I believe we are talking about what to do right now, not in the future when the tree is planted in the ground.

@bmbouter 's tree, whether it remains in a pot or is planted out, needs rootwork in the spring if the tree is to be at its best. It is probably in sever need of rootwork at present, but it shouldn't be undertaken until spring. If some marginal improvement in the plant's level of growth/vitality/appearance is desired before then, the plant can be temporarily be potted up, which will relieve a portion of the stress caused by root congestion, but no where near all of it. Still it's a step in the right direction, even if it doesn't offer full resolution.

Al

I've found fig trees don't do too good in pots. I had some cuttings of some and they did well for a while but then started to decline I transplanted them into the ground, they bounced back and took off.

I I've been growing an Oak tree in a pot for just over 10 years and that has been doing well I prune it quite a bit just to keep it the size I want it but also to shape it and sometimes I would take it out of the pot and trim the root ball and that seems to keep it from getting root bound and I don't have to find a bigger pot.

bmbouter said: Thanks! What's funny is I actually looked at that before posting and I misunderstood when it said "Drought tolerant" to mean "I don't need to water it more than rain". lol that's not what that means!

Anyone have a fertilizer recommendation? I've never fertilized it with ... anything. I don't intend to overdo it with fertilizer, but I think it's probably more or less starving right?

It's generally accepted that a containerized plant needs water "somewhat" more often than one in the ground. However you check your garden, uf any, check this pit's soil for moisture, too. Yes, the soil is probably very depleted of ferts. Until you study up, try one plant food fertilizer spike, midway from the trunk to the container's edge. Water there. It won't be enough, but it's a gentle start. Or find a small container of fert you mix w water. Read the instructions carefully, and cut the dose in half for 2-4 weeks. Like yourself, ease into and out of "diets." In soil it's easier to dig in and feel moisture, than in a pot. You might buy a moisture meter, $10-20. Search, repotting a fig. It may help you see how to repair/remove rootbound conditions. These grow quickly. You may have bonzai'd it. Don't read just one source and cry, "Got it!" 3-5 and you get a good, "IOW" varied point of view. An exception might be if you read an efu, such as Perdue University. They are one "aggy" favorite.

What did you look you finally do? If you repotted, skip fertilizer until next spring. If you didn't fertilize lightly. Don't use fertilizer stakes but if that's all you've got, crumple one up and sprinkle it evenly over the soil and water in.

Yes, read everything you can find online but be aware that not all info on line or even on this website is useful. Look for info from universities and reputable plant nurseries.

Welcome to gardening, and kudos to you for reaching out. I must respectfully disagree with "Lucy". If those of us in the profession spent all day "sticking our fingers" into plant pots to check water needs, we'd have our digits worn to the bone. The best way to check a container for water needs is to pick it up. Water = weight. As a newbie, I'd advise you to pick up the container before watering, and again after you've watered it well. This will tell you when the container is light and needs water.

@AuntieEm , I think Lucy was referring to that one pot that one time, not as a rule. The person posting had never ever watered the plant and wanted advice. Checking the soil moisture makes sense. S/he wouldn't have known what the weight meant. Otherwise, most of us agree that is good advice.

Lucy respectfully wishes to inform AuntieEm that Lucy never sticks her fingers in the dirt. AuntieEm must have Lucy confused with someone else.

Yes, one tree, not a forest.

This discussion is another of so many examples of people doing a lot of different things, different paths to success. That there aren't many "rules" in gardening beyond some basics like "just add water," and that so many things can all be true at the same time, even if some of them contradict with some of the others. (Person #1's story does not need to be false for person #2's totally different story to be true.) Plants are 98% gray area. That's what makes them so fun and interesting to me.

It's great to see how many people are interested in sharing their stories.

Lucy68, you advised sticking fingers in dirt in the 9th reply after the original post. Surely you aren't advising someone to do something you never do yourself!

Thanks again for all the wonderful replies. I've enjoyed just how continuous and diverse this conversation has been.

Here's what I did do. I'm keeping it in the pot for the winter and I'm going to plant it in the ground in the spring. Until then I've started watering it. I did buy a moisture meter, although I am not opposed to sticking fingers in the dirt either. I did buy some liquid plant food and I'll be easing into it with half-strength through august and then stopping probably in September. In the spring I'll fix up the roots some and properly plant it in the ground. It'll get some good fertilizer then through the spring and summer. I'll try to water it some too just to really help it out.

If you think I should do something different, let me know!

I'm thinking you're on the right path!
To my mind, fertilizer is best used when the plant, growth, is in optimal condition. Fertilizer does not "repair" issues. It should only be used when good health, and good growth is imminent.
I think you're on the right track!
Wish you good luck, and good growing!
And tasty dividends!

That sounds reasonable, @bmbouter Best luck!

AuntieEm said: Lucy68, you advised sticking fingers in dirt in the 9th reply after the original post. Surely you aren't advising someone to do something you never do yourself!

Why AuntieEm, one might think you are trying to start an argument.

Yes I did advise that because it was obvious bmbouter had no idea how dry or wet the soil was. What better or faster way to find out than by sticking your finger in the dirt and testing?

Bmbouter is not "in the profession" (whatever profession that might be), has one pot, not a plantation full, that looks like it might be 5 gallons or so. Even if bmbouter were able to heft the pot, what are the odds they would understand exactly what they had just learned?

My advice stands... when in doubt, stick your finger in the dirt. And yes, I have been known to get my fingers very dirty.

Unless a pot is about 5" deep or less, using a digital device (finger) to check moisture levels can be very misleading. A 10" deep pot with soil that feels completely dry to the second knuckle, can have 6" or more of 100% saturated soil at the bottom of the pot; so while your finger says yes, water, the roots say "Oh no, not another flood!".

Moisture levels at the bottom of the pot are far more important than how dry the top few inches of soil might be. Using a finger reading as the impetus to water more often than not sets the stage for chronic over-watering, which causes the cyclic death and regeneration of roots which can rob plats of an extremely high % of their potential in terms of growth rate, vitality, and the plant's ability to defend itself.

One of the most reliable methods of checking a planting's need for water is using a 'tell' (far more reliable than a 'moisture meter' or finger. You can use a bamboo skewer in a pinch, but a wooden dowel rod of about 5/16" (75-85mm) works better. They usually come 48" (120cm) long and can usually be cut in half or in several pieces, depending on how deep your pots are. Sharpen both ends of each tell in a pencil sharpener and slightly blunt the tip so it's about the diameter of the head on a straight pin. Push the wooden tell deep into the soil. Don't worry, it won't harm the root system. If the plant is quite root-bound, you might need to try several places until you find one where you can push it all the way to the pot's bottom. Leave it a few seconds, then withdraw it and inspect the tip for moisture. For most plantings, withhold water until the tell's tip comes out nearly dry. If you see signs of wilting, adjust the interval between waterings so drought stress isn't a recurring issue.

Al