I wrapped my one in-ground tree for the winter.

I tied the branches together.
Then I piled mulch around the base of the tree.
Then I wrapped it in insulation and filled in any open space with dead leaves.
Then I put 2 plastic bags over it.
Then I put more mulch around the base.

It was a lot of work! But it will be worth it if my tree survives in ground without any damage.

HERE IS MY QUESTION: Should I pop some holes in the plastic so that it gets ventilation? Will that allow too much cold air in?

Thanks for your help.

Joe

I would not use clear plastic if it was me. This acts like a greenhouse and the heat will build up and you'll end up with mold.
I'm not sure where you're located, but here in Pa I don't wrap them until the week of thanksgiving when it gets really cold. The leaves have not fallen off the trees yet.
So in your situation, I will take the clear plastic off, and wait until it gets really cold, perhaps it already is in your area. Real cold I mean temperatures in the teens. Then I would get a tarp the ones they sell at places like home depot. Wrap around the tree and all the top 2"-4" and place a bucket or a pot in top of it.

Good luck.

FrozenJoe
It will help you and the readers if they know your temperature Zones.
It Will help you because you will get help that will be closely related to your zone and more closely applicable. It will help other readers knowing if your experiment and results apply to their location.

I live in Massachusetts, right on the border with New Hampshire.

My town is supposed to be zone 6a. The town to the north of me is supposed to 5b.

It's been snowing here today.

Winter seems to be coming early this year, and I had this tree indoors in a container last winter, so I figured I better not delay and just winterize it now.

Joe

Good luck Joe in Zone 6a. I will be interested to know the outcome. You have put in a lot of efforts.

Thanks for responding to my post.

I thought about what you guys wrote.

Bass, you are right.  I wrapped it up too early.  We had a week of cold weather, that's why I wrapped it.  It has been warmer since then.

I have been checking it for moisture, and sure enough moisture has started to form inside of the plastic, especially on warm days.

So I cut open the top of the plastic bags and let everything dry out.  Then I covered it with a bucket.

I hope that this works and my fig tree stays protected.  I know of several people who grow fig trees in this area, but all of them grow their trees in containers and bring them in in the winter.  As far as I know, my tree is the only fig tree in the ground around here.

I'll let you know how it turns out in the spring.

Joe

This is how my fig tree is doing now.  It survived the winter, though it did have some die back in its tips closest to the outside.  I pruned those dead sections off.  It's hard to see in the picture, but everything left on the tree is alive.  Green buds are swelling up on the branches that look like they don't have leaves.

Joe,
That was nice of you to post with a picture of the results of your winterizing. I'm not as far north as you but interested in seeing the outcome. I'm glad all your hard work last fall worked so well. Thanks for the insperation.

Good luck and wishing you lots of figs.

Peg

Thanks Peg.

joe what variety of fig tree is it???

Hardy Chicago