Bare-Rooting / Repotting a Fig Tree (video)

[Bijan]

For those who asked:

There are a couple of things to note on these videos:

• The date was 06.10.2015 not 06.15.2015 like I said in the video.
• I have found commercially grown trees do not bare-root nearly this easily.
• There is many factors that determine what size container to use and consequently how much of the root mass to leave on the tree.

Obviously, I was a bit rushed by the weather and I have missed some things you guys wanted to see. I still have one tree to repot before I leave Sunday morning. I have very limited time between now and then (and I'm not sure my schedule and my videographer's schedule will match up in the mean time), but if there is other information you guys want me to address, I might be able to get another set of videos made.

[AscPete]

Bijan,
Thanks for taking the time to make and share the videos...
Your mix looks to be very 'Gritty' How often do you water or fertigate? Thanks.

[Bijan]

Pete,

So far, the materials I've found in Colorado are a bit grittier than I am used to. I sifted everything through a 1/8" screen. With the cooler weather and frequent rains, I'm providing moisture about every 2-3 days for the 3.4-gallon Airpots I use in the video. Eventually they are all going into half 15-gallon containers which are plumbed together. I will flood and drain daily.

[don_sanders]

Thanks for the video.

I was curious why you bare rooted it. It looked like the new pot was bigger and I would have thought it could have just moved to the large container. Do you normally bare root all of your dormant trees when you up pot?

[Bijan]

Bare-rooting accomplishes a couple of things that simply potting up does not.

Inspecting the roots for damage and/or infestation.
Alleviate constriction/compaction
Maintain drainage/aeration in the container
Replenish organic matter in growing mix

[Rafaelissimmo]

Great video Bijan. Do you do the same method for larger, more mature trees?

[Bijan]

Rafael,

I use the same method for all trees. Regardless of the size of the tree, I try to leave behind enough roots to support the tree before they leaf out. I think my schedule for Colorado should be mid-March. In Texas I was repotting and/or planting in January/February. It does not take long for the tree to start growing more roots.

I also bare-root trees before planting in the ground. The primary difference is I do not root prune nearly as much.

[chauqg]

Very informative, I guess if a picture is worth 1000 words, then your video must be worth 1 billion.

bijan. Thank You

[jmaler]

Very informative. Thanks

[Coop]

Thanks for the video Bijan. You are a very patient man and your trees show your diligence. What is that beautiful potting mix you're using?

[Bijan]

It is a 3:1:1 mix of pine bark, Perlite, and expanded shale. I sifted or add much as I could through a 1/8th inch screen. All of my material was still damp so there was a lot of dust that stuck to the larger pieces. I'll see how things go this year and make adjustments to my mix next year.