Repot or not, that is my question

17 years ago

I have a lovely healthy Fig. It is in a 9" diameter pot (22cms) which is 7" deep (18cms). The trunk is quite thick and I am inclined to repot into a much larger pot, BUT will I disturb it? Normally I would take the line.......if it works don't fix it........but it does look like it needs repotting. Can anyone out there advise me. Thankyou.Sandy

ps. I am able to take a pic, but don't know how to get you to see it on here.

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Comments (5)

User
17 years ago
You give no indication of where you are?
If it is dormant I wouldn't think twice about repotting immediately.
Lift it from the pot and look at the roots. If it is rootbound I would probably try to correct that as much as possible and repot now, even if leafed out. It's early in the season.
Many on this forum know much more than I do, but I thought I'd toss out my thoughts... at least you got your money's worth!
Good luck.
pitangadiego
17 years ago
Repot it. Let it dry out to the point that you would normally water, then it will be easier to remove from the pot. Repot, water well, and give it some shade for a few days.
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bjs496
17 years ago
Sandy,

I'm in agreement with Glenn. If the tree hasn't broken dormancy, root-prune and repot. Just make sure you stake the tree to minimize movement. If it has leafed out, I'd wait. I've done some bad things to the roots of trees and they have always survived. However, if you root-prune now with leaves on the tree, it is going to catch a lot of wind which could break new roots. I repotted over a month ago while the trees were dormant. The trees began leafing out almost immediately. Most of them are still not so set in the container to where they seem stable in the wind.

Here are some general guidelines I found for container size based on trunk caliper:

Caliper -- Gallons
3/4 -- 3
1 -- 5
1 1/4 -- 7
2 -- 15
2 1/2 -- 30
3 -- 45
4 -- 60
5 -- 95
6 -- 200

If I remember correctly, this information is from a Univ of Florida paper.

~james
pitangadiego
17 years ago
Repot it anyway. Unless it is severely rootbound, it will be fine if you just increase the pot size and leave the roots alone.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
17 years ago
Just a technicality, but I make a terminology differentiation between repotting and potting-up. To me, repotting includes root pruning and should only be undertaken on dormant or quiescent deciduous trees, unless you're very experienced in their after-care. Potting-up on the other hand, is simply moving the tree to a container with a greater soil volume. This, you can undertake at any time, though dormant/quiescent is still the best time. I regard the practice of potting-up as a temporary measure because if continued, it will have an affect on the plant's ability to grow at or near its potential genetic vigor. For the long term, regular repotting with the inclusion of sound root pruning practices will allow you to enjoy a more vital and problem free plant.

Al