I haven't posted in a while because I've been really busy.

I've reached an age where I get free tuition, so I decided to go back to school and get a degree.I want to be able to get a good job when I grow up. The classes aren't all that hard since I'm easing into it by only going half time. But, dancing with the bureaucrats is both time consuming and frustrating. The teachers all go on and on about teaching us "critical thinking", and I'm thinking that up in the front office is where it's needed most. If I had a rocket launcher. . .

Anyway, my figs have been dormant, and tucked away in the pit I'm making for the semi-pit greenhouse. I put some schedule 80 PVC, from an old greenhouse, and a layer of plastic over it and it's been doing good, till the big snow storm collapsed it. That has been a week ago and it was only yesterday that the snow melted enough down in the pit to let me start working on it. I've got to go in today and see just what the damage is.

Here are a couple of pictures I took this morning.

   

There are about 40 fig trees under there, mostly in 1 gallon bags that I'm hoping got pushed over instead of mashed. I'm seeing a few holes where broken stems poked through the plastic but at this point it's not as bad as I'd feared. I've got to read a couple more chapters then get on my mud boots and go see what I can do. There's rain moving in tonight and we have howling winds right now that I'm hoping will die down before I have to handle the plastic.

Hi,
Perhaps the pictures don't show it, but it looks to me like it is not that bad.
Worst would have been to find the plastic tared into pieces and snow inside the pit.
We are getting rain now too, and I got all my pots outside of my garden house for them to be watered ... Call me lazy .
Check if your pit doesn't turn into a swimming pool ... as that would be worst for the tree would drown.
Good luck !

Yes, I got in there and it's not bad. One HC has some major breakage, but I have others of that variety. And, now I have cuttings. One of the kiddy pools was slap full of water and it was way in the back where I couldn't get to it easily so I had to cut a hole in it for drainage. With them being dormant I don't think it's been long enough for them to drown. The pit is up on a hill and has good drainage. We've had temperatures down around zero since the storm and I've been more worried about cold damage. I left the snow on for insulation. Digging it off and I would have shredded the plastic and let the cold in. The wind did die down somewhat and I was able to get it set back up. There's a lot of work waiting to be done there.

Hi greysmith, they will be oK.
Here on zone 5 I get them under a plywood and tarp on top, and cold rain and snow does not matter .
it is true they are all cold hardiest but even if they had the hole filled with water for a week i would'nt worry because they are dormant. If the temperatures go up to the 70's it wood be another issue but cold like that it will be ok. IMO. They will not wake up.The hearth will absorb the water before it freezes again.
Rio