I can't believe it's August. It's going down to 48 tonight. And tomorrow the high is 73. This can't be summer? My trees have a lot of figs (for young trees) and I have high expectations. The extended forecast doesn't look great either. It looks pretty certain that we won't even have 1 day in the 90's this year. Will this unseasonably cool weather slow down ripening to the point I should worry? Should I move them (or whatever fits) to the greenhouse? Or should I just relax and not worry? Please share some wisdom. Thanks

I'm curious to see responses to this too.  It's been a mild summer for us too.  Not quite as chilly as PA but we should be warmer than this.

Tony, Another cold one tomorrow. It's supposed to warm up over the weekend and next week. I'd hold out on putting them in the greenhouse. It seems like they ripen way faster out of the greenhouse.
The greenhouse will come in handy in about a month or so.

I know you're right Art.  But it's pretty discouraging when you wake up on 8/15 to 48 degree weather.  It doesn't seem normal and I assume the figs can't like it?  But, as with most things, patience is probably the best approach.

I have a lot of figs waiting for it to get warm to ripen. But I fear there's going to be a lot of them going to waste.

If this is any indication of what's in store for us for this coming winter, we are in trouble.

I hear you Tony, this side of the state I think we had 2 or 3 days in 90's...weird. At least we're not paying high cooling bills like the heating bills last winter.

My guess, based on past posts, is ripening will be slowed and flavor probably won't be as good. Herman2 has often mentioned bad summers ruining harvests. Only early, cool tolerant varieties might make it in time. Fingers crossed mine ripen.

I guess just trying to be patient is the best approach.  It's not the daytime temps that concern me the most.  It's that it is getting so cold in the evenings.  I assume that type of temperature swing slows them down.  The extended forecast only calls for 1 more day with a night-time temp of 65 degrees.  The rest of the forecast, which I know isn't a perfect science, starts showing increasingly cooler night-time temps.  To be accurate the entire summer here has had many cooler than usual evenings (..and days!).  So I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I guess one good thing is they are almost all in pots on a darker stained patio - and although the temps are low it has been very sunny.  So maybe that will help out?

If these figs don't ripen there is going to be one seriously upset 9 year old!  My daughter checks their progress daily!

I think cutting down on the water will help with cooler temperatures but it wont be a cure for the cold weather.  I have two colar brebas ripening and it could take another week to ripen and they are not colouring very well already so my thought is the quality will be poorer than it should have been.

It only went down to 64 this morning in Fair Lawn, NJ
It supposed to be in the upper 60's at night and the upper 70's during the day for the next two weeks.

It's been unseasonably cool and wet here too. I don't want to complain about beautiful weather, I've had enough that deserved complaint over the last few years. I put up with that, I'm going to appreciate this.

At least it's a beautiful day. Nice and sunny...just cool.  I know I shouldn't complain before snow hits the ground.  But come on......it's supposed to be 46 degrees tonight!!!

We should be close to 90s for the next week, but it had been as cool as in the high 60s recently. It looks like Takoma Violet is aborting is crop. The figs are marble size, turning purple and shriveled. It reminds me of the way Melenzana used to.

This is a bad year for figs, but I've never gotten so much use out of my sunroom. It's usually uninhabitable this time of year. Also unusual to smell people burning wood in their fireplaces in August.

In Niagara area our updated forecast calls for cool (70's day/50's night) weather until Aug 22 then we are supposed to get some 80's.
But let's face it is middle of August so cool nights are the norm and yesterday was only 67.

I only have a small greenhouse so I am putting the young plants in to try and get max growth.  Ready to do the fig shuffle if it gets too hot in there.  The big plants move them to a sunny warm protected spot and hope for the best.

Figs keep ripening until the leaves get frozen so there is still lots of time.

Hi Ajv73,
I would use the greenhouse for lets say two trees to see which group gets more ripe fig.
If the greenhouse is empty for now, use it leaving one door opened, so that you don't cook the trees on one sunny warm day .
But being in the greenhouse should provide some heat to the trees and that for sure will help in ripening the figs 3 to 7 days faster -but you won't be a month faster ...
The last choice - to do or not to - is up to you !

It has been so stinking hot here in So. Florida and also too wet.

The cool weather is going to affect how the figs taste this year. I have some trees that are producing for the first time. But with cool days and even colder nights I know they won't be at their best. Usually we have the 3 H's in August. Hazy, Hot and Humid. This year it's been cool, cloudy and rainy. Maybe things will warm up in time to help ripen the main crop on my VDB which I've been waiting for. If nothing else I did at least get to try two breba from it. It's a keeper.