When I started figging I had no real guidance. So when I got my first tree I figured I needed a good sized pot and went with a 15 gallon pot.

So I went from a 1 gallon pot straight from the nursery to the 15 gallon pot I purchased, and have been very happy with the results. Then last winter I took 3 cuttings from this tree and once they became nice healthy little plants they also went from 1 gallon pots straight to the largest sized pot I intend to grow them in and they too did really well this summer.

Since joining here I have read many times about up potting and also changing your soil mix as you go through the process from a small starter tree to the final size you intend to achieve.

My question is this. Is changing mixes and pot sizes along the way really of any benefit? It seems like a lot of unnecessary work to me....but I'm more then willing to do it if it really makes a big difference.  

I received a great gift of cuttings last month and I'm just trying to plan my path for there future in my yard.

Steve,

A couple of reasons why it is suggested to gradually move up in pot size:

• Depending on your potting mix, a large pot of soil for a small tree may promote root rot, as the media stays wet longer.  It's good for roots to have access to just enough water.
• Up-potting provides fresh soil.  More nutrients available at the right time.

Steve,
The additional issue is that a fig moved from 1 gallon to 15 gallon pot isn't going to use the full 15 gallons.  So, if you need to move and/or store your figs (winter for example), you've got a tremendous amount of wasted space and effort.

Perhaps your figs grow a lot faster than mine, but the ones I stuck into 5 gallon containers haven't yet filled out that container after a year.


Andrew

Thx frank.

My mix is 1 part sand, 1 part good loam from my garden and 2 parts sea compost. I have had no issues with it getting stagnant but I understand what your saying and could see where that might cause a problem for some. This will be my first winter root pruning and I have the same mix saved in buckets to add at that time. 

and Thx Andrew

I haven't root pruned yet so I don't know how full my 15 gallon pot would have got after one season. However I completely bury the pot and when I dig it out of the ground in the fall the roots that run out of the top and the holes I have punched in the sides would fill a 5 gallon bucket easily.  Honestly I think most of my success has been because I fully bury the pot and that gives the tree a lot of extra chances to send out more roots. The larger roots that grow out of the top are almost as thick as my garden hose and are over 6 feet long. You are 100% correct about the extra effort going straight to a larger pot. It is a chore and thats why I'm leaning towards experimenting and planting 1 or 2 trees directly in ground. I'm getting too old for that much labour...lol.

If it ain't broke...