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Brown turkey fig in container

B3B3 Posts: 27,505
in Plants
My fig is in the biggest container it's ever going to get and I don't like figs. It's about seven or eight foot high and healthy.
It's just about the right size now. There's a few figs but the squirrels will get them anyway so it's just as well I don't like them.
Should I starve it, feed it or top dress. ( this would be difficult as the top looks rooty and there isn't any space) or prune it when it's dormant or leave it be?
In London. Keen but lazy.
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  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Why did you plant it if you hate it this much? Give it a feed, you want those leaves to look magestic. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I love the tree. I don't eat figs😊 @amancalledgeorge.
    I'm wondering what to do for the future. It looks good now but it's rootbound in a large container. Should I scrape a few inches of soil off the top and top dress even though what I remove would have roots in it or should just I feed it from time to time?
    I gave it slow release fertiliser about a month ago.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Personally I'd top dress it, and maybe trim the roots next year. I think pruning will be more important for you otherwise all your leaf will be at ever increasing heights, and you'll have stacks of wood? Although it depends on the shape of your tree, I guess.

    Feel free to donate your figs this way!
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,736
    Agree with @strelitzia32 they're not very demanding plants. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Thank you. @amancalledgeorge @strelitzia32   That's what I'll do. It's a good shape at the moment. 

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Ahh that's a lovely tree.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Thank you😀 We put it there to try to shelter it from the sun a bit when we were going away. We decided it looked better there than the original spot. The tree agreed!
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • justandnobodyelsejustandnobodyelse Posts: 128
    A lovely looking tree @B3 I am hoping to grow something similar on our patio,  in a pot this year too.
    I was bought a bare root plant for Christmas that I have just potted up into a glazed, ceramic pot of about a 350mm diameter. My plant now stands about 1200mm high (4ft ish) plus the pot. Are they fast growing plants? My ideal height for my plant is probably 7 or 8ft also. How long should this take and will my pot be too small, will I need to repot as my fig grows? Any advice gratefully received.
  • justandnobodyelsejustandnobodyelse Posts: 128
    Oh, I meant to add that I am growing this for it's form and foliage more so than its fruit. I too fear that the squirrels will beat me too the fruit if there is any!
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited January 2021
    I'm no expert but I've found that once established they'll grow very quickly. The bigger the container, the bigger the plant. Mine will not get a container that is any bigger, but following advice from the forum, I will remove some soil from the top and replace it with fresh compost in the spring. I'm hoping that keeping it contained will stop it from growing much bigger - fig bonsai😉
    Fortunately,I'm not keen on figs, but as my crop didn't ripen, the squirrels weren't keen either 😊
    Ps mine is about 5 yrs in the pic. Bought it from Lidl about 1-2 ft at the time.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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