Repotting Fuit Tree's (forum)

Tim starts with ...
Hey guy's,

my Fig's, Pomegranate's and Blue Berries are just starting to slow down and I'm looking to re-pot them as they are starting to get root bound. I would like to keep them in there same pot's so do I just cut their root's back to give them more growing room? or do they really need larger pot's? If so does anyone know where I can find cheap super large plastic pot's? I'm renting so I don't want to plant them in the ground until we have a place of our own.

Time: 13th March 2017 3:00pm

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Pademelon1 says...
Hi Tim,

I don't have much experience with those particular plants, but generally if you are going to keep a plant in the same pot, you would lightly trim the roots and equally trim the top. Don't go over a third of whats there, and with some plants you need to be very gentle, so try to find info for each plant's needs. Also, when performing this, make sure the roots do not dry out.

Larger pots aren't required unless you want the plant to continue to grow larger, or if you have a plant that doesn't like root interaction (like many natives). Gradually upgrading a plant's pot size can help maintain health though. If you do decide to upgrade pot size, look at Bunnings website, they should have a cheap pot to suit you, though they might not be the most stylish. Pot upgrades don't need to be substantially bigger.

Hope this helps,
Pademelon1

Time: 16th March 2017 1:05pm

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Figbarron says...
Hie how big are they and what pots are they currently in?

Time: 16th March 2017 11:26pm

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Tim says...
Hey guy's the plants are all around 1.5-2m tall, the fig and pomegranate are about 50mm main trunk diameter.
The pot's are 45cm plastic one, basically the biggest I could find at Bunnings. I just want them manageable, if I need to move them. I'm thinking after some research I might &quote;Air Layer&quote; the top half of the Fig to make a second mature plant. The pomegranatecould duo with just a heavy prune, including the root's it sounds like.

With Air Layering the fig, does it need to be done in the spring, or can I do it now ?


Time: 19th March 2017 12:16pm

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Bangkok says...
I have the same issue and decided to go for plastic bins. I have one from 160 litre now, made of unbreakable plastic.

Because those only come in blue color here i glued faux grass all around it, looks great. I can still move it around only by myself but it's heavy.

Time: 20th March 2017 2:39pm

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Peter91 says...
Would also like to know this as I have several 3 to 4 year old fig trees in 50L pots, and I'm finding the roots are taking up most of the pot this year, so was wondering how to go about root pruning them as going up a size isn't feasible for moving them around.

Time: 21st March 2017 3:37pm

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Figbarron says...
I would wait until the plants are dormant, you can root prune them and trim the branches back to keep them manageable. A lot of people on the &quote;e;Figs4Fun&quote;e; forum do it to keep their container figs manageable. or google &quote;Root prune container figs&quote; As they are dormant it does not kill them . Give them seasol after that for good measure. Going with fabric pots is great but can be troublesome as they will dry out very quickly and stress the plant unless you have them sitting in a small tray so that the rootball gets even moisture...not to mention that they tend to flop about and disturb roots when you move them around unless they are on a dolly of some sort.

Good luck!



Time: 22nd March 2017 10:36am

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Original Post was last edited: 22nd March 2017 10:38am
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Manfred says...
Figs are about the toughest of plants.
I don't want to insult your trees, so please don't take this wrongly- figs make good bonsais and bonsai fig trees produce figs if they are given enough light and warmth.

At TAFE, each year the bonsais were taken off the shelf, taken out of their pots and pruned with a handsaw. The bottom third of the rootball was sawed off and then the rest of the rootball was sawed square. The plants were then jammed back into their pots, topped up and put back on the shelves for another year.

You could be a little more gentle and loving, but the key to fruit is not the rootball but adequate light and warmth. Don't do any of the above-ground bonsai treatments or the fruit will be insipid. Remember, don't fertilise figs. (Do, but only the lowest-nitrogen fertiliser you can concoct.)

Does it matter to you if the fig is a bit rootbound? It doesn't matter to the fig as long as watering is still adequate but not excessive.


Time: 22nd March 2017 12:24pm

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Peter91 says...
Thanks for the advice Manfred I think I'll try that, should it be done while they're dormant?

It's not so much rootbound, more so that if i leave them for another year there will be very little potting mix left compared to roots in the pot, meaning no moisture being held in the soil etc.

Time: 24th March 2017 1:17pm

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Figbarron says...
Hi Peter, its generally done while they are dormant as they may suffer transplant shock if done now. But as alfred said, they are tough plants. I have re-potted many during the hot melbourne summer with no issues.

Time: 25th March 2017 5:21pm

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Manfred says...
Yes - as a general rule, doing something that severe to a plant, top or bottom, forces it to respond by putting on a spurt of activity, so if you do it towards the middle of the dormancy period it will do what it meant to do only more so at the right time.
Remember, plants start root growth much earlier after winter than they start to shoot. At least a month for most deciduous plants.

Time: 25th March 2017 8:37pm

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