There is a lot of info comparing both in-ground and potted figs. Keep searching. Most members seem to agree that potted figs ripen sooner similar to your experience with your other plants. Vermicullite and compost would work but you are better off with something that will be more stable over time and drains better. Search for "container soils" to read some extensive advice from some experts in this forum.

The growth rate you describe is amazing. With such growth, what is the motivation for planting in a pot? Usually pots are used for colder climates to hasten ripening and allow for transport inside to protect for winter. If your weather is as you describe, I wouldn't think speeding up ripening would be much of a concern for you. Regarding the size of the pot, 5-10 gallons is a good start if the plant is at least a year old. Use the biggest you can find to insure good growth for a few seasons. Re-potting (changing the soil) and root pruning is recommended about every 2-3 years (there are a lot of factors to consider for this). Best of luck, hope I helped.

Sir,

My aim is to see if a potted plant will have a quicker onset of fruits , rather than hastening the ripening time. I want to see how quickly I can make a sapling start giving me fruits.

So my basic question is, will potted figs have quicker onset of fruits as compared to a similar one in the ground?

Also how often would one need to change the top soil in a potted fig?

Ram

Ram,

I understand the difference you are testing. Thanks for clarifying. I would be interested in knowing this also.

Regarding changing soil, it depends on the soil you use. In general, a good practice would be every 2 seasons (you can do this when you root prune). If you chose a more stable potting soil (see the postings I referenced) this could be as infrequently as 5 years.

Regards,
Steve

I only have one tree to compare, but my 'Celeste' tree in the ground produces earlier (in the year) than its offspring in containers.

It is important to understand a tree in a container is completely at your mercy when it comes to it's care (water, feed, etc.). The size of the container should be appropriate to get your tree to the next time you do root work on it. For example, if you have a new cutting which you plan to do root work on every two years, a 25 gallon (100 liter) container would be inappropriate. The same holds true for how often you perform root work on your tree. If you have a 5 year old tree in a 3 gallon container, you can't go more than one season before doing root work (in general). The growing mix (I wouldn't recommend topsoil, although you could make it work), should be stable and remain well aerated between root work. If you are planning on bare rooting the tree annually, most potting mixes should be okay.

~james