,because last year i had way too many new shoots left untouch and too many figs did not ripened properly(too dense growth). To me the fanshape  would allow for better for sun penetration. All my seeds are already received.

With the fanshape it is easier for me to bend them down in the winter,hopefully we have a mild winter. I have received 9 potted figtree's from a forum member that live in my neck of the woods and planted 4 in the ground last summer and they are covered in thick leaves a few weeks ago,just to see if they survive the winter.

The one thing i like to know from the forum is why are so many of you growing figs in little pots and let them fruit so early. Does this stunt a young tree?

Different people have different reasons for growing figs in pots. For me it is the winter storage. I have to move it inside somewhere for storage away from the outside temperatures that could drop to -25C and sometimes to -30C (& the cold arctic winds can play further havoc).
I have many plants in 5-gallon pots but the optimum is 7-gallon pot which is not too too difficult to move for someone in 70s, but good enough size for plant with periodic root pruning schedule.
Growing in pots does have some beneficial dwarfing effect and I would not call it stunting.

Similar to Ottawan it gets downright cold here to plant inground , sure i could bury them but it would be only me digging the gravesites and thats a chore as i have seen it done at grandmothers house as a child in Chicago.

I dont have a large amount of fig trees but plenty to give me a 3rd hernia burying them or covering them .
So there in pots up to 30g.

I just may put one inground this spring for fun i do have a backup to it since im stuck in this darn state for some more years before our move .

When I was in Houston, I grew trees in containers because my ground soil was infested with RKN.  I built trays to keep my containers off the ground.  Where I am now, I have yet to see evidence of RKN and have all of my trees in the ground to minimize water usage and (potentially) improve growth/size.  Trees do normally grow faster in the ground especially once they are established. 

Both methods have their compromises.  The choice really comes down to what is most important to the grower.  As to the idea that early fruiting stunts the growth of the three.  In 2006, I rooted 3 'Tena' cuttings.  I let one ripen a fruit which it had grown later in the year.  I removed the fruit from the other two cuttings.  I did not notice any significant difference in the growth habit of that tree vs. the other two.  I cannot tell you if that is the rule or just an anomaly.  It was something I tried once because the opportunity presented itself.

This year is predicted to be the same as last year... rain at the beginning of the year then drought for the rest.  Last year, I didn't get any fruit (of any kind) out of my tree.  I just watered to keep the trees alive through the summer.  This year, I am planning on doing the same for most of my trees.  However, from three figs ('Aldo', 'Marseilles VS' and 'Stanford') and one pomegranate I will try to get fruit from this year.

~james

Don't get me wrong about growing figs in containers, i believe i have to do that this coming spring. While i was still working(now retired) in the Chicago area, me too had to grow figs in large containers and some in the ground but buirried in the fall. Some of the figs given to me might be too sensitive to survive the winters here even with protection. I prefer to grow figs in the ground if possible.

Since most members grow a large assortment,varieties of figs and always on the look-out for better tasting figs which i did in the earlier days with apples,peaches,cherries etc i now must tone down a bit,but it good to know more about better varieties. I am in zone 6b which is more or less twilight zone for some of the fruits i am growing,but it keep me buisy.

2012 -- Focus more on what I have & some E'pean varieties + getting rid of some. Thus far I am rooting 5 varieties. Far cry from last year/years ago. Likely to have a few more varieties.

I grow mostly in pots for reasons given by Ottawan & Dieseler as well as trialing them & relocating the excellent ones to a warmer place when I retire(that's the plan). The wife loves fresh figs more than any fruits.

My plans for 2012 will be to see how well I keep everything alive over the winter. If everything does fine. I need clear out all the duplicate trees I started last year. No reason keep 12 of the same thing... I just wanted to expirement and see how I did my first year. Then I will need to figure out what to do with all the cuttings I'm starting this year.

I'll be adding several varieties (from cuttings), but won't expect fruit from those this year.  I have a substantial forest-o-sticks in a box and hope to get a decent % of rooting success.

The plan is to get more ripe fruit from the existing plants while, on the side helping the newly rooted plants taking care of themselves, and deciding which one will be worth keeping among those plants which are at least 4+ years old. The problem is that I still can't get rid (sentimental!) of those that are not 'that good'.

2012-continue gathering fig trees that can tolerate the humidity and heavy rainfall we have here in central Florida and enjoy the ones that I have already found thanks to the members of this forum.

Plant my first fig tree.  Start redoing the landscape to include heat and drought tolerant plants - I'd love to have mostly perennials with some annuals thrown in here and there. Last year I tried tomatoes -  after 70 days over 100 degrees it was a total loss, I'm just to busy to fight the weather.  So I'll adapt to it and grow what will have a good chance of success without heroic measures needed.

My Mom will send some cuttings from the family fig tree in the spring (18 degrees on Long Island today!!) looking forward to getting some!

Have you ever try to bury a bunch of large fig bushes that about 8-9 feet tall.I have to do it today because a warm spell is coming and i need to cover these plants before the warm arrived so that they stay dormant,hopefully.Burying they might stay cooler,because they are not exposed to warm front.

Curious your trees are totally dormant ?
and
What type of warm spell temp wise and duration for ?

Today 69 tomorrow high 40, next week possible 70. Right now my tree's showing some growth and fruit formation.Most limbs are not green anymore.

Next week front might last 4 days, not good.

2012 will be year two in figs for me and I hope to see some fruit from a few of the "3 year old" plants that I have (as I have not been allowing any fig buds to continue to grow). May consider putting a tree in ground-still trying to decide. Have approximately three times the amount of cuttings in 2012 when compared to 2011, so we will see how that goes...I just need ONE from each cultivar, but a backup would be nice.  I will be doing a lot of up-potting this year.  In February I will go visit the area nurseries and let them know I am interested in the empty 5 gallon or larger sized pots. 

I second that Sara. I'm in the exact same boat.

2012 goal is to get the 75 cuttings I have rooting to make it into a 1gallon pot by March and survive, bit nervous on the whole transplant thing.

I'd also like to line up my 3 gallon, Black Mission,Ischia, Magnolia, Celeste fig trees down one side of our driveway letting the roots grow throw the bottom of the pot into rich soil like Herman and Jason do, that looks awesome and is the way to go for me.

Lastly, I want to share cuttings with members next year as the generous members here have. Very encouraging to a noob fig grower. Thank you all.