Good day, I've been busy lately but I do try to read the forum post daily.  I've been trying to document some data on my trees too; especially those that survied our record winter vortex in 2013.  Last winter was brutal on all fig trees, if left outside unprotected.  Due to long work hours and traveling, I haven't been able to give my trees the utmost attention they need.  Weeds have taken over on some.  Some need pruning to remove a few dead branches.  But when you have a large collection like mine, things just take time. 

I have been picking and eating figs just not as much as last year.  Why?  Well, our winter weather gave most a major setback.  However, I am glad though.  A good number of my container trees, I brought inside.  Which one?  Well, for this post I won't mention all but I will on my website later on this month.  I have  to watermark my pic, name and number them and build a database.  The database is pretty much built but I have been having PC issues.  Everything works great on my IPAD.  I just need a new computer system to help me manage my data and files.

Since my b-day was last Sunday and I bought myself a 21 inch iMAC Apple computer system with the works including Apple TV.  I pick it up next week!  YEA!  Bye Bye Microsoft Windows!!!  My plan is to get all my photos cropped, watermarked and labeled for my database and website.  This is my gift to myself on my new job and pay raise!  Now, back to figs...

I forget who it was...I think it was Mike in GA who mentioned some of his figs were small, rubbery and dropping.  A few of my trees have experienced that.  I think the harsh winter we had caused that.  No matter how much care you give a tree, the cold damage is done--- but the tree may survive.  Now for the facts on my trees...

Out of all my trees that suffered the most from our 5 degree weather last year were:
Zidi (died to ground but came back)
Calvert (2 container trees--winterized late--completely dead now)
Toni's Brown Italian (container trees--died to ground--all came back without problem)
Panachee (3 container trees--died to ground--came back without problem)
Rmali (container tree indoors--completely dead--just stopped growing and died)
Mary Lane (2 container trees, died to ground but now with figs on!)
LSU Champagne (in the ground--huge tree--now completely dead)
Susser Georg  (in the ground--almost dead)
Violet de Bordeaux (all 8 in 15g pots--died to ground--but all came roaring back with lots of figs on now)
JH Adriatic (in ground--unwinterized --died to ground with 4 new branches now and figs on)
Lamperia Preto (was in ground--died to ground--dug up in Dec, repotted, now 3' tall with figs on)
De La Senyora (was in ground--died to ground--dug up in Dec, repotted, nursered it--now has figs on)
Raspberry Latte (in ground--unwinterized--completely dead)
Pappa Jon  (in ground--completely dead)  It's container cousin survied outside and doing fine!
Black Celeste (in ground--just about completely dead)
LSU Tiger (in ground--just about completely dead)
Votata (in ground--completely dead)
Beall (container tree--winterized indoors in Jan--still died to ground--came back and now 6' tall with figs)
Brown Turkey (1 container tree--completely gone--other BTs are fine though)
Atreano (in ground just about died to ground)
Negretta (in container--completely dead)

Now, the good news, here are a few that did well with out protection surviving 5 degree!

Desert King (BUT NO BREBAS= no figs--both in ground and container)
LSU Purple (Both in ground and container had little damage)
Celeste (both in ground and container survived without much die back)
Hardy Chicago (ground & container survived without much die back) BUT those in ground suffered most die back!
Florea (container tree---little tips burned)
Smith (in ground--winterized with leaves & burlap--tips burned! not many figs though)

Well, this is why I have mulitiple of the same cultivar.  Last year this time, I was picking huge bowls of figs---daily!  This year, I am just picking a handful.... daily.  BUT the year isn't over yet!  All of my trees have figs on and if August is a hot month, I should be picking huge bowls of figs every day again! 

The results--the sever cold weather took a major toll on my trees.  However, it did help some cultivars like VdB. So far this year, Texas Everbearing, Piedmonte, and Florea have been excellent this year.  Texas Everbearing --- well I got 3 trees last year from 3 different sources.  My trees have different leaf patterns.  Now, I know what the real Texas Everbearing looks like and how it taste.  The figs look like brown turkey, but are larger, much richer, much sweeter and ripen earlier than Brown Turkey.  It has a red center and the exterior has a darker brown  color than my other Brown Turkey figs.  And it does not have a cavity in the center like Brown Turkey.  I'm going to buy 10 more of these this year!  With all the rain we've had, my TEVB figs did not split or sour.  My Col de Dam Grise figs did.  Both my Brown turkey and Celeste fig trees have not fruited yet execpt for one BT breba that came off a miss labeled tree from Joe.  So, I think I will winterized all of my TEVB figs this years.   The figs were that good.  I do now understand how folks get these figs confused.  The only way to know is to grow them side by side and get the trees from multiple sources. 

I will report more fig data on my website later this month once I finish building it.  Right now, its just a shell with a few pictures.  And before I close let me say there are three trees that are not cold hardy at all.  They are Noire de Caromb, Smith and Beall.  All 3 are excellent cultivars with an amazing sweet rich taste. If you have these trees, I recommend bringing them inside in my climate November 1st!

Dennis,

Thanks for the run down of your fig experience this past winter.  It's very helpful.

Von

   Thank you very much.  I'll save this for reference when I try to deside what varieties to keep and how to winter them.  It's ALL new to me. 

I'm glad you guys like the list.  It is my intent to give you how my trees did in my climate.  Prior to last winter, every fig grew in my area without any problems.  The USDA says I'm in zone 8a according to their heat map.  However, it's really 7b.  Years ago when I first joined, I asked a few member about certian known cultivars and I was told politely to grow them myself and tell them!  Now, I am doing just that!

Despite what some folks might say, Texas Everbearing is not the same as Brown Turkey.  The problem comes into play when nursuries try to make a quick buck and will slap any ole label on a fig just to make a sell.  I have 5 other labeled Texas Everbearing fig trees but I don't think they are true to their name.  All 5 have the exact same leaf pattern ---came from 3 different nurseries--all have figs on that have not ripen yet---figs are small.  I think the reason they have not fruited is due to our harsh winter.  They came from this area where my other 2 came from Florida.

Dennis thank you for the very good infornation,can you please tell us what is the best nursery that sells the real T.E.Ciao,
Giuseppe

Hello Dennis-

Congrats:  New job, new money, new computer system....

Interesting listing noting fig hardiness in YOUR area.  Any and all information helps us to connect the dots. 

Two brief comments:
Could you add the approximate age of the trees when they either were killed, were badly damaged.

***  Could you do a photo tutorial/identification, i.e. leaves, fruit, etc. of how to correctly identify/verify "Texas Everbearing", vs. "Brown Turkey"...and, if possible, cite some sources for correctly labeled "TEvB" trees.

Looking forward to your future postings, using your new computer system and database.


Frank

Thanks for the report Dennis!
Always looking for cold hardinesss reports

Thanks for the great information.  I'll look for updates.  Maybe you can describe your winterization methods as you get to that point.  People raising a large number of trees can have a lot of work to do for that protection.

Do you have other col de dama figs?  I am wondering if they split and sour like the grise did.

Dennis,

Wow!  This is great information.  Your very thorough write up has spurned me to create a spreadsheet to collect this data and hopefully be a diving board for others to leap in and share their information.

If you don't mind, I took the liberty of adding your information listed above to the spreadsheet.  The thread discussing this spreadsheet is located here.  If you could, please take a look at it to ensure that I wasn't in error with any of the data I included on your fig trees.  Also, there are a number of "?" data points that need to be filled in.

Thanks.

Dennis, thank you for sharing your experience. Very valuable information. Two questions, you mentioned Smith surviving with some protection with little damage, then you said it was one of the least hardy and should be brought in. Why the difference in reporting? I am growing Beall and it is in the ground this year. Mine has FMV, so I guess that reduces hardiness. Does your plant have FMV? I would like to acquire a FMV free clone, as it seems productive.

Mike in Hanover, VA

Lots of great information!
Happy (belated) Birthday, Dennis.
Congratulations on all the good happenings.

Dennis - excellent info - thanks - keep it up.

Malcom, I'm a database guy.  I really hate spreadsheets.  My data is inside a database.  Later on I will build a cube from my database so I can get a clear picture of growth, sweetness, and time.  However, I can export my data to a spreadsheet if necessary.

Giuseppe, my Texas Everbearing trees came from JFE.  They do not carry them anymore.   

Do I have Col de Dam trees?  Yes, but I don't report on them or some other rare ones.

Dennis,

The information you provided earlier was awesome.  If you could ensure that the information I placed into the spreadsheet on your trees is correct and add any information that you think is relevant it would be appreciated.

Thanks.

ps - what is "a cube"

Malcolm, without getting too technical, a cube is a three dimensional spreadsheet. One dimension can be, fig cultivar, one could be time, and one could be location. I downloaded data from the web site on what cultivars ripened when. It helps my database.