Hi;   Finally have figs for the first time since sandy in Staten Island, Dongan Hills.  Each year I pruned down to the bottom stomp.  The reason is that each year my fig tree grows into a thick bush with green branches which freeze over each year.  How do I winterize a bushy fig tree that is 10+ feet wide with many branches?

CYA

Hi Tony,

    My sister-n-laws father had a fig tree that size for years here in Eastern MA and he would winterize it every year. This is what he did, he stacked hay bales around the tree, stuffed the center with leaves and then threw a big blue tarp over the top.

    He had minimal dieback every year. His biggest issue was with mice/voles eating the bark off the tree but if he waited until well after the first frost (late Nov) to wrap it the rodent issues were minimal.

    I have an offspring of that tree in a whiskey barrel and I use a similar process to winterize it but I trim it back to 5 feet and remove some limbs before I wrap it.

    Hope this helps and good luck.

Kevin

One other thing, my sister-in-laws father drove a few stakes close to the root ball and tied or tried to tie as many branches as close to together as possible. Some branches were trimmed at this point seeing the were more horizontal than vertical. By tying all the branches together towards the center of the root mass, it decreased the "circle" of hay bales around the fig.

I had an issue with mice/voles chewing any bark they found on my figs that were in ground in my greenhouse. When I noticed this I used some tinfoil which was very easy to form around the branches which worked to stop them from chewing more. This was late winter/early spring that I noticed this so it wasn't on for very long before I started warming up the greenhouse in April. Does anyone think it would do any harm to wrap branches with foil after dormancy for the entire winter while enclosed in an insulated manner? I don't think it would cause a moisture issue because it would not be air tight.
Tyler

Tin foil?!! I think that's a great idea! (please no one explain why it's not lol) I've lost count of trees I've had girdled by gnawing rodents :/ Its enough to drive one mad!! Even beavers stripping the bark on giant willows in my back yard! Though we finally managed to stop them with loosly wrapped chicken wire. So I am sold on this tin foil idea

Hi Ed.
They chewed just the lower 5 or 6 inches or so. I had pruned the plant down to about 2' branches and wrapped them all which doesn't take much foil to do.
I'll have to try that tv thing lol.. we pay way too much for satellite tv now anyways lol

Tyler

Hi,
This is what I do : I tie all branches up and to the center of the tree.
I push down a dark trashcan with bottom removed on the tree - on larger trees I use 2 trashcans.
I fill (the half of) the trashcans with compost -dark dirt- from the nurseries.
I use the empty bag of the compost to put over the tree as a hat.
Rodents don't bother the trees as they are protected by the compost.

jds.... when you use 2 trash cans do you have any openings for ventilation at all?? I was thinking of doing that with my desert king I put in the ground this year.

Hi tylerj,
I just remove the bottom to use the trashcan as a sleeve on the trees.
I don't make any lateral hole. The dark color is to have the sun warm the trashcan a bit more.

Great!
I will try the trash can method this time.  First, group and tie up as many branches as possible. Second, fit bottomless trash cans on tied groupings. Third, fille trash cans with dry leaves, compost or grass cuttings. Finally, cover with tarp.   Hope this works this year.!!!!!!!

Thank u all again for your inputs.

Hi tonysiny,
Grass cuttings and fresh compost are rotting material - so don't use that.
Use dirt from the nurseries. It will drain while keeping some humidity and it won't rot .