Hi All,

I am new to the forum and started growing figs this summer.  I was given 3 Brown Turkey shoots in June.  2 have grown to 3 ft (5ft in pots), and are producing figs! The third did not do well and I put a piece in a baggy and was able to start rooting, and was 8 inches tall by August.  BT's seem to be indestructible.
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Encouraged by my success with the BT, I decided to try to root some of my father-in-law's unknown black figs.  In July, I placed 4 cuttings in a plastic bag until I saw roots, transferred to plastic cups.  These plants have incredible root development but no leaves.  This is the opposite of what I saw with the BTs as leaves were forming in the plastic bag.  In Sept, I transferred 2 to 12" pots and they are just starting to produce leafs.  I have been bringing the smaller plants in at night and plan on keeping them inside during the winter.  I keep the house temperature at 65 and worry that might be too cold for the new growth.
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Question: Is there any special care / anything I need to be aware of to keep the smaller plants healthy over the winter?  Will the very young plants survive going dormant?

Thank you in advance,
Andrew  

Welcome to the forum!

Keep potted plants in an unheated, insulated garage for winter, sprinkle some water at least once a month, especially when temps are above freezing in the garage.

Hi Andrew, welcome to the forum.

Thank you all for the warm welcome and replies. 

Rafael, I was planning on storing the larger plants in basement which stays around 50 degrees.  The garage is typically below freezing as liquids stored there freeze solid.

Based on your reply, you believe the smaller plants just forming leaves should be OK in the same environment?  Do you also believe that freezing or below is a better dormant environment than low 50's?

Thank you,
Andrew

Actually I have read that no higher than 45 is the best temperature but you sound like it is warmer than that, there is a possibility they could break bud that warm.

Hello Andrew,
Search the forum, there are lots of ways to store your potted figs.  But neither a frozen garage or a 50 degree basement are ideal. 
One way that some people have handled the garage temperature is with a heater, or make some type of partitioned off area you can insulate and heat.  You really just need to ideally keep it above freezing.

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to the forum Andrew! Keep all of the fig trees (large and small) in an unheated garage away from the door. For me it's really been the wind chill that had killed them.

Overwintering:
Store cool enough to keep trees dormant, warm enough to prevent freezing, moist enough to prevent root dehydration, and avoid desiccating winds.  You have to make these things, happen. Bad things will be the result when you don't.   Fig trees need protection in other than tropical/Mediterranean climates.

Suggestions in post #7 are probably your best best...(I'm sure you will be adding more figs to your collection), and storing in a cool, garage is more convenient when the "fig shuffle" starts next spring.  Move your trees out - probably sometime in April - when days are warm, and then move them right back into the cool garage at night.  Daytime out, nighttime in.  Continue this shuffle routine, until temps stabilized, and can support the newly sprouted growth.  Avoid at all costs, any freezing of the new growth.  This can extend your growing/ripening season by about a month, and may allow you to ripen two crops of figs....depending on the variety.  Match the ripening times of each variety to your climate zone.

Good luck.


Frank
 

Great Information.  It sounds like 35-45 degrees is the ideal range for dormant figs.  but....  colder is better than warmer because I don't want to risk having figs come out of dormancy mid-winter.  So this is my plan:
a) 2 well established 3-4ft Brown Turkeys: Leave outside until leaves turn and fall off, then move to garage against inside wall for warmth.
b) 4 cuttings of unknown Black and Excel just starting to leaf: Move them indoors to try to extend growing season, reduce dormant period.  When temperature drops to low 40's, move to garage.  Move to basement against outside glass door when temperatures drop into 20's.  Move back to Garage when temps rise to high 30's.  These are in 2 gallon pots and quite easy to move.  Next year, all survivors stay in garage.

Lesson learned: Root future cuttings / purchase new tress in late February so they will have time to mature / hardy before the next winter.



Thank you to all who responded.