[SusieB]

I want to build a stone trough for a fig tree.  It is next to where I have chopped down a laurel tree, so I won't be able dig/hack down too far.  But this shallow stone trough on top of the soil will add a  bit of depth of decent soil.

I am a building novice.  I have three heavy stone slabs 2.5inches thick, 12 inches high.  The trough will be 28inches long by 22 inches wide.  I haven't found a slab for the fourth side, but I can use anything as it's against a fence. 

How do I stick them together?

 

[m1ckz]

mortar           GRIPFILL 

[Snoop]

I'm not a fig tree expert but I've seen quite a few growing and I can't envisage how you would grow one in a trough, though it sounds almost like you're building a three-sided wall with single pieces of stone for each wall. How do you foresee the roots developing? Will it be a large trough (not just depth but surface area)?

[SusieB]

Is that mortar and gripfill, or one or the other.  Gripfill sounds easiest, but I might be brave and try mortar.  The trough will be 28ins x 22ins (surface area) and placed over soil for the roots to carry on down.  I believe figs like their roots constraining to fruit well, and it's been in a large pot for 15 years, so I am hoping this will work.

[Snoop]

Crumbs, I'm surprised about constraining their roots. Nearly all the ones I've seen are pretty large, either in height, girth or number of trunks, so they must have extremely well developed roots. The local advice here is that if your fig tree isn't fruiting, it needs shocking. It's a poor term but in essence it means chopping back almost all the trunks that might be growing from the base and giving what's left a severe pruning. If that doesn't work, you chop some of the roots back, but this is regarded as drastic surgery. When we moved here, nobody had looked after our fig for donkey's years, but cutting the unwanted trunks (a dozen or so spindly things) did the trick and now it is extremely productive.

Most but not all the trees round my way are growing above terrace walls, so the roots can only develop on three sides, but to cope with the gale force winds here, the trees need to be very secure and must have good roots. I've just had a look at a piece in the Telegraph that talks about containing roots to ensure a crop of fruit. The purpose of this containment is to stop the tree from growing so it channels its efforts towards fruit. You can achieve the same effect by chopping back unwanted growth but keeping well-developed roots to feed the trunk/trunks you allow to grow.

Don't take this amiss, but it seems to me that the Telegraph advice and growing a fig tree in a pot/trough is like growing a somewhat large bonsai. You'd get a far better crop if you could grow a fig tree in a decent site but just keep cutting back any new growth at the base each spring. A once a year task that would save you a lot of effort watering and would give you a very handsome tree and more, bigger and juicier fruit. Whether you could do this with a tree that's been in a pot for 15 years is another matter. So you might do well to try the Telegraph way, but a fig tree needs room to grow and be productive, that much I do know.

[SusieB]

I think the difference is that you live in Spain, I live in Manchester. 

I would love to grow a full-sized fig tree, but there is little point in our climate.  Here they are grown for ornamental value with a the hope of a few home-grown fruit.  It has grown successfully (to my minimal standards!) in a pot, and now I want to grow it in a trough like a friend of mine has, in my small courtyard.  In my head it will look lovely with it's big green leaves and a few fruit. 

I posted this on 'Grow Your Own', just wanted to bodge some slabs together.  It was moved to 'Design and Construction' which I think is way over my head.  Thanks everybody though for your comments.

[snowdrops]

I think what you are proposing to do is feasible. From your original post I think I am correct in surmising that actually what you are proposing is a raised bed & not a trough as it will not have a base. I would dig over as much of the soil as you can, add some well rotted manure if possible, build your slabs in to your trough / raised bed, soak your fig tree well & then remove from its 15 year pot,then plant,taking care to replant at the same level. Infill with some good compost for  trees in pots,water well. I prune my fig in the winter. I repotted mine into a large planter last year & got more figs than I had previously. This year I intend to put wires on the wall behind it & tie it to them. Fix your slabs together as previously suggested by m1ck

[Snoop]

I misunderstood, for a few fruit, I am sure your plan will work, but for more fruit you need more tree and roots. As for the weather in Spain, where I live is not what you'd imagine as the typical Spanish climate. We had a hard frost this morning, again, and we've had drizzle pretty well most days for the last few weeks. Last year we had frosts as late as 6 May, usually the last frost is around 10 April. I used to live in Macclesfield - it's probably warmer there today than it is where I am!

[SusieB]

I'm still jealous of you living in Spain!