Hi Brian
you ask
If you have links readily available that discuss how you care for your
fig trees could you please post them so you don't have to do much extra
typing?

It's ok as my posts are numerous so i just answer your questions here. ; )

Brian -Using the peat based mixes how do you address the perched water table
issue that is discussed in detail on the forums? Do you place your pots
in direct contact with the Earth to provide wicking action to the
Earth?

Never really gave perched water table much thought as i go by how plant is doing which always seem to be no problem here in yard.
Pots drain well.
Here in my climate i place pots on rocky area or on cement patio in full sun.

Brian- Do you use the potting mix for only 1 season and replace with fresh mix the next season?

No

Brian -Do you shade or nest your pots to protect the root zone from summer heat?

No i give them as much heat and sun as weather allows here in my climate

Brian -Do you root prune every year or some other frequency?

Every 3 years.

Brian-I know for example when you root prune you have used the wedge method
in the past and I think you also cut some off the bottom of the root
mass as well,

I also believe you use Miracle grow for fertilizing. Do you
fertilize at the package strength recommended on the box? Frequency?
When do you stop fertilizing for the season?

I may or may not give a week dose to some plants after they are spent of their figs it depends on how late they are spent as that varies according to the spring weather mostly.

Along with wedges cut the bottom and the top are cut.
They get full amount of fertilizer per instructions and are fertilized on average every week to 10 days.
Fertilizing is stopped when i know figs on tree soon will come out of there stagnant stage
the days are documented in dated pictures taken and they vary from variety to variety and gives me a good idea.

The above is only what i do in my yard in my climate.

Martin

Hi Martin -

Thanks so much for your response, I really appreciate it.

Brian- Do you use the potting mix for only 1 season and replace with fresh mix the next season?

No

Martin - How many seasons do you use the same mix -- is it 3 years - to correspond with root pruning time?

What size containers on average do you use? 20 gallon? 25 gallon?

Here in my climate i place pots on rocky area or on cement patio in full sun.

Am I correct that you place the pots directly on the cement patio or do you place the pots in saucers on the patio?

Along with wedges cut the bottom and the top are cut.

By top do you mean removing some from the canopy I assume? Or do you mean you carefully cut some of the root mass off the top of the "soil line" in toward the trunk of the tree?

They get full amount of fertilizer per instructions and are fertilized on average every week to 10 days.

Do you ever flush the pots with only water to remove excess unused fertilizer salts? If so how often do you flush?

Do you prune old branches every year to promote new/better (stronger growth)? If so do you prune before budswell?

Do you use a strategy of pruning branches so that you remove branches that are growing in toward the center of the tree to open center to more light and lessen the chance branches can damage developing fruit?

Thanks again for your response.

Have a great evening.

Brian

Brian -Am I correct that you place the pots directly on the cement patio or do you place the pots in saucers on the patio?

No saucers

Brian -By top do you mean removing some from the canopy I assume? Or do you
mean you carefully cut some of the root mass off the top of the "soil
line" in toward the trunk of the tree?

Some root mass is cut from soil line defintely.
Canopy also trimmed or some figs will drop - this i know firsthand as i forgot once on a fig plant and it did drop some figs :)


Martin - How many seasons do you use the same mix -- is it 3 years - to correspond with root pruning time?
What size containers on average do you use? 20 gallon? 25 gallon?

Yes after root pruning much soil is lost and then replaced.
Whats discarded gets tilled into veggie garden cut roots and all.
25 and 30 gallons used .

Brian-Do you ever flush the pots with only water to remove excess unused fertilizer salts? If so how often do you flush?

No as potting mix is good draining and they get much watering -pots sit on hot surface weather permitting.

Brian-Do you prune old branches every year to promote new/better (stronger growth)? If so do you prune before budswell?

Crossing branches and others (for shape) are pruned during offseason (dormant) The ends of branches during season so as not to tax plant from trying to set to much fruit that will not ripen by seasons end.

Martin

Hi Martin -

Thank you again for your responses, I really appreciate it,

Martin - The ends of branches during season so as not to tax plant from trying to set to much fruit that will not ripen by seasons end.

This refers to the pinching described by I think Herman - is this correct?

One thing I have learned here for sure is I need to transfer my trees into bigger pots. I currently have them in about 12 gallon pots. I have larger pots I got at the end of last years growing season, I have to check if the ones I have are 20 gallons or 25 gallons. I am pretty sure they are not 30 gallons. Unfortunately, they are black so will capture a lot of heat I assume, I am near the St. Louis area so summers can get hot. Do you think I should shield the pots in some way from the heat - maybe use reflective mylar or aluminum foil around the pots to reflect sunlight off the pots?

Thanks again Martin for your help!

Brian

Can't speak for Herman but i believe he does same from what i read in past.

You could trial a few in the black pots and see whats what and or put them on the earth which should be cooler for the pots underneath as opposed to concrete.
Never used aluminum or reflective material so cannot comment on that.
Martin

Thanks Martin and Brian, that was good reading .

Hi Martin -

Thanks again for all your responses, I thought of one more question.

Did you find by experimentation that in order to get trees with the rather large trunks that I have seen in your posts that a minimum size pot of 25 to 30 gallons must be used in order to I assume develop a significant enough of a root system with enough feeder roots to uptake the nutrients provided by the fertilizer in amounts necessary to drive the growth you have observed?

I have trees currently in ~ 12 gallon pots and have been curious if the growth has been limited by the size of the pot or my inconsistency in providing fertilizer at the frequency you use (or perhaps both). I have had some trees for a number of years and none have developed the large trunks I have seen in your posts,

Using a typical tree you would obtain from a nursery as a point of reference in how many years after placing it into a 25-30 gallon pot would you expect it to take before the trunk develops to the point seen in your posts (1 year, 3 years?) Also, for the first year or so (or how long) perhaps do you not let a new nursery fig tree develop figs (except maybe 1 for tasting!) in order for the tree to devote more energy/resources into growing bigger and not developing fruit (I also wonder if I am not seeing substantial growth in the trunk because I am allowing and not restricting at all since I bought the fig tree fig formation and ripening).

I am definitely going to switch some trees to 25 gallon pots but have to see how many I will be able to do and still get everything into my garage for winter!

Thanks again for all your help!

Brian

Brian
Growth rate is hard to say as some grow faster than others.
bigger pot = bigger tree overall in my personal opinion as there is more roots certainly.

Yes i may taste 1 or 2 first season depending on how tree is doing .
Martin

Thanks Martin

Growth rate is hard to say as some grow faster than others

Any idea for:

violet de bordeaux, mission, or kadota?

Have a great weekend Martin.

Brian

VdB I had years back from edible landscaping was a good grower, Black Mission
i had years back was fast grower and would set plenty of figs in 30g pot.
White types i do not grow so cannot answer about that one.
Martin

Thank you Martin for your help.

Have a great weekend.

Brian