Behind my dad's farm house in Virginia, we're gonna replace the plum and cherry trees with figs. Our plan is to use it as an experimental orchard for a few years. We have a few ideas for pruning, training, and winter protection methods we want to tinker with.

I've noticed that forum members enjoy it when people try out new things and post the results. Let me know if there's anything you're interested in seeing us experiment with. I'd love to hear your ideas.

I am curious why you are replacing your plums and cherries?  I mean don't get me wrong I love figs but plums and cherries are pretty incredible as well.  If you want to do something experimental you could make a food forest instead of a traditional orchard.  I for one am always interested in seeing someone's layout so if you want definitely keep us posted.

If you do cut the other trees down, maybe wait a few years untill they decline? Chrries and plums are good back up for a super harsh winter.

Either way, you need the most cold hardy cultivars with the most vigor...Chicago Hardy, MBVS, Hollier, etc. If you can keep them from dying back, eventually the will need much less winter protection. DO you intend to expand for a commercial venture, or is this a family food plot?

Hi,
Nice project. Keep us posted !
We like to see people with shovels, little trucks, excavators, piles of compost and mulch and people working hard ... LOL ...

I see that the grass is particularly green and high. Does it often rain at your location ?
Are you in a Zone 8 or ?

Every year the plums and cherries bloom too early and then get hammerd by a late frost. What few fruit are left get devoured by swarms of Japanese Beetles. In twelve years we havn' t tasted a single fruit.

We have one UNK(BT?) with no winter protection other than a wall on its north side. It gets some wood damage each year but not enough to worry about.

We get daily thunder storms in the summer but haven't yet had any problems with splitting.

My dad is a retired Navy pilot and his operation is best described as a hobby farm. They sell miniature milk cows, hogs, and eggs; but it's mostly for fun. Likewise he may want to sell some figs/cuttings or propagate small trees to sell, but profitability is not an absolute must. There is a neighbor a mile down the road who runs a U-pick with strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. I think it would be fun to help them install a row of figs.

I'm interested in using a stepover system to make them easier to protect in the winter. I want to make it cheaper and more scaleable than using a heated greenhouse. It's in zone 7a.

Ok, got it. I have heard of the same issues in South Carolina, sorry to hear about VA., it is not very plausable that the phenomena is 100% natural. We had an April 15th hard freeze here, fig trees were dammaged even covered, but still produced a crop, just not as early, or as much.

So now the search begins for strains that stay dormant...

What area of Virginia?  I would suggest you get in touch with Mike(mgginva).  He has a lot of Virginia Fig experience and he is great at helping.

Good luck

It's about an hour south of Richmond, little town called Burkeville.