fig tree

[ALEC090]

hi have bought a fig tree brown turkey and it needs

repotting as it is only in a small pot about 9inch and the fig tree is 4 foot high but iam not sure what type of compost to use i was going to use 50% multi-compost and50% john innes no2 loam based i was told if you dont get the compost right the tree will just grow and grow but not produce much fruit can anybody help

kind regards alec

[WendyS]

I think the John Innes loam based compost on its own will be fine. Everything I've read about fig trees (and I've got a small potted one myself) suggests that they will not fruit well unless their roots are restricted as the roots will grow far & wide and all the plant's energy goes into extending the roots instead of into producing fruit. So when you pot it into a larger container, mix some fertiliser granules in with the compost and then keep it fairly rootbound, just,scraping off the top couple of inches of soil every year and replacing it with new. And if you're worried about the pot drying out in hot summers, you can mix in a small quantity of water retention crystals with the compost to help retain moisture when you're away on holiday and can't water it.