Figs are deciduous and will drop their leaves in the Fall in non-tropical climates. If you are in zone 9 or above, there is no need to winterize it. Otherwise, provide adequate protection before temperatures drop below the low 20’s F.
7 Likes
I’ve seen conflicting information on growing common figs in climates with no chilling hours.
In those climates does dormancy need to be forced by stripping leaves? Or will common figs be evergreen and fruit without issue
1 Like
I have also seen conflicting reports, but from what I can tell they don’t need chill hours. It seems that defoliating helps produce a crop, but they don’t go dormant and just start pushing new growth. So its more like pruning and less forcing dormancy. It doesn’t seem to be required however.
Places with 0 chill hours are usually not good for growing figs for other reasons like too much rain, humidity and pests. There is very few places with 0 chill hours that aren’t tropical or humid subtropical, dryer or high elevated areas typically get night time chills, which is enough for figs.
1 Like
That’s a great point. The lower humidity means night time temperatures get lower (specific heat and all that) anyway
Figs will drop leaves from drought as well as from cold temps.
4 Likes
Figs have no chill hour requirement. The “fruit” of fig trees is actually a syconium – a type of closed, composite flower. Botanically it is not a fruit.
7 Likes
Richard, in an interview Burbank said he thought a ficus carica x a morus species would be just a matter of time in his constant experiments. Do you think it was ever possible with his methods available at that time?
Wait, like Ficus carica x Morus alba?
I’d be curious to know what method was supposed to enable that.
Or F. carica x sycamorus?
1 Like
Oh, sorry! Mulberry 
Dang, yeah that seems a pretty significant genetic difference. Was the idea something like to use ficus x “bridge species” x “bridge species” x … x morus?
Mulberry is more closely related to breadfruit than figs, but even then it’s not exactly close. Same with the osage oranges, which are about as close as breadfruit, which is another way of saying not close at all. The only species somewhat close to mulberries, within the same tribe anyway, that some people may have encountered is the African tropical hardwood called iroko or African teak in the genus Milicia.
I get that there are intergeneric hybrids, even fertile ones, but…
2 Likes
He was definitely a pioneer, thrived in a challenge. Seems like he never had the word “impossible” explained to him! 
1 Like
@randyks
L. Burbank was unaware of the many divisions among Ficus, let alone in Moraceae. He did know of intergenus crosses in other plant families. Perhaps that is what motivated his speculation.
2 Likes
I didn’t realize this was the same family, but breadfruit looks and grows alot more like figs than mulberry. I aslo recently found out the ornamental rubber tree is actually a type of fig, which would explain why I kept looking at them and thinking they were figs. But breadfruit grows very similarly to the rubber fig, so it makes sense they are related, even if it is mildly so.
8 Likes
@sharq
I prefer to start propagation of cuttings in the last month of winter. However, a half dozen cuttings from a persistent caprifig arrived a few days ago and so I had to “make do”.
Our outdoor weather this month in Vista CA is predicted to have daytime temperatures up to the low 70’s F and bottom out in the low 50’s F pre-dawn – and no rain. So I attempted two grafts which might adhere before cooler temperatures in next month. I don’t expect to know if they are successful until midsummer – the same is true if when I graft in the last month of winter.
Anyway, I used an inexpensive grafting tool to make the splice cuts. I then painstakingly wrapped the joined wood with 1.25" parafilm tape from about 2" below the graft all the way up around the top of the scion. It required multiple attempts on my part. Afterwards I applied a second wrapping of Scotch #2242 rubber tape for structural integrity. This is easier than the parafilm, although you’ll need scissors.
I cut the 5 remaining scions in half, leaving at least 2 nodes each. For these I prepared 10 4" rooting pots which I filled with coarse ground sphagnum moss. I then soaked these in a tray of water for about 10 minutes – topping off with ground moss as necessary. I then let them drain for a while. Next I wrapped the scions with parafilm from mid-length to the top – to protect them from drying out. I then pushed each scion into the middle of its eventual rooting pot but then pulled them out right away. This does two things: dampens the lower half of the scion, and creates a hole in the peat for placement. Now that the lower half of the scions are damp, I rub them with a tiny amount of rooting hormone (more is not better) and place them back in their holes.
Whew! Next I placed the rack of pots in a plant tray and place that on a standard plant heat mat for seedlings. Since this is near a window in our home I also made a cardboard shield to protect them from direct sunlight. I will check the moisture level about once per week by weighing the plants en mass. In the photo you’ll also see a plant light fixture above but its timer will remain off until the cuttings hopefully sprout. If not, I’ll try again in March.
7 Likes
Does Celeste ripen in the cold here?
I don’t have Celeste.
Improved Celeste is a different cultivar than standard Celeste, though it was bred from Celeste. Both are early-ripening figs, with Improved Celeste being one of the earliest ripening cultivars.
I, myself, only have Celeste (not Improved Celeste). I never really get to see how it ripens in cold weather because of how early it starts ripening and how quickly it ripens its entire crop (at least in a pot). 2-3 weeks in late August - early September here and then it’s done. It’s one of my best varieties at avoiding ripening any figs in cold weather for this reason.
2 Likes
The great thing about IC is that it is everbearing — starts early and keeps producing into frost.
2 Likes
I have a big tree from Lowes that was just called Celeste on the tag. For the last 2 years, it’s been putting out figs but none of them ever ripen. They just fall off. Now that we’re in Washington state, some of the figs look like they’re getting bigger overall though but it’s going dormant even in the heated greenhouse.