It has been about three years since this fig was last potted.

The tree in 2015

The soil is somewhat compacted and broken down and therefore needs to be replaced. Since it is a large tree it can’t easily be moved by even two people. So the process involves leaving the tree in the pot, while removing the soil from around the tree.

The old soil has been removed and the tree placed on top of the pot ready for roots to be trimmed back

Once most of the soil has been removed the tree can be lifted up and tilted so the roots can be cleaned of any adherent soil and long roots trimmed back

Tree tilted back to remove old soil and shorten the roots.

Then the tree is lifted out of the pot and put aside while the pot is cleaned of residual old soil and the pot is placed back up on the shelf.

Long roots have been shortened back

Then large, coarse inorganic particles are placed into the bottom of the pot.

Coarse new inorganic media are pot into the bottom of the pot and a mound is left in the center of the pot

A central area is hilled up high enough to keep the tree at the proper level and then soil is placed around the tree filling the pot up.

Once the soil is nearly filling the pot chopsticks are used to settle the soil down into the pot and more soil is added as the chopsticking continues.

Chopstick used to settle the soil around the roots

The tree is watered well

The whole process for this one tree took about 3.5 hours for two people.