Are these big enough?

[Figgerlickinggood]

To plant inground now?

 

[Bofig]

I would. Early summer is best from my experience. I’ve done tree pots right to ground with great luck.

 

[rayray]

I’ve planted tiny nothings in the ground, the size of my pinky.

I’ve even rooted cuttings directly in the ground.

 

[Ben]

I have less experience here than many others, but I've put 15 in ground this spring that were either that size or smaller. All 15 are thriving. 7b Maryland.

 

[rayray]

Remember when planting in ground

High and Dry

Is usually the best route to take other than sun exposure

 

[Figless]

@Figgerlickinggood
Teresa all three starter trees look good to go. My only caveat would be if they're very loose in the soil, suggesting less developed roots. Sometimes this happens.

 

[TorontoJoe]

I think you might need a bit of critter and trampling protection until they get established.

 

[Ben]

I think you might need a bit of critter and trampling protection until they get established.

Yes, good point I forgot to mention in my reply. I surrounded mine in ground with a ring of 30" high chicken wire.

 

[superdave336]

Yes, good point I forgot to mention in my reply. I surrounded mine in ground with a ring of 30" high chicken wire.View attachment 8792

Very nice.

 

[TorontoJoe]

@Figgerlickinggood - I can't recall if you mentioned. Do you know if you have voles or groundhogs there? If there's any concern about this in the future, now is the time to put a wire root basket in the hole

 

[rayray]

Yes, good point I forgot to mention in my reply. I surrounded mine in ground with a ring of 30" high chicken wire.View attachment 8792

That's a nice piece of flat level land

 

[387PETE]

I would wait until next spring to put them inground. Let them get a nice root ball. I put some 2 year old trees in the ground this spring and they really took off. The 1 year old trees sometimes start slow and take a while to get growing. Don't know if the newly rooted cuttings will adjust enough to make it through the winter inground.

 

[rayray]

I would wait until next spring to put them inground. Let them get a nice root ball. I put some 2 year old trees in the ground this spring and they really took off. The 1 year old trees sometimes start slow and take a while to get growing. Don't know if the newly rooted cuttings will adjust enough to make it through the winter inground.

That's true, a while back my buddy and I planted 8 very young figs in my garden beds, 4 died and 4 lived through winter--we buried them under the ground for the winter. The one's that were planted a little higher and dryer made it the one's where water collected all died.

 

[figologist]

My answer is "depends on what zone you're in". Here in Oregon, we can get really cold periodically. And in my experience, first year cuttings with a lot of green growth experience a lot of tip death. So you have to be prepared to protect 1st year plants if they're going in ground. I keep mine in a 3g pot for a year and plant the following spring.

 

[superdave336]

I would wait until next spring to put them inground. Let them get a nice root ball. I put some 2 year old trees in the ground this spring and they really took off. The 1 year old trees sometimes start slow and take a while to get growing. Don't know if the newly rooted cuttings will adjust enough to make it through the winter inground.

This is what I’ve heard as well. Let them get a good root system and stronger before planting out and they will do much better. And usually always need to protect them somehow the first year.

 

[Figsee]

I would wait until next spring to put them inground. Let them get a nice root ball. I put some 2 year old trees in the ground this spring and they really took off. The 1 year old trees sometimes start slow and take a while to get growing. Don't know if the newly rooted cuttings will adjust enough to make it through the winter inground.

Yea I agree. As nice as it would be to get some of my young trees in ground, waiting to year two seems like the minimum for me in Pa

 

[bushdoctor82]

My mindset is the earlier, the better - mostly driven by my distaste for taking care of plants in small pots.

I’ve planted inground 2-month old rooted cuttings in pints, 4-month old rooted cuttings in a gallon, 1-year old trees in 7 gallons and 2-year old trees in 15-gallons and haven’t noticed any difference in Winter hardiness or productivity between them. The main difference is the size of the hole you have to dig and checking and pruning away potential girdling roots.

 

[Ben]

That's a nice piece of flat level land

Haha, for 50 miles in every direction!

 

[ETXfigs]

Just my opinion but I would try to get as much growth on them this season in the pots. I would give them a high nitrogen fertilizer. Then next spring put them in the ground and they will have the whole season to get established in ground.

 

[Figgerlickinggood]

That's true, a while back my buddy and I planted 8 very young figs in my garden beds, 4 died and 4 lived through winter--we buried them under the ground for the winter. The one's that were planted a little higher and dryer made it the one's where water collected all died.

So the one’s that didn’t make it had nothing to do with their size. That’s good to know thank you.