Cold hardy figs

fig cuttings greatly appreciate bottom heat.

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Yes, it works very well.

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Thanks!

Ill probably buy this one with the thermostat controller.

I guess 75°F is ok for the cuttings?

How many hours per day do you use the mat?

Never used such a thing. :grin:

70 degrees - 75 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimal temperature range, as little humidity variation as possible, and good air movement to prevent mold.

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It gets cold and dry here in the winter usually. This year it has not been lower than 15 degrees. I’ve learned from other winters even if I wrap mine it still dies to the ground. To get figs through the winter last year I learned to bury them in dirt. This year I’m trying wood chips to see if they are better. The dirt is a great insulator so I get my fig close to the ground.

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In NYC they used to dig up the roots on one side of the fig trees every year to make it easier to bend the entire tree down.

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Never underestimate mulch! It was negative temperatures with the lowest being -9F minimum but likely slightly colder for more than a week. So I wanted to pull back some mulch and do the scratch test to show you all how this trick is working! Figs are just fine sleeping peacefully under a blanket of woodchips.

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Really think I may have got through most of the winter with most of my fig bush green under the woodchips. Now to find out how soon I can get it to fruit. How soon should I uncover it? I’m thinking April or may.

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Late April is probably safe. Light frosts as late as May here don’t do much damage aside from burned leaves, but hard freezes below 25 in April can kill them back to the ground if the buds are swollen.

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Right after last chance of frost is what I used to do. The more awake the fig trees are the more damage the cold does to them. I suspect for the same reason that pruning when plants are fully awake the wood is more likely to split than when they are dormant.

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I just bought two fig trees from a gentleman on this CL ad: https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/grd/d/fig-trees/6543736913.html I didn’t specify a variety and just said I wanted cold hardy trees that could stay in ground, but he did say they would need protection and gave ideas similar to what I’ve seen in this thread.

We chatted on the phone for over half and hour and he seemed knowledgeable about our area and what might do well for us. I am excited/nervous and was glad to find this thread and lots of pics. We have and use lots of woodchips, so I was glad to see @clarkinks’ posts of protecting with woodchips.

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Sounds like Michael. Great guy!

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@ClothAnnie
Winter got down around -9 or -10 here this year for awhile and maybe colder.The woodchips seem to have protected the fig but soon I will know more once I completely uncover it. These pictures show you winter hanging around and it’s already the 3rd of April! 2018 seems more like a normal winter like we had years ago accept it started a little later than normal. The snow has turned to rain last night and today. Another cold front is descending on us now. The fig is just a snow covered pile of woodchips so here are some pictures I took of the barn and carmine jewell cherries to give you an idea of the recent weather. It’s extremely foggy lately since cold and heat are meeting frequently with the ground being warm and the front being cold and now vice versa and soon flipped again. The day before the snow hit I was working outside barefoot in shorts. Kansas weather has always been extremely hot or cold and catches the unaware off guard. I’m thankful to God I wasn’t grafting yet! The stone fruit eg. Sweet cherries, plumcots, peaches likely would not handle these weather flips while callusing though pomes such as pears and apples usually are ok. Plums are the exception when it comes to stone fruit and seem very easy to graft perhaps even easier than pears and apples in my experience. The woodchips are a blanket to even things up a bit for the fig when the fig is sleeping and most vulnerable. A fig is a great addition for you and I would highly recommend Chicago hardy!


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Yep! He was definitely an experienced fig grower and very helpful! I actually wondered if he were on this forum:)

One thing I will mention once in awhile a branch pops up out of the woodchips which causes a loss of lots of figs. More woodchips is better than less.

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@ClothAnnie What varieties did you buy from him?

I’ve actually never had fresh figs that I can recall, so he offered to select two cold hardy ones for us and I’ll be surprised:) I’m just hoping they’ll be a hit with my family and if I keep them alive/ we enjoy the fruit, maybe we’ll pursue more varieties! I read of SO many kinds but I think until we taste some it’s hard to understand flavor descriptions.

I grow fig in groud in zone 5, Chicago
I just cover it with straw and a tarp on top. It survived at least for 7years now and I have fresh figs every fall. Very delicious

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Not to get too off topic here, Clark. But looks like you captured a UFO in that first picture. :thinking:

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Please let us know which varieties he picked for you- am very interested in his picks.