Fig tree in ground, in Qc, zone 4b-5a

I’m in Z6 and I’ve had a Hardy Chicago in ground for over 20 years. It’s above ground branches are killed at around 17 F (-8.3 C). Mine dies back to the ground level every year and grows 12+ feet (4m) tall with multiple stems and produces a lot of fruit.

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Hi gregkdc, I’m in Zone 6b also, in S. Indiana and have my Chicago Hardy planted in ground on the South side of my house, about 2 feet out from the foundation. Mine has lived for 4 years now. When it drops leaves and goes dormant in the fall, I cut it back to within 2 or 3 feet tall, mulch it heavily with dry straw, and cover it with a 1/2 of a 55 gallon plastic barrel, but use a white one to avoid holding too much heat. I put a cut 10 inches long in the top of the barrel and cover that with a brick, or uncover it depending on rainfall, wind and temp fluctuation. This lets out the excess moisture and I haven’t had any issue with molds. Our Springs can change very quickly back into winter here, but when temps are decent I remove the straw and then only use the barrel cover when temps hit the 30’s and lower. I’ve seen people bury HUGE fig trees, but have found my method to be much less labor and after 2 back surgeries I avoid digging when I can. I have a somewhat smaller plant in the spring, but I have an intact, undisturbed plant that bounces back quickly with often even no tip die back. I had a 7 foot potted Brown Turkey for several years that I drug in and out, up and down, just to get a few dozen figs off of. I finally lost that one to an unexpected freeze when I was out of town and I miss that beautiful single trunk tree, but I sure don’t miss the work. Good luck with your fig! Greg

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I am not and have not visited the place, but it is literally like 2 miles from our new house…I should go check it out, but it sounds as though many of the things they trialed there that I was most interested in didn’t perform well so they disco9ntinued them…I’m not sure, for example, if they have any remaining American persimmons or pawpaws at the site at this time

If you do visit, let us know please!

Pooreolf,
Thanks for your testimony. I measured the distance of my fig tree and the foundation, 2.1" ft.

I am in a colder zone, 6a. Could you please take a picture of your barrel? It sounded like you cut the top for air vent but you also cover it when it rains/snows/wet. Is that right?

I wish mine looked as good as yours, Mamuang! Yes, I cut a slit in the top, and usually leave the brick on most of the winter, and moisture doesn’t seem to get in thru it. Will try to get a picture tomorrow, but it’s just a plastic barrel with about 1/3 cut off… I washed out my rain barrels today, and when I turned the first one over to start I found my first large snake of the year. A 4ft black snake. I’m not phobic about them, but hate that surprise so early.

Here’s how it looks now. Had a hard time growing back since we stepped on it so many times…I am curious to find out how it’s gonna perform this winter.

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I think whiffletree nursery offers this plant now.

Thanks!

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Hello! I’m a fig grower in Québec! If you want informations or something else concerning figs please reply! I also speak French. Rudy

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Bonjour!! Contente de trouve un autre amateur Québécois et francophone…! I would love to know how to get figs to actually fruit!! I finally managed to kill my tree growing in ground (pretty bad weather fluctuations last winter… no snow cover). I now have 2 beautiful fig trees growing in containers/pots. They will both be 4 years old next summer. One is Chicago Hardy and the other wasn’t labelled and came from Nutcracker nursery. Nice plants, no fruit. What about you?

I live in zone 6, have 3 figs. In the last 8 years only once had it not died back where it had to start anew and figs had enough time to mature and ripen. It will grow back every year, but season is not long enough for them to ripen and they will only ripen on the tree. You can’t pick and store then if they’re not ripe. :confused:

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You need to tips pinching early at the fifth leaf to promote the main crops. This way you can ripen more figs before Winter.

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To some extent If you plant a fig tree deep enough in the ground it cant die, they don’t mind being buried deep in the ground permanently. Yet I’d imagine at some point of coldness no matter how deep in the ground a fig tree would die. If you try to plant another fig tree in the ground plant it a few feet deep and see what happens.

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hmmm, will try that, thanks.

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I have a in ground chicago hardy fig tree in Z5a. Im wondering when to uncover it, our day time temps are in the 70s but we are still getting 28 degree nights and before the end of frost season we normally have several nights dip into the high teens or low twenties before the frost worry is gone. I feel i need to unwrap it soon but would like to keep it asleep as long as possible, its currently in the shade but the sun will be at a proper angle to hit it soon. I worry about it molding once the temperatures raise while its covered and Technically our last frost date is may 15th but last five years we have only had really light frosts after may.

How old, how big is this tree?

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I unwrapped my Chicago Hardy few weeks ago. It was way too early. So I wrapped it back up with a moving blanket. Not as good wrapping as I had done for the winter. I unwrapped it again today and found it to be drier than the first time I unwrapped it. It probably suffered more damage during upper 20s and poor wrapping than mid teens and proper insulation. I’d wait longer if I were you.

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I assume i bought a first year cutting/air layer as it was pretty small but with a think trunk (12" or so tall) and decent rooting system in a 1 gal. I planted it and it got maybe 5’ tall and put on (didn’t ripen) say 4 figs. I took a black fabric pot that i had cucumbers in (they die by the early light frosts) dried out the soil dug a hole in it cut my fig back to 10" and popped it over the top before the first big freeze (CHFig seemed to handle the light ones). I just uncovered it as i don’t want to cook the fig and i was worried about it getting warm and molding. There was mold at the soil level but the fig seems alive (is bendable) and doesnt really have any mold on it currently since it was pretty dry and cold. We have a week of 70s and not freezing and the sun is now starting to hit the spot its in. Im hoping it doesn’t wake up and stays asleep like all of my trees and wishing i had some weed free straw for some of the upcoming freezes.

Did your fig wake up and get affected by the upper 20’s? or was it just the trunk that was affected. I plan on covering through the frosts which will stay easy if she doesn’t leaf out.

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It’s still dormant. But top part is drying out.