I want to plant an olive for dappled shade on or near our sunny deck,
and a fig nearby for the fruit and the birds they attract.

However a sewer runs close by (maybe 1.5mm below the surface,
horizontal-drilled under the deck) and I worry what damage the
olive and fig roots might do to that.

So I thought of containers.

Assuming I get an olive (pictual, verdale?) and a fig (which?) that
will suit container planting, what are the requirements for such
container set-ups?

Size of container. They'll eventually need to be fairly big. What's
the procedure? Buy a small 1m high olive and fig plant and re-pot them
into progressively bigger containers, or do I just put each young
plant into a container big enough for the adult tree?

Drainage. The containers must drain quite freely - they'd need to be
raised up from our clay-based soil. I'd best not sink them into the
ground. Is that right?

Potting mix. What do you recommend to start with and what feeding
do I do to replenish the mix?

Brian
--
Auckland NEW ZEALAND