I understand what you’re saying. Here in 7 A/B I can get a decent crop after top die back because of the varieties I planted (Takoma Violet, RdB, Battaglia Green, Malta Black), but would be larger crop if the top survived.
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That makes a huge difference. There is material die back with the above approach.
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Interesting. I’ve used leaves with no issue for other woody plants. Are figs more susceptible to rot?
@hambone that’s not very promising for my low cordon CH. My current plan was to put leaves and agribon over it, but maybe I’ll need something more substantial.
@jcguarneri I think so. So many winterizing schemes. There’s a veteran maine fig grower @JesseinMaine who might have advice for your New Hampshire fig winterizing.
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I have it sized so that I should be able to cover it up with a large plastic tote. Maybe I’ll try filling one of those with dry leaves to improve the insulating qualities. I’ve also been toying with the idea of making a “cover” out of foam board insulation, or just surrounding it with straw bales. The tree is right in front of a stone wall, so that should help too.
Jesse has a long history of experimenting with various methods so feel free to contact him. Some methods invite rot or voles if you have them, others don’t so his experience will be golden for you.
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Method that has worked pretty well for me is to pin limbs down to the ground and cover with 12-18” woodchips/mulch. Voles do like to the nibble the cambium, but I haven’t had a problem with them tunneling into woodchips
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Does this require hardwood chips or mulch or is cedar OK?
It seems that the bags of mulch or chips from garden stores are softwoods such as cedar?
If this is harmful to figs, I will work on getting the right kind.
@PaulInMaplewood I think all of that works. Just not lightweight, wispy stuff like oak leaves (learned that the hard way) or pine needles or grass clippings or straw. Needs to be dense, weighty.
Not sure if that should be heavy weight.
This year I’m going to buy bags of pine bark fine to cover some young fig branches. Then I can use some of them to pot figs next year. This is considered lightweight. I just do not want to weight down on fig branches and break them. I do not have severe winter weather as in zone 5. So 5"-6" bag of mulch on top of base wood chip mulch should be fine.
The most important thing is the moisture. If you want to bury any part of the fig plants, cover them above grade. I buried some fig plants in ground last year and the results were mixed. Too much moisture.
Experimented with the aero garden to see what would happen. Cutting was a Little Ruby that was not dormant. It lost it’s leaves and now things are growing back. I didn’t track the date I started it, but it’s been 3-4 weeks.
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Here in Madison, Wisconsin, below freezing overnight temperatures are forecast but with temperatures well above freezing in the day.
My Chicago Hardy Figs that I got established this season still have leaves. Should I “bed” the fig plants with a woodchip covering for winter now, or should I wait for them to drop their leaves first before covering them?
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I’ve been told by experts that it’s important to let the fig plant enter dormancy on its own before burying it in wood chips. Here in 7B that’s mid-December after night lows have dipped into the high 20’s but before they hit say 25 or so.
Figs, as other plants, enter dormancy over a long period. The less you interfere with that process the more winter hardy they become. That is my understanding but I am not a fig expert.
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My Turkish fig seedlings are growing well. Still indoors under grow lights.
Probably should let them go dormant soon
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What do y’all think about this method?
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I will be starting my first fig cutting rooting attempt soon.
Instead of using coco coir… Others here suggested Pro Mix HP and I may add some extra Vermiculite to that. I got the last of my materials in today… so may start that soon, tonight if possible. I am off work now.
I watched a youtube vid (millennial gardner) who has been prop’n figs by cuttings for several years now, and has all his vids online… he has tried several things over the years, trying to perfect the process…
In one of his last vids, he said he had great luck getting fig cuttings to root with coco coir… but he had a terrible success rate at getting those make it once potted. Many just failed. He was not using coco coir anymore because of that.
He was using a mix of best I remember peat, and fine pine bark mulch (screened to get small pieces) and vermiculite. He went pretty heavy on the vermiculite too.
Keep in mind I am a complete newbie to this… but he has been doing this for many years now and he is still doing his best to prefect the process. I think the vid below is one of his latest.
Perhaps others here can give us more tips.
PS… I have the same 4x9 tree pots that he shows, also same clear storage container, same heat mat and thermostat… that he uses. The thermostat is used to control the heat mat… so that it maintains 77 degrees.
Best of luck
TNHunter
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@TNHunter – this is a fantastic resource, just in time for me. I can attest that I rooted all of my cuttings from Harvey’s sale last year in coco coir following the J Sacadura method but half of them perished as I transferred them to plant pots. I bought more cuttings from Harvey this year and I’m hoping to have better luck, thanks for sharing!
edit to clarify: I’m intending to offer data that I did not have much luck with coco coir, I’m not intending to say anything about the propagation method itself, I’m a newbie!
I don’t know how well that method compares to others, figs are supposed to be pretty easy. But the production value and signal to noise in that video is outstanding.
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I stuck several (extra) cuttings deep in a outside garden bed last Dec 2, 2021… made a brick stack wall around them and covered with pine bark mulch.
Not sure if any of those will make it, but can’t wait to check that out and see. I would be thrilled if even one rooted successfully. I may have to uncover some of those Mid March and find out.
TNHunter
I’d recommend using common sense. Most of the folks here have been growing and rooting other fruit cuttings for year. Rooting fig is similar to rooting grape and other hardwood cuttings. Same principles.
Just do not make it super complicated.
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