How Do Yo Arrange Your Potted Trees

[KDAD]

As most of you, I have a nice collection of potted trees spread across many different types and varieties. How do you arrange your pots? Do you arrange them by size, by family/flavor group, alphabetically by variety, use a numbered system, or some other method?

Currently my second year trees are separated out and arranged by size. The first year trees are arranged alphabetically so that I can keep track of them better . Next year I may arrange by general family type and then alphabetically within that group.

[davej]

Right now I just have four groups: primo varieties, 2nd tier varieties, 3rd tier varieties, and then the up-pots from this years cuttings. In the future I think alphabetical might be fun.

[JMF75]

I tend to arrange them in rows by pot size. But I also put the younger smaller trees together in a group.

[key88sf]

I typically keep the smaller ones in the front so they don't get shaded by the larger ones. Kind of like arranging a group photo -- tall people in the back, short people in the front

[Miracle fruit]

Same here, by size

[tinyfish]

Same here. I do the group photo method with my five main row, short ones in the front and tall ones in the back. Within the same row I group all doubles or more together.

[alawren8]

By size, the tallest ones are on the north side and grade down towards the south side, I assumed this would allow the maximum amount of sun

[ginamcd]

Currently with one exception, mine are all in the same 8 gallon square pot, and sit in two rows in the stone foundation bed that runs along the side of the house.

The space gets pretty crowded as the season goes on, so I position them in the spring based on tree shape to allow each as much room as possible. Every year the arrangement is different, but after a month or so I will have pretty much memorized where each variety is located.

[Netstars]

Sounds like you have it dialed in.
How many trees are you growing?

[ginamcd]

Just 34 not counting the three in the dog house,

[BlueEagle1967]

ginamcd That's a pretty good price for an 8 gallon pot. I'll have to look around some hydroponics stores in my area. I've visited one a while back looking for Pro-Mix but they were over-priced. Thanks for the response.

[BlueEagle1967]

I keep the early varieties along my driveway where they'll get full sun most of the day. It's also the place where any visitors (ie: parent and in-laws) will go to fist to look for ripe figs. That saves the old timers some walking. I then have a second area that gets a good deal of sun but they're my secondary varieties either because I'm not sold on their flavor or they haven't fruited yet. Then I have the dog house in my back yard where figs have to produce or they'll get culled.

One thing I no longer do is up-pot from 5 or 7 gallons if a fig is not a proven winner. There are no exceptions for hype or hope. They have to earn a larger pot and this also helps with winter storage.

[RandyK]

I like your logical approach! Take the emotion and hype out of it. An unbiased method to do a cull. How long do you give them in the doghouse before they are out of there for good? Do you give them a certain amount of time? Or does it just depend on what that particular tree is doing?

[BlueEagle1967]

KDAD The mere thought of Conadria repulses me. I culled it and wouldn't even give cuttings away for free and would never recommend it for my zone (6b). It was that disappointing.....

[BlueEagle1967]

RandyK Personally, I'd give them at least 4 years. Some varieties are slow growers so I'll give them a chance to fruit. And from other member's experience, some fruit improves over time so I don't want to pull the trigger too soon. I have about 4 varieties that are currently on the chopping block: Dr. Gowaty, Pink Jerusalem, De La Reina and Emalyn's Purple. The last three have either dropped fruit or not ripened any quality fruit. I also did a poor job pruning my Pink Jerusalem and it it really put on a limited number of fruiting branches. I'll give it a good pruning in the fall and see if it's more vigorous next year. But unless these varieties improve, I'll cull them.

I also have Black Madeira, Black Madeira KK, I-258 and a few Adriatics that ripen very late. I'll keep these because I bought them knowing they fruit late and I might consider a small pop-up greenhouse down the road.

[LadyGT]

Right now they are arranged alphabetically but that is going to change. Eventually I want to put them in the order that they bear fruit. Early to late so that I can pay more attention to those which need harvesting in order to beat the birds and wasps.

[MyDogMike]

Pot size

[RandyK]

Great topic and great input. So thanks KDAD and thanks all. I’m new to this and slowly growing my varieties and number of trees. So far, there’s hasn’t been any strict method to my madness I’ve put them where they get the most sun, according to height, where there is a spot...pretty random. The kids call it my fig forest. I had recently been looking at my growing fig forest and thinking I needed to get more logically organized, so this is great timing.