When to up to 5 gallon?

[Taverna78]

Ciao my friends,

So in next week or so I move all my trees from in front my home to the farm. Now all is in 3 gal pots and even tho they are having difficult time with whatever it is they have... They are growing very very fast. Is it same as when you pot to a 3 gal pot from 1 gal pot when you see root come out holes in pot bottom? Or just when tree is very large?

Second. I see many people use and talk about SIP pot. Are Tis pot worth the money and is beneficial to tree and time saving for me?

And lastly I posted on another thread about Tis but can anyone tell me if they use or have experience with supplement Azomite? And if is beneficial as well as should I be using anything else with it besides miracle gro? I read a lot about nutrient Deficiencies. Is there one mixture with everything in it so it can not be deprived of certain nutrients?

Or if anyone who has a super man fig food that just make your tree as healthy as it can get and perfect would be willing to mix me a good size bag I pay you for materials time and shipping cost.

If Tis post seem to relative to other post let me know and I remove it.

Grazie and I hope everyone happy healthy and full of joy😉

[brettjm]

I won't be an advocate for SIPs, as I haven't tried them. That being said, many of the long-time forum members use them, and several folks that have more than just a handful of plants use them with great success. This year I overwatered both of my big plants, and they lost many (or all...lol) leaves and are having to rebud....you don't have to deal with that when you've got a SIP, as the moisture content stays fairly stable, and the tree takes up only what it needs.

I'd like to make the switch someday, but with 20ish plants, many of which are still in their first year, its just not that feasible right now.

As to potting up...most of mine are in containers between 3 and 5 gallons, and are in their first years. They should be fine for a year or so in 3 gallon pots I would think, provided you protect the pots from the sun, when possible. Roots coming out the bottom can be just a few spare roots....you want that root ball to fill up a bit I would think before transplanting to a bigger pot, lest you risk damaging the roots during transplant.

Hope this helps. Others will chime in with good opinions, I'm sure.

[don_sanders]

Here are pictures of my unknown trees that were started in October/November from cuttings in 5 gallon bucket sips. The first pic is from 05/09 and the second from today so two months of growth. About 5' tall from deck to tip.

I was able to make 10 for about $25 not counting potting mix, buckets (which can be had for free), and tools. I think I have enough leftovers to make about 10 more too.

I know it's ugly but I really like the sips. There is a 5 gallon reservoir out of the picture that feeds the others....similar to a chicken feeder. I have to fill it about once a week and have occasionally had to give some supplemental water from the top. It hasn't been very hot yet this year here in Ohio. May have to water more if it gets warmer?

If they are in 3 gallon pots, I wouldn't see why they wouldn't be able to be moved to 5 gallons. The smallest that I moved was from a one gallon pot. Figs seem to grow so fast that you can skip a size when up potting.

[jmaler]

Don the green hose for overflow or water supply? If water supply a clever idea.

[don_sanders]

The green hose is water supply. Hole drilled with a step drill bit so it is perfectly smooth and round. Insert drinking water safe lead/phalate free hose. Seal in place by hammering a nylon barb hose connector into the hose from the inside. Water tight so far. The same nylong barb hose connectors are used to connect the hoses together.

The overflows are the little black dots if you can see them. Probably not necessary but I added them for overflow and aeration. Rubber grommet covered with nylon inserted into the hole to keep out mosquitoes.

[Taverna78]

Don those trees look outstanding! I assume the plastic is to keep rain out?

[don_sanders]

Yes, the idea is to keep the rain out to keep from over watering and moisture in to reduce evaporation loss.

[Kelby]

I have been going from #1 or less into a #10 without issue.

[GregMartin]

I like to go from 1 gallon to 5 gallons and have had no issues. I like to do it in the spring when I bring them out from storage, but really I just do it when I can find the time.

[GregMartin]

Also, regarding SIPs. I have a few figs in 5 gallon SIP pots (thank you Kerry!) while my other 5 gallon figs are in buckets with 40 1" holes that I drilled in the sides. What I notice with the SIPs is that they are very easy to keep properly watered compared to my non SIP buckets. The SIP figs grow great and look great. The reason I use the holes in the sides buckets is that I prefer to bury them in the garden so that I don't have to water at all. I just plant the pots and mulch over them. Then in the fall I root prune off the roots that went into the soil through the holes with a long spade and lift the pots to bring them in.

If you'll be leaving your pots up out of the soil I'd go with the SIPs.

[Taverna78]

I like tis idea Greg

[GregMartin]

Besides not having to water, the other benefits of the holes in the sides buckets are that the buckets are completely protected from the sun so they last a long, long time, and the roots don't ring the bucket and get pot bound. I have 5' tall fig trees that have been in these buckets for 5 years and both tree and pot are doing great.

[eboone]

Greg - are you root pruning them besides chopping off the roots exiting thru the holes?

[GregMartin]

Nope, the roots don't circle, they just run for the nearest hole so the root cleaving in the fall is sufficient. With 40 1" holes they don't have trouble finding their way out.

[eboone]

I am a SIP fan, Mike, as I told you in a PM. But I have just started using them this year. I have, like Don, gotten tremendous growth this year compared to what my figs did last year in regular 5g pots. I have to keep my pots small so I can transport them annually down to (and back from) my basement cold storage room. I have made 40 5gallon and 4 gallon SIPs this year, mine are watered thru a pipe extending up thru the pot rather than like Don's, and I wish I had done the plastic covers like Don given the rain in the past month.

Below is a photo of some of mine taken at the beginning of the season when they were first leafing out. To give a growth comparison, I will try to add an 'after' picture this weekend as the rain may actually stop by this evening. I think they have grown great considering there has been only occasional sun the past 3-4 weeks.

[rusty hooks]

Are those 4 gallon squares Ed?

Mr. Neat...I like it

[Figinqueens]

Do you have any close up pictures of how you made those?

[Taverna78]

Is there any way or link you can post that show how bucket is constructed? Also... How you known when to add water to pipe?

[AscPete]

I usually up pot from 1 gallon nursery pots to 5 gallon buckets when the "root ball" can be removed from the container intact and before its root bound.


SIPs are a good compromise if the only space that you have to grow the figs is on a hard surface or deck. Potted fig trees have been more productive when the roots are allowed to grow out into mulch or "partial burial" of side drainage holes, http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...to-bury-or-not .

I've never used Azomite, but am currently using a combination of Dolemite Limestone, Ironite, Espoma Garden-tone and Miracle-Gro All purpose on the young fig trees. All these products are available at most larger national chain stores.

Good Luck.

[WillsC]

Mike,

I think Azomite is good stuff, good for the plants but won't solve your issue. Tried the sips, big sips which are half barrels and I like them. Did it as an experiment but they work well. Hook the reservoir up to the irrigation and it is all automated. Good for people that are away a lot or do not have time to water.

[Taverna78]

Will. Thank you for response on supplement. I know it won't "cure" problem but I just want to give them everything they could possible need to be 100% healthy to push up new healthy look growth. I'm not use about sip for me because I do have time to water them and never go away long enough to have to worry. BUT I do like Greg holes in bucket and bury bucket once I get them to the farm.

[eboone]

As promised above here are 2 photos taken tonight of my fig forest. There are a few older trees in std pots and many of the ones rooted this year are in smaller pots. The SIPs are made of recycled buckets. Ross, the 4g square buckets are all from restaurants - they contained hard boiled eggs, pickles, mayo, other items; I have seen them at many places. The round SIPs are made from a variety of sources - some from food containers like donut filling, a lot held joint compound or paint from a friend who is a painter. The joint compound buckets are all 4.5g, I used them for the reservoirs while the larger 5g buckets are used for the fig pot itself. A few buckets originally held rock salt or Calcium Chloride ice melter and one about 7g size held chlorine pucks for the pool. The reservoirs generally hold about a gallon of water; they could be made to hold more but they would become more top heavy and unstable.

Figinqueens - I do not have pics of making the SIPs, but there are nice videos on line on a variety of versions, and I think that ascPete has a topic or two on this forum and on the F4F forum where there are descriptions, pics, and links to construction methods. Online, SIPs also can be listed as SWPs (self watering pot or planter)

Anyway the photos:




They obviously are not the most beautiful planters in the world, but they seem to be working for me. Since the initial photo was taken which I posted a few posts above, I added 8 more SIPs for cuttings started this year and a few for some extra tomato plants. I need to make about 15 more in the next 6 weeks to pot up the remainder of this year's keepers.

[Taverna78]

Wow wow wow! That is very convincing to use your way! Now if you had to choose. IF you had the land.. Would you continue tis way or plant in ground ?