I have been doing the fig shuffle with this cold weather. In and out of the garage. So far the new starts seem to be OK even as cold as 35F. I’m not sure it got that cold, but for sure 38F and not even any leaf droop. Which is what I’m looking for. They may be shocked a little, which is fine. i want them to slow down till the weather improves.
Right now it’s 32F so garage is closed and no light for them. Hoping in a couple hours I can open it for at least part of the day. Expected freezing temps again tonight and on and off for another week.
I’m also looking for cold hardy figs and at this point I only want to add English Brown Turkey. Many I could try, but I am out of room. I do need the EBT as mentioned it’s one of the best for my area.
I was thinking of planting a few in ground and in the fall after dormant, digging them up, and just storing in the garage till spring. At least ones with breba crops. I may try burying one too. I don’t see any above ground protection doing any good here.
I’ve been leaving my figs out every night. Only pulled them in the night we got down to 30. They’ve been out several nights where temps got down near freezing. They are not leaved out but showing green tips. I’ll pull them in tonight. Forecst is for 29.
In my limited experience with English BT variants, grow them in a pot. They need a long season to ripen the main crop and seldom will in ground according to one experienced grower. Plus, the breba crop is really plentiful and tasty on them.
That being said, I’ll probably plant one out this year or next to find out how they do
Give me a little more time to observe and digest. 2015 was my plant out year. Over 90 Cultivars of figs and i think 28 cultivar of Pomegranate planted out that I have sized up a couple years in pot winterized inside . I had a few in ground prior but this was the 1st year in ground for most. I am not sure I am considered northern in 7a. I only reached 12f I think twice for limited time as opposed to around 0F two prior years. Most every Pomegranate seems to have made it with exception of a couple with no damage. Most figs that had matured to gray wood seem to be fine regardless of cultivar. Although my figs did fo dormant prior to cold 1st year wood regardless of how hardened off seem to have taken damage. I have at least 2 of most planted so a better measure. It’s going to take me some time to evaluate 160+ figs that are just breaking bud and 40+ Pomegranates. I think I stated in another post that in general I considered Figs more hardy than Pomegranates, but I should have stated they seem to recover from freeze to ground better.
Thanks Kelby for the advice will do. I’m in no hurry to pick one up, but want to at some point. I should get 30-40 figs this year, looking forward to it!
I tried Florea on a new rooted plant, they were rather bland, but it’s a young plant. It is a prolific producer, so even if they don’t improve I’ll be keeping it. I could always make jam. I will use them dried for jam.
Wow! I thought I was dragging a lot of pots in and out. That’s REALLY a lot of containers! What sizes containers were they in? Were you keeping them inside your house or elsewhere? That many would really put a cramp in my living space. Of all the years you could have chosen to plant them out, 2015 was probably the best one to plant them and have them weather their first winter.
Yes I think it turned out at least better than the prior 2 winters to try and get established. I had a 2 car garage full and many were stacked. I think the largest fig pots were 20-25 gal. I had a lot in 15gal 10gal and everything down to 3 gal. The Pomegarante were in 5 and 3 gal for most part. The garage was pretty packed as citrus and smaller 1st year plants in 1 gal as well which are mostly in 5 and 3 gal this year, so my wife got 1/2 garage for 1st time ever. That shuffling of pots I could not do again. I hopefully move out for good this year I think it was about 150 pots if I count the 1 gals, but was a cake walk compared to last year here is a pic today, still leaving close to garage just in case, really glad only the maybe couple dozen pots larger that 5 gals
Strudeldog, my goodness that’s a lot of pots. I had some citrus that I gave up on quite a few, and it was less than 12 pots!
Anyway, Celeste leafing out very well. It’s a bush with 6 or 7 branches coming from the ground.
My Suhr Anor Pomegranate is also surprising me. It looked very sickly last year, but it is now leafing remarkably. It’s the best it’s EVER looked. Might just be good luck with no late frosts this year…
I however am only in Zone 7b, 8A. Northern to me would be Zone 6 and up. I can’t see anyone trying Poms in ground that far North though…
Ah yes my zone! I would agree. The longer I grow edibles the more it makes sense to grow what works in your zone. Zone pushing can be fun, but can not work well too. Figs are cool as you can get decent crops from container plants, well worth growing in zone 6.
I try to keep good notes on cultivars to try. Yesterday on one of the fig forums someone mentioned LSU Champagne ripens well in cold weather. So added to my want list!
I checked my other fig stand today, They did much better. Its about 100’ higher, my yard is a steep hill. The lower figs are about 50’ above the stream - the bottom of the little valley I am in. I strongly expect the microclimate is what did in the lower figs. The poms seem to have done well everywhere, either high or low or in the middle of the hill.
Some of my blackberries right against the south side of the house actually kept their leaves all winter! It shows how microclimate matters. I used to have my figs there as well but had to move them when we added a porch. I bet if I still had figs there they would have come through great.
To my surprise, the Strawberry Verte fig planted in my z7a backyard is showing a new green bud today. This plant was a cutting from @fruitnut. It survived the winter with a foot of leaves dumped on it for insulation. Our low was around 8 F this past winter-- which was mild compared to previous years.
I posted the above before the late freezes hit. I had three rounds, each down to 27-28F. They killed the just-budded leaves on about half the pom shoots. It seemed sort of random what died, and a whole shoot either lived or died. The figs also got more damage, but not a lot more as nothing had budded out yet. I also lost the majority of the new kiwi shoots; it was more a whole variety got hit or not and not just random shoots like on the poms. The kiwis are budding back fine, there are backup buds at the bases. The poms seem to be unable to recover when the buds die, all they can do is start again from the roots if all buds die. For the figs its more the whole shoot dried out, its not an issue of bud or leaf hardiness.
Its becoming more clear why pomegranates are not so common in my zone, even with the most hardy ones possible they are iffy. The two doing best with the buds not freezing were Kaj Acik Anor and EL Russian Hardy aka Inhulsen #8, those got almost no damage. But I don’t think its completely the variety, there is a random element.
The figs planted in my z7a backyard came thru better than expected. I had put leaves and tarps over them this winter (and during last week’s freezes).
Strawberry Verte was the first to show a green bud. Appears to have suffered no damage!
Next was Black Mission. Some die-back, but some green buds too.
And now Battaglia Green appears to be pushing a green bud (with some possible die-back).
I have a friend in Burke, Virginia who dug out figs that the person who previously owned his home had growing. Last year, he dug out the fig stumps (he didn’t want them) and threw them over a fence into the woods. One of them continued to live through last year - even as it was above ground and totally exposed to the elements! We looked at it today (he had folks over for a baby shower) and the thing is still alive this year!
He let me throw it in my trunk. I plan to plant it tomorrow.
In prior years, he said it put out hundreds of figs. Green with a red center. Probably a Green Ischia (aka Strawberry Verte).
I don’t have poms, and my figs were in pots in the garage. It seems like a perfect environment for them. All leafing out now. I may put some in ground, but will probably remove before winter.
