Tim:

I'm growing about 25 varieties of figs in pots from 1 gal to 12 gal size. All varieties fruit in 3 gal and larger. You don't need a dwarf variety of figs or any other fruiting plant for pots.

I currently have VDB started from cuttings March 2014 in 1 and 3 gal pots. They are covered with figs but none ripened before cold weather set in.

Black Jack is a large dark fig that I fruited several yrs in pots. I didn't like it much because like many large figs it's too watery for my taste. If grown under the right conditions of high heat/light and limited water it would be better. I'd say it's best for an inground tree with a well established root system where it's easier to limit water.

There's another fig touted for pots, Petite Negra, a natural dwarf. But if you try any fig you will find they all work in pots and end up about the same size. Key is learning how to prune which isn't hard.

My favorites so far in pots are Strawberry Verte, Paradiso, RDB, and Saint Rita. But I'll taste a lot more next yr.

In Socal I'd grow them inground. Easier to maximize eating quality via heat/water than in a pot.

Fruitnut: Where do you find these rarer varieties of fig? Do you actively avoid FMV sources? I've found Durio nursery in Louisiana has many rare varieties, but the cost is prohibitive ($20-30 per tree + $20 or more per 1-2 trees shipped).

To clarify, I'm not a fig collector...I just want to try some of the harder to find reportedly better tasting figs. I also live in Texas, and I currently have 2 brown turkeys and 2 celeste, but I got them from Lowe's at the time so I'm not sure about the brown turkeys at the moment.

Meister:

Join figs for fun forum. Introduce yourself, make a few friends, and cuttings will be available. If that doesn't appeal you can buy cuttings or order them from UC Davis. It's all covered in depth on f4f.

They have meetings in your area. Last yr at LSU's fig orchard.

Both black jack & vdb are naturally dwarfing varieties and will do well in containers. Growing figs in pots is a lot more work than planting them in the ground. They require constant watering and you must root prune them every year, which can be quite a job. It's so much easier to plant them in the ground, and you'll get much better production and better quality figs. Since both varieties are naturally dwarfing, they will do well in small spaces. I start all of my figs in pots, but they go in the ground in year two.

Can't speak to growing figs in containers, but can speak to VdB and BJ as being excellent figs. Both trees stay small and the fruit is as different as can be. If I had to pick one it would be VdB. Here's a colander full of both figs from July:

There is a very active fig forum.

I had a fig collection of 25 varieties when we lived in the warm south. They were all in pots since I had no room for them. I had to give them away since I thought Z6 NJ is too cold for them.

I have not looked back. It is too much work to grow figs in containers for me now.