I was perusing a book on fruits and veggies today, not only did the book have a chapter on figs (to my surprise) but it had an interesting idea I haven't seen mentioned before: the "fig pit".

 

Seems essentially to be container growing in the ground. I'd expect much less fuss with watering. If it were set up along a house or wall like in the picture I'd expect large gains in winter survival.

Thoughts, comments?

I like that, Kelby.  I may try it this planting season.  Even if die back is significant again next year, the depth of the pit is sufficient to at least withstand prolonged cold in 6b.  Good find.  Thanks

It's hard to tell from the photo but it seems like the hole is lined with wooden boards rather than paving slabs? I'm wondering whether having the roots confined like that would result in the same issue that leads to root pruning to be necessary for container figs.  But perhaps enough roots escape through the bottom to prevent this problem?  I have about a dozen that would like to trial in-ground (in a relatively small area) for about 3 years.  I would then cull many of them and possibly move others around.  So this approach might make sense but it does look like a lot of work.

I was thinking the same regarding roots out the bottom. Figs are weeds, and I think can find a way out eventually. I look at it ( if it works) as a small initial investment of time, but less in the long run, as wrapping and protecting methods over the years gets old fast.

i've heard that the idea that restricting root growth to increase fruit production is a myth, but lots of people believe it.

has there been a study? is it true?

root restriction didn't work with Kathleen's Black. 

soundsright pete. i think it's an old wives tale

I don't believe it.  Potted figs never bear as much as trees in ground with no root restrictions.  Pure malarkey.

it's good rafed has actual data. i agree, bob.

Cherries have pits, figs have seeds. Putting a fig in a pit sounds unnatural to me.

That may be a great solution to my really crappy soil! I understand that nemotodes don't like cement so cement blocks may be the ticket! Thank you for posting this idea.

[QUOTE=javajunkie]That may be a great solution to my really crappy soil! I understand that nemotodes don't like cement so cement blocks may be the ticket! Thank you for posting this idea.[/QUOTE]

I was thinking the same thing! I have a house in coastal NC, RKN heaven.

It seems like the "solution" is always out there, I just have to wait for someone smarter than me to post it! LOL

Glad some of you can use the idea!

Susie/Pete/Bob: I was always a little suspicious of the idea container grown trees produce more fruit. If anything the fruit to growth ratio might be a little higher and dwarfing effect of a container might promote earlier fruit production, but an in ground ground should produce more fruit ultimately. Unless you consider the setbacks of winterkill on in ground plants versus shuffling.

Tami/Phil: Let us know how this works for RKN if you try it. They might be able to go through the cracks at the corners...maybe seal with caulk? Or get big concrete cylinders like they use for sewer drains and plant in those!

Kelby, my understanding is that there would be no need to seal it, they avoid cement so having it there may work. I have been advised to plant next to driveway and walkways for that reason but that's not where I need the trees to be. This idea opens up many more possibilities for me.

Interesting! I have no experience with RKN, so I wasn't sure.

I wonder if the lime in the cement repels them? Must be something in it they don't like.

Hi Ampersand,
IMO:
Because that box is made of wood, it will rot - so this is not a perennial solution. In my tests I use plastic ... you know 80LDPT.

Now why cage the trees :
Reason 1: "They say" the trees are more productive ... IMO, still to be proven . I "needed" to test that theory .
Reason 2: Avoid pests entry - underground rodents so to be precise . Those dirty ones you don't see them and all of a sudden the trees collapses and you're too late to save her.
Reason 3: In that closed space you can put a totally different dirt, and it won't mix and disappear in the surrounding dirt. I use compost as I naturally have clay ground
Reason 4: For Zone 7: and less if you use a dark container 80LDPT and let 20 centimeters out of the dirt, the tree gets extra heat from that heating surface - at least I believe.
Reason 5: When you water the tree, the water is all dedicated to that plant and doesn't overflow all around

Now ok wonderful where are the drawbacks :
In case of drought the surrounding humidity is not shared with the inside of the container, and so the tree can get hit by lack of water -which was the case for me for 3 trees last year
Holidays you know ... But I was on time to save most of the leaves and maincrop . I don't have drip system.
I hope that in the future I won't have that problem as I removed the bottoms from my containers and so water and roots should be able to travel in and out.
I know that this would work for grapes as they are known for their deep roots ... As for figs ... Their roots are mostly at surface level but who knows, they might adapt .
If the container is too small the tree might have a lack of vigor - 80 Liters should be enough .
Another drawback, man ! In clay ground making the hole for the containers takes two biers and 2 hours with the shovel, hammer, crowbar and chisel!
That was when the ground was dry - It really was rock hard !

A last advantage, for winter protection, I put an 80LDPT upside down and as the openings do match, the protection is quite good IMO.
So now, it is up to you to test !

in an area where it rains a lot, wouldn't that trap lot of water like in clay jar type situation? 

JDS: I think you covered the pros and cons pretty well there! It says in the picture (that is literally what I scanned from the book) to use paving slabs, so it might look like wood but I would hope not and certainly don't condone using wood. I'm not thinking of using it, but just thought I'd share it.

Pete: I guess that's the idea of the crushed pots/gravel in the bottom? Though in areas that often get multiple inches it may not be enough. Like the Carolinas where you get those things called hurricanes, hahah.

kelby, it's one of the reasons why i keep all mine in the container. at our location, planting them in ground would be ideal, but the soil around my house is all clay. even if i amend the soil, it will just be a clay jar. adding crushed pots and gravel will only make it clay jar with lot of crap in the bottom :) 

[QUOTE=bullet08]kelby, it's one of the reasons why i keep all mine in the container. at our location, planting them in ground would be ideal, but the soil around my house is all clay. even if i amend the soil, it will just be a clay jar. adding crushed pots and gravel will only make it clay jar with lot of crap in the bottom :) [/QUOTE]

Just do what I do: dig bigger holes.  When I plant trees sometimes I remove nearly a yard of clay. The things I do for fruit. Doesn't help they graded my property in a really strange way since I live on a hill. Last week I had 2" topsoil, a foot of clay, then 2" of topsoil under that.

jds:  you have trees inground as a control? if so, i hope you post the differences.

um, bullet? do you believe that fig roots won't penetrate clay soil?

  kelby's way feels right.

penetrating is not the issue. the water will not drain fast enough and the roots will sit in water for long time. and if it rains like it did last yr, it will cause lot of issues. if timing is wrong, main crop will be ruined. also, under the clay, we have of ton of crushed concretes that builders filled the land with. our roses area having problem in those. all the trees in our front yard are having issues. not willing to take too much chance with figs. i been toying with an idea of planting one or two duplicates to see how it goes.. but not finding optimal space. our back yard is very small, but our front yard is a good size. putting tree in the front yard is not something my wife wants to do, other than the ones already there. 

well, i hope that issue isn't deadly. i have sandy clay. under the layer of drifting sand, the soil is so hard i needed a pick to open my first hole
luckily, i learned that digging a small hole n filling it with water would   allow some digging after 15 minutes. it takes 15 minutes for the water to move down.
therefore, bullet, my roots will sit in water.

oh, 2' down is a sheet of rock that extends for miles. if your fears are correct, i'm screwed, but i gotta try.

15 min isn't bad at all. last i checked it's more like 6-8 hrs here. 

wow ! now i understand your concerns.  that's real clay !
i wondered why all your trees were in pots. now i know.

I agree with Bob:  I don't believe the claim.  The so-called tip says "Restrain fig roots and the tree will reward you with larger crops".  I think that's bunk.  You may be able to find some advantages to the technique described there in some very specific scenarios (just as you'll find plenty of disadvantages in lots of other scenarios, probably a larger set).  I can devise them too, just as I'm sure most of you can dream up specific scenarios where this would help to solve some problem.  But overall this claim is bunk.  IMO, it has not even got enough credibility to be worth trying to devise any experiment around the premise.

Mike

mike, logic says your are correct. all my tree sare going in the ground with no root restriction and i fully expect much larger crops.

Hardpan clay? Where there is a will there is a way. Buy some large landscaping bricks or boulders, heck you could even use wood(you'll have to occasionally replace) and do a raised bed, fill it with nice top soil that drains. 4'x4' or larger, and make it a foot or 2 deep.

In mediterranean, as a lot of people wrote about it, you notice figs grow in rocky areas. The reason that the fig do better in rocky areas than open sandy or clay areas is not because the figs love ROCKS, but, it is because the rocks /boulders/bricks or cement... they hold moisture underneath them and fig roots take advantage of that.
Simple:)

pete, that raised bed idea of calvins will work for sure.

i bet alan's idea would work too.

with all your trees, you deserve a few inground.

Solution to all your soil problems: dynamite.

Or perhaps just a mess maker.

Should be fun either way.

oh, a powered post hole digger could make enow  holes close together to make it easy, tho not as fun as dynamite.

aaron n alan, i'm in the desert. does that mean i sould use slabs of rock for mulch, instead of wood chips?

i can get flat sandstone but it's heavy.

Hi Bullet08 and Susiegz,
You got me laughing - 15 minutes .
Let me tell you a story of a man. He sees a fig tree for "cheap" and that should be productive as per the seller - but no name of the strain - who dares to keep that information ? After all that tag does not feed a man (Idiot!)...
So the buyer gives the tree a try. Gets back to the garden and digs an hole for an 80L trashcan (who? me! of course.).
Well after 40 cm of depth I got tired of hammering the dirt - the dirt was coming out in pellet mode layer by layer - and so I thought : Ok lets put a watering can inside the hole and tomorrow you'll finish it as the dirt will soften and the water will vanish...
Well, who's the fool that had to remove his water the next day - 24 hours later ...?!? That is what I call a clay ground - in that case a clay pot . All my water was there the next day staring at me !
I couldn't believe it. Would someone have told that story to me, I would have called him : liar !
To finish about the digging, I removed the water and 10 cm more of dirt, and planted the tree in compost inside the 80Liters trashcan ( bottom cut out ).
So far the tree leafed out - but no brebas on her for now ! My 2 cents are on a BT strain or a brunswick perhaps Longue d'aout - time will tell or I'll never know for sure.

jds, i'll stop complaining about my soil, even tho it's sterile. worms can't live here.

alan, i can't make a wall of stone, but i can circle each tree  with dinner plate sized stones.