First Welcome to GW fig forum, i also belong to Figs4Fun forum another free forum which is nice maybe you can try also.
You ask how you grow in containers and where do you put them.
I grow them in containers near chicago and store for dormant season in attached garage. They also can be stored in ones basement. I use good potting soil and i watch the watering as they can dry out quick in heat of summer sitting on cement patio or on rocks for heat suplement which they like in full or as much sun as possible.
Every 3 years or so i pull plant out of container in later winter and use a saw and cut several inches off the very bottom and all around the rootball and stick back in pot and replace soil lost and trim the branches back to balance the roots with the top part of tree except one plant (long story)Anyways during season i give them weekly dose of miracle grow fertilizer to help them along and around end of August my first ripe figs start to appear and thru end of september im eating them off the plants. Sometime in october our weather gets cold with the nights starting first then the leaves of plants start to yellow like a regular tree with the changing of seasons, after 2 hard frost in the mid to upper 20s hit them i bring in Attached garage with old bed sheets covering them only for the winter.I only give them the slightest of water if the containers start to dry out at most once every month last season i watered once if memory serves me correct. The lowest temp in garage was 6 to 8 above zero for a short while but mostly it was in the teens for the winter, most of the plants last year stored this way were between 4 and 6 seasons old . Anything younger should be put up off the ground and more protected with perhaps a blanket wrap.My neighbor tried storing a brown turkey in his outdoor shed years ago i gave him and in the spring it never woke back up.
In early sprng as weather starts to moderate and hit 50 plus with full sun i use a hand truck and bring them out on driveway just for the sun exposure and at night there back in garage because temperature still too cold. After doing this for short period and danger of frost is gone they go to the patio and genrally leaf out soon after that.Im not familar with your weather in Montana but i would think they should be in attached garage or regular garage with some blankets covering them and elevated off ground on 2x4s perhaps. The younger the plant the less hardier it will be first couple of seasons as i have experienced with some dead wood tip i had to cut off, last seeason although our coldest winter they have seen in our garage there was no branch tips that died back. Also my neighbor last season i gave a 2 year old plant to and it bore some figs and he stored in garage but he works in there a lot as he is retired and always has door partially opened, this season his plant is dead it never woke up even after we cut it down to the soil level its still in the pot like this so i replace it once again this fall.
What are your winters and summers like, i bet your winters are brutal but you can store them, but how are your spring and when does your first frost occur?
Our winters can be cold and very windy, springs can be cold and windy such as this past one as i try to bring trees out for some first sun sometime in april, our summers can be hot this year has been cool with 4 days of temps hitting 90 to date mostly high 70s and low 80s rest of time, in late september the nights are very cool and not good for figs anymore, october month brings our first frost just for an idea of what happends here. Im sure others will chime in as to there experience maybe more near you to help give you an idea. But all in all if you have a basement or insulated garage you should be ok, for instance there are many growers of fig plants in CANADA that do very well. Also one cannot grow just any fig in colder climates for best results as some fig plants just need that longer hotter summer to be at there best.
Hope this gives you somewhat of an idea.

For an excellent site on growing and propagating figs here is link
http://encantofarms.com/home.html

the person of that site is also moderator of this other fig forum site
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/

there is a lot of information there and perhaps soon you will get the fig bug like most of us.
Best Luck
Martin

Martin

It's too cold to plant my one & only in the ground, a Violette De Bordeaux. I will grow it in a pot. I'll repot it every three years and prune the roots. (There are pictures of other pruning the roots.) For the winter, I'll move it to the basement. Do you have a garage that will stays above 10 degrees??? Your fig could sleep there. So other member winter their pots in the unheated garage. (Martin has pictures of his babies in his garage on this forum. Search for them.) My garage has a vent on the gable, so until I can close it off I'll be drag it to the dark basement to sleep. More fig lovers on Figs4fun.com too!

I've read that figs are sometimes grown in cold climates by keeping them pruned to bushes, bending over and burying the shoots in trenches during the winter to protect them. Sounds like a lot of trouble to me, though.

I had grandmother who grew a fig tree in tree form many many seasons back in Chicago several blocks from Midway airport. Uncles and cousins would bury it for her by digging long trench and digging around tree ,they would tie up tree like a fresh wrapped Christmas tree, knocking it over and put sheet of wood on top of tree and cover with dirt leaves etc the whole thing was covered and when done looked like a fresh grave with the dirt mound up high above ground. I guess the wood made it easier as to not damage tree when shoveiling everything backup in spring. It always came back each year we would get to eat many figs from that 1 tree.
I grow in containers but it crossed my mind to try it that way early on but with more than 1 tree as most of us have it would be much to hard.
Also i have read folks wrapping there tree above ground back east on the forums.

See http://figs4fun.com/bills_figs.html

This is interesting too:

Here is a link that might be useful: Resistance to cold

Hi etneo0

Thanks for posting that very helpful link.

Regards
Cecil

How big of a pot will I need for a fig tree for container growing in Montana?

Hu , here i use 10g for 2nd season plant and 30gallon for mature plants.

Martin

Hello Martin.

How old is your oldest fig tree ?

What is the size of container that, that fig tree is in now ?

Anna

Lost or burned most plants for various reasons including my health

Had a hardy chicago that was inground for at least 6 years survived the polar vortex unprotected and took pictures that cold winter was 10 seasons old when transplanted out of pot to plant in garden . When i dug around it the ants had infested its root system and were biting my ankles it was to late to save it.

Black Madeira my favorite was at least 10 seasons old and lost it as well grown in 30g pot and another Madeira sibling lost following season.

Two eldest are NdB and a Hardy Chicago sibling from original in 30g .

Have a few other types transplanted into 30g last season .

Bought an old favorite Vdb as i used to have one some years back and a new type for me Italian 258 hopefully they come out of storage ok..

Bluemoonlight i have to say have been blessed over the years growing so many different types of fig plants and tasting them mainly dark types with most pictures saved to disks but dating only back to 2008 when i first started to take pictures of them.

Also amazed at prices nowadays for some plants that i previously grew and also the many many new named plants that may or may not be an old cultivar ,

Best

Martin

Martin, it's always nice to read your response. Sad to hear about your health isn't what you wish it to be.

I have heard about your disk that your figs and fig trees are stored and treasured.

Yes, this new fig variety names are sure mind boggling, I have 5 fig tree diferent age, growing in different parts in my plot in containers, they all have different names but only tiny difference in their taste, shape the color is also very similar.

But it's fine with me, I

am not a fig collector I just love and enjoy growing fig variety of which I like the way they look.

If I am lucky and ripe them to my likeing I am happy 🌞

Keep well Martin.

Anna.

I bet you not rooting any cutting, are you ?

I am rooting 4 cuttings only.

Anna no not rooting anything Good luck with yours always fun to watch them grow.

Martin

I didn't think think you would be rooting 🙂 just missing a few members here.

Sad about you Black Madeira, it is my favorite one too, along with every fig that ripens well.

I am rooting White Marseilles, De La Senyora Havernenca.

Do you know anything about this two varieties from your experience.

Anna.

Although i have heard of the White Marseilles in name only that is about the extent as i never really grew white figs always favored the dark type figs .

Closest thing to growing white figs were a few chimera types such as jolly tiger bought direct from original source that first introduced that cultivar and panache.

Weather wise its been pretty cold here had a few recent below zero nights not uncommon and looking forward to be able to get out in yard again . The snow system that came here went northeast last week and its just not melting as our little Yorkie can attest . ; )

Best

Martin

White Marseilles is just a pencil thin about 9 inches tall treelet.

I found it in backalley in dried out one gallon rootball, it was unrecognizable as a foot tall stick with what looked like dried brown fig leaves and badly discolored tag.

I took it home soak it partially buried it in compost bin.

It came back to life but just very thin twig that went dormant shortly after that.

It wouldn't survive the cold winter in garage so I started it in my home made grow box.

So fingers crossed.

I have Italian Honey which main crop ripans to very sweet, its texture and sweetnessr reminds my of Hardy Chicago.

Yes I prefer dark figs too.

Chimera type, I had to google it didn't know that word.

Very cold here too this week, most of the time end of February days are warm enough to get in yard, I can't wait too.

I screenshot this yesterday it's in Fahrenheit.

Keep well.

Anna

Well we may hit 25f on feb 18 according to weather outlook . Sooner or later the 8-10 inches of snow that has been sticking around will melt but they say we can expect another 1-4 thru tomorrow.

Best

Martin

Is that the coldest it has been 25 Degrees Fahrenheit ? That is not even -4 Degrees Celsius, you are lucky there in Chicago Martin!

Snow is good, keeps fin trees in ground protected.

I am not worried how cold or how much snow we get in winter, I am retired, shoveling snow is on top of my husband's hate to do list😆 I am just worrying that it's nice enough in middle April that us when I am tired suffering my fig trees.

Anna

No no we will hit 25 for first time in long time it has been hovering around 10 f for a while warmup coming this Weekend now maybe near 30f ?

Tonight another 6 to 10 inches of snow on top of this picture just taken .

The water fountain area is where fig trees go and also on patio,

Thumbnail below is clickable to slightly enlarge..

Martin

Is this the new place ? I remember you had plans mowing somewherew warmer.

My fig trees are all over my plot, one here, 3 there, 6 on the other side,🙂 not the best spaces for fig tree but there are a few good sunny spats so its manageable, also need to keep some grass for at last 2 more years to roll on it with my granddaughter and grandson they love to rollypoly with grandma 😀

Same place perhaps one day will move.

Martin

Martin, you might remember me as persimmonbob, got cuttings from you Long time ago, Black Madeira, Violetthe de Soleis . B/M never made it, V/d/S is doing great.

I really like my Smith fig. They are my main growers. Still have my Chicago Hardy, tree’s are over 25 years old. Grew them in Lansing, I’ll south of Chicago, close to your place.

Scale down figs, went to citrus, doing real good with them, have lots of trees now.

So, how are you holing up with these rough Chicago winters.

BTW, pick up 3 new varieties, so going back to figs if my health holds up. If you needs anything, let me know.

Hi Bob ,i do recall your screen name here for sure also seems familiar on figs4fun forum ?

Anyways good to see you back ,too bad on the BM had several and they also went to the fig gods unfortunately one was over 10 yrs old perhaps i'll get another not sure.

Snow is melting finally as the weather is finally above freeing although still a lot to melt.

Health wise hanging in there after some problems and hope the best for you as well.

Best Martin

Martin, if you want me to send you Smith cuttings, can send you a few. You would like them.

Just repotted a few Smith fig tree’s.

Our snow and polar vortex last week.

Thanks Bob very generous of you but have to decline its just me eating the figs as wife and son do not care for them. - daughter who ate them has moved on with her life.

Now a days its much work as i age etc the few i have are enough to keep busy.

Root pruning was never fun with hand sawing although its easier since using a electric reciprocating saw with wood cutting blade cuts through like butter .

Best

Martin