Got my first fig tree today. The man that I got the tree from, said his family called it eggplant fit because of shape. Big on the bottom about the size of a golf ball and is long , just like a eggplant. Two fig a year, the one in July is a bigger fig and the second one smaller . The tree is 24" from the top of the pot and the trunk is a 1/2" across at the bottom. The tree is in a 1 gallon pot, with roots just coming out the sides and bottom. The soil that the tree is planed in looks to be just garden soil. Is it time to re-pot and with what mix? Do I use a 60/40 mix of compost, or the Bass mix. The ph of the soil in the pot is 7. Is it time to start feeding with Osmocote 19-6-12 and how much? Would like to send pics but don't know how to on this forum. Please help. This is all new to me, just like the fig. I am willing to learn.

Bugs

,

If it has lots of new growth I would not mess with a repot now. You would set the tree back by disturbing it's roots, repotting and replacing the mix is best done before the tree has leaves.
 I suggest you find a nice sunny spot and bury the pot 3 inches deep in loosened soil so it can grow those root out of the pot. Herman2 says this really helps potted figs grow bigger and with less stress and watering, and he is right!
A picture would really help if you can take one and post it. I might alternatively suggest potting up to a 3 gallon but if there is soil in the pot that would not work well.
Could this tree have been dug from the ground?

Here is information on how to post pictures:  http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=36692329&postcount=4

I'd love to see some pics of the eggplant fig!

No figs this year, but it grew very well for me. Here is what the leaves looks like. Hope this will help.
Bugs

Looks like this could be Melanzana Merdoscola or Longue 'D Aout. Its my understanding that Melanzana means eggplant in Italian. Pretty cool! Thanks for sharing your find Bugs!

Sorry to say this but I don't belive lda or mm. The leaves of an lda are very serrated

I don't know, check out those long fingers on the leaves that Bugs showed us. Looks like the leaves in these posts.....

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=1269974982&postcount=37

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=41872696&postcount=8

While I see some are serrated some are not.

No more late night posting for me that is labeled as melanzana not melanzana merdoscola.
I am not home but here's Jons

The first 2 Pic, are from May or June, the last Pic is today. I think it is a good grow, but being my first fig,, what do I know.

A little more seration and I would say similar to Nordland that I have from Raintree.

It grew really well Bugs, congratulations.

How did you do it?

wow, it does look kinda like Nordland..... hmmmm. I guess calling it Eggplant seems to be the best thing so far, haha.

I was afraid to re pot it, so I made a self  watering  like Dominick uses. I put just enough sw mix in so the pot came to the top of the 5 gallon bucket, and filled in around the pot that the fig came in with more mix. After about a month, I added some Osmocote about a 1/2 cap full. I kept  it in all most full sun all day. I had to add water every day, or the bucket would go dry. The tree drank a lot of rain water, that is what I used to water with. Now in a month or so I plan to take the tree out of the bucket and out of the pot, then put the tree back in the sw bucket with the mix. The mix was to be 70% sphagnum peat 20% vermiculite 10% perlite. I added more perlite and less vermiculite and it works for me, not saying it is right, but it work for me. Like every one says, what works for one might not work for you. You need to find what works best for you. I listen to what others have to say, then I added my own twist.

Your results seem pretty good! I see a stick in one pic and the dormant tree in another pic has a lot of branches and other growth. bravo.

That is really cool, you combined rooting through the drainage holes with a SWC and it worked great and really kept the plant from getting stressed. I need to get some buckets and give SWCs a shot.

This is an update on my Eggplant Fig. I re- potted it the other day and thought I would post some pic.

1- Pot  in 5 gal. bucket SW
2- Fig out of bucket, look at the root growth, the roots went all the way into the reservoir.
3- I cut away the roots to get to the pot
4- The pot removed, look at the tangle of roots inside the pot
5- I couldn't remove the pot without cutting  the roots, it was so tangled, it has a very strong root system
6- It's re-potted in another SW. The empty is the old 5 gal bucket and the fig is in the new 8-10 gal. SW

I hope I didn't do to much damage and I hope it comes back. Looking forward to figs off of it next year.

Bugs

i have an unkown first year plant. does this leaf match your eggplant ?  

There are many Eggplant or Melanzana in Italy.

The leave of each varieties almost are the same. Five lopes and big.

This is one of common type and Melanzana family I found in Enna, Sicily.

That is named "Zaffiro"