Cold hardy figs

thetre’s a group of people who think insulation funnels ground heat up to the ends of the tree.
i doubt that.

My CH fig is starting to grow again. Buds up to about 6 inches on the trunk. It didn’t do as well as I thought it would. I think I definitely uncovered it too early. Lesson learned.
Anyway, the main trunk is budding out very slowly. I have better growth coming out from ground and on a smaller branch. See pic.should I let what’s coming from the ground become the tree or take all that out and let the poor growth on main trunk become the tree?
I don’t want to let all of it grow because I would like to keep this as a tree and branch out around 2 feet level. Thoughts ?

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it’s too early to judge the main trunk.
patience.
do limit to no more than 3 trunks, for max production.

2 or 3 main trunks can form a pleasing tree shape. my best tree has 2 thick trunks, but in a month you won’t be able to tell that it’s not one trunk.

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:heart_eyes:.

I made mistakes last year tarping the fig bush. Highly recommend just using wood chips in the future!

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One of my figs which grew in a container for 2 years died this winter. The Brown Turkey is alive and well from the roots, sending up new leaves. I live in zone 8b in WA, and wondered would it be wiser in ground? Is it requiring lots of sun, because best place might be in part shade near bushes and another tree.

you can grow any fig inground in 8b.

once you get it used to the sun, full sun will yield more fruit.
for part shade, HC works well.

you should still protect it in winter for a couple of years, just in case…

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Great shot, what variety apple?

Fig trees are more cold sensitive in pots

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or. they don’t benefit from ground heat as much.

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True ground heat, and a larger/deeper area takes longer to freeze. Those are reasons they are more sensitive in pots, the pots are like fridges/freezers in the winter, because they are so small and closed, and no real source of heat.

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I picked a fig that overwintered in my garage as a small fig today. It was the sweetest one from this tree so far. It sort of tasted like strawberry jam. My other figs are growing well too. I should have a large crop this year. Normally this fig has more of a melon taste like honeydew.

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hmmm.
i always remove little figs from my trees when i wrap.
perhaps this was a mistake.

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I don’t wrap them because my garage is heated enough to stay just above freezing. This one grew to be a monster. I waited longer to pick this one because the others were dry and unripe. It cracked open today so I had to pick it.

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I have a Chicago Hardy planted in ground last year. Everything except bottom 6” were killed last winter. It’s about 4’ tall now. Gave me 2 delicious fruit about a month ago. At that point it still had about 10 more fruits that I was hoping would ripen before frost. Now They are about the same size and doesn’t show any sign of ripening. Is it Normal for CH to not ripen fruit in my zone?

Mine main season Chicago Hardy has not ripen yet. It runs out of the time now. Hope next year. Make it start to have fruit early helps. I some years can harvested main season figs, some years I didn’t

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I would say it should ripen in time. You are at least half a zone warmer. My in-ground HC ripened in the 3rd and 4th week of Sept.

Fruit figs grow in stages. The dormant/stagnant stage (not getting big) last about 40 days. Then, they sudden swell up and ripen quickly.

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Ok that means it still has a chance. They’ve been doing nothing for a while. I didn’t know they can go stagnant for as many as 40 days. Hopefully they’ll ripen within the next two weeks…

By the way your inground HC is the mother of mine, so if yours ripen fruit before frost, mine should too.

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Like mother, like daughter, I hope. :smile:

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