I have one small fig tree, Lattarula, which I grow in a pot. I worried that if I planted it in the ground, it might get too large and I thought I could find a sunnier place for it by growing it in a pot. However, it has never really grown as much as I had hoped and I don't get reliable cropping. I see other fig trees in the area loaded with figs so I wonder if I should try another variety. What fig varieties have done well for you? Is it in the ground or in a pot? I am located in SE Portland.
Thanks,
redberry
I grew up in SE Portland, but have grown several fig varieties over the past 20 years in Yamhill County, and have settled on two: Desert King, and Brown Turkey.
Desert King has large, green skinned and red fleshed fruit. It ripens first, but are large trees. I have 5 of them in the ground and none in pots. After some extreme cold last winter, and considering I’m ‘up in the hills’ where it can be even colder, they’ve shown no die-back or damage and have a regular set of their very consistent crop.
Brown Turkey is smaller tree, or, as I grow them, ‘bush.’ They are ‘brown skinned’ with a purple flesh, ‘meatier’ than Kings. They ripen a bit later and also have consistent crops. However, my Brown Turkey’s did suffer some winter die-back, but around 15 years in the ground, they’ve no problem recovering (I have two). And, that’s the worst such dieback I’ve witnessed.
I have no experience with Brown Turkey but I definitely second Viron's recommendation on Desert King. I got it from a cutting and it's now a huge very productive tree. They can be cut back easily to fit into a small space. They don't grow that quickly. As you might have read in the Pome News, last year I got a second crop.
John S
PDX OR
I happened to look at some of my photos of the fig "bush" from previous years and I noticed that it seemed to lose some vigor after I repotted it in a different mix. I suspect part of my problem this year is not fertilizing it enough. I am sure that it would be hardy in the ground here. Has any one ever had trouble with overly invasive fig tree roots? I was worried about it becoming a fig tree monster that would be hard to remove if someone wanted to do so. I will be doing some plant re-arranging so I am thinking I could transplant in the fall/winter.
redberry
My fig ‘bushes’ or clumps have enough space so as not to be compeating with anything ... but I don’t feel they’re very invasive... And as mentioned, they can, and should be pruned. There’s an interesting method to pruning them though, as they’ll produce fruit on the previous years grown, removing that growth can also remove your next crop!
I know a fellow who’d planted one of my Brown Turkey starts in a massive ‘outdoor’ ceramic pot …at least 25 gallons of soil. But, it was too big to move. So during some very cold weather in East Portland a few years ago he lost it to freeze damage. So if you hadn’t taken your fig in during the winter – it may have suffered freeze damage as the soil will freeze in from the sides as well… Or in your case, maybe just enough to have ‘stunted’ it.
If you do haul it into a garage or warmer place during the harsh cold, I’d do the same this year, then plant it ‘next Spring.’ That would lessen it’s chances ‘one more year’ of freeze damage... Likely no big deal, but why do something today that you can put off till tomorrow 
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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