Hello to everyone. I am so glad I found this forum! I used to post on the fig forum at GardenWeb, but my old computer/dial-up made going there so tedious and time consuming that I gave it up. Very happy I found this forum.

I have been collecting and propagating figs for nearly 20 years, but I just came across a problem I've never had before. We live in east Texas and I had just taken my dormant season cuttings mid-December as I always do. MANY flats of them.  They are outside on shelves against the side of my detatched garage. The past few nights temperatures have been as low as 18 degrees, and did not break freezing during the day for two days. I put a large tarp over the side of the garage to make a sort of tent and placed a heat lamp underneath (but not close to any plants--didn't want to cook them).  Cuttings are in 20 oz. styrofoam cups, in flats of about 15.

Never had temps this low and had cuttings left outdoors. No space in the greenhouse due to a large potted citrus collection inhabiting that space, and no spare heat lamps due to the poultry collection which required all I had. 

I figured that if nothing else, I still have time to take more dormant wood cuttings from the mother trees.

Now my question-- anyone know what the chances are that my cuttings are ruined, frozen? How can I tell? So far they still look ok... firm, green bud at top still seems ok. Anyone have experience with this problem? Should I take no chances and go ahead and pull them all up and start over regardless?

Thanks in advance for any and all help. I appreciate it very much.

Welcome GooDaughther

I can't help you cause I'm also new to this
some folks here may have some opinions on your situation

Figs are vary resilient and they should be OK if they haven't completely froze
and if they don't have roots yet
I would wait and see if any come up you will know soon enough when they start to wilt

What variety is Mother tree?
Do you have any pictures?

Good Luck

The tarp and heat source were the correct solution. Only time will tell if you were able to add enough heat. You might want to add some humidity, as cold air is usually pretty dry, and even if they do not freeze, they might dessicate.

Any freeze damage should be visible in a week, I would think. Just not an issue where I live.

Temps that cold are normally not an issue here either; at least they haven'et been for several years now. The heat lamp and tarp/tent weren't enough, I think. I checked on them and looked more closely, and I can already tell some are ruined. The bud at the top of the dormant cuttings are already that frozen brown color common after hard freezes, and the cuttings themselves have a slightly ridged, shriveled look to them.  Sigh. At least I can try again. I have several large trees.

I think I will just go ahead and take more to be on the safe side. The cups are already filled with soil so all I will have to do is take cuttings, trim, put hormone on and stick them in the soil. I guess if it gets that cold again, I'll just pack them all into the house and sit them around everywhere, ugh.

We have had really good luck selling them at swap meets and other 'junk' venues and I wanted to have more to sell.

My mother trees, as I call them, are Green Ischia, Black Misison, Kadota, Celeste, Magnolia, Marseille, Hardy Chicago, Fanick's Blue Giant, Red Gold, Banana, and several other varieties in large and medium pots. I'm a fig addict....

Hi GoodDaughter, I don't have an answer for you, but I just wnated to say hello and welcome to F4F.

My parents are down in Bradenton and jumping through hoops to keep their tomatoes and first-year citrus alive right now.

I cant be 100% sure but there may be a clue in your statement "So far they still look ok... firm, green bud at top still seems ok". If the bud colour is green than there is still hope. You can find out by taking a couple of cups from the tray and bring them inside your home to the cooler location and let the cup stay there for a few days. If the bud stay firm and green then the cuttings are OK. If the top buds becomes soft (during thawing) then it is not good news.