In case any of this info is helpful for assessing winter hardiness, here's a quick summary of the winter damage my trees experienced here in central NY state (zone 5a).

Despite it having been (by most accounts) a fairly cold winter, I had relatively little damage to the potted fig trees that stayed in the garage over the winter.  They've been out steadily for a month or so now (longer for the ones that got shuffled in and out of the garage, but all of them have been out steadily for a month or so now.  Temps outside were regularly and repeatedly below 0 degrees F, with a few stretches in the -10F to -15F range (occasional dips lower).  Inside the garage stayed a little warmer -- I didn't notice it going below 10F in there, and more typically was above 15F.

Growing tips died back on just 4 trees (out of 80).  RDB suffered just one dead growing tip (out of about 8 or 10 on the tree), and that one was predictable as it was very green wood there when it went into the garage, having been kept indoors late into December (ripening a few last figs indoors).  (That, by the way, is an experiment I'll probably not repeat, unless I get a greenhouse).  Still, that one lost only about 1 inch.  Was in a 5 gallon pot (due for up potting).  A little over 2 years old.  All the other tips on that tree survived, and all are growing nicely (two new tips sprouted on the branch with the dead tip).  Negligible damage.

Lungo Del Portogallo lost three (of three) growing tips.  About an inch on each tip was lost.  The tree was in a 1 gallon pot and had just been rooted in June, with three stems about 12" each.  (This was its first winter).  It survived nicely however, and is growing well (5 or 6 tips now, with about 2" of growth on each).  (To be up potted soon).

Kathleen's Black lost about 1/4" on one growing tip (out of about 20).  Third year tree in a 15 gallon pot. Growing nicely all over.

The biggest damage was to a Verte (provenance:  Bass).  This tree may be a goner.  I'm a bit bummed because I got four beautiful and tasty figs last year from this one.  (It's a nice and unique variety, among the trees I've got).  It had two main stems, about 4 feet tall.  Both died back at least 18 inches, and possibly all the way to the root.  So far there is no green growth visible.  I will keep it around and watered appropriately, just in case it sprouts from the roots.  I think something went wrong with the watering of this one when it was put away -- it was overdue for up potting, and was a bit root bound.  When taking it out of the garage this spring, it was apparent that the root ball had shrunk in the pot, and 18" of each stem was clearly dessicated.  (I did add soil and loosen some of what was in the pot, upon taking it out this spring).  So this might be a matter of having received poor care, rather than indicative of the variety not being able to survive the winter.  (I think the soil was too compacted from root binding, and its last watering wasn't sufficient to penetrate the dense mass... questionable care on my part).  I will see if it comes back.

The only other damage over the winter was the loss of an Adriatic JH, which was newly rooted and suffered a gnat attack.  (It was indoors along with a few other late rootings).  I can't blame this one on the winter cold.

I am seeing a few other undesirable things as the new season is underway.  My Florea is showing significant FMV/FMD symptoms, with new leaves badly deformed as well as mottled.  This tree had previously shown no visible symptoms of FMV/FMD.  Not sure if some insect or another pathogen may have attacked it as well (the tips looked slightly eaten).  Nonetheless it's got lots of new growth, and maybe with some nursing along it'll "grow out of it".  (I hope).  Also my Atreano has similarly deformed leaves (not visible last year).  Both of those are trees that I took winter cuttings from.  And one (just one of 9) of the Frank's Fig strain of EBT is showing significant FMV/FMD symptoms, having previously not shown any obvious symptoms.

Still, despite the issues above, for the most part the trees came through the winter beautifully.  Though I will miss the Verte if it doesn't make it back (and probably replace it), all in all I had less tree damage than I'd have expected based on previous winter experience, plus the severity of this past one.  So I'll count myself lucky.  :-)

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a

Mike-

Nice to read that your collection suffered minimal damages.  Many of us have a far worse story.  Good that you gave us a report with some winter-storage details, etc.

Have a good fig season.


Frank

Hi Mike
My trees were in a detached garage also.. We are about 10 miles due west of the George Washington Bridge. I kept the garage above 19 F with a kerosene heater and had no die back.

...and the winter devastation continues.  We had frost this morning in the NY Catskills.  When I went to bed, the NOAA forecast was that it would only go down to 44.  Oh, well.

C.J.

Frank (BronxFigs) -- thank you.  Yes I read of your tree damage from this past winter.  I do count myself lucky.  <edit> And for what it's worth, I couldn't bring myself to post my annual "winter dieback report" in your thread, for fear of it sounding like gloating or something.  (I only do this posting to try to contribute to the ongoing years-long discussion on which varieties survive the cold climes better than others).  I'm sorry to hear of all the trees you lost.  And not meaning to make light of your tree loss, I've also sometimes reminded myself in the spring after a hard winter, that they're just trees  (having just lost a person dear to me this spring).  The trees you can hopefully replace, hopefully even the heirloom variety.  </edit>.    

Rich -- glad to hear you had no die-back this winter.  I didn't use kerosene heaters, instead I just had two 250W heat lamp bulbs.  That's how I managed to keep the temp up above 15F in the garage for most of the time.  (It did get lower at one point, but I don't think it went below 10F inside ever).  Much of the time it was above 10F outside, but we had some nasty outdoor cold snaps that lasted a while (2 weeks below 0F at one point, with dips down around -15F and lower).  Glad your trees did well.  Most of mine did too... really just the one had anything significant (and not clear that was entirely because of cold).

C.J.  -- Yes, we had a light frost here last night as well.  The trees did OK though.  (Frosted up on the roof, but trees were better off on the driveway close to the house (both driveway and house must have acted as a heat sink, and it was enough).

Joe  --  Yes, I agree.  I do think it was very minimal damage, and I'm quite pleased with how well the trees made it through the winter.  I like to document which ones do have any die-back each year, as part of the running commentary (over the years) on which varieties do well with these upstate NY winters  (and which do not).  Some of these are headed to the next round of inground trials (with varying amounts of protection... seeking eventually to find some varieties that do OK with passive protection only, here in zone 5a.   (Passive protection techniques that I wrote about in another thread about winter strategies in past years).  Good luck to you down in the sunny south, hope you like it there.  Two good friends over the years have gone from here to Athens GA.  (And although Athens PA isn't all that far from Elmira, maybe I'll stop confusing your ID with this more northern Athens :-).  

Mike   central NY state, zone 5a

Mike-

Thanks for the all this additional information, wherever you decided to post it.  Any and all information regarding overwintering strategies and the results of those efforts only adds to our collective knowledge, and makes us better, if not more informed, growers. 

Frank

I had a similar experience.  I lost no trees in the garage even though it was super cold this winter.  I monitor the temperature in my garage with a remote thermometer and it never got below 22 degree f, even though the outside temp got to down to -14 f.

Get this,  I lost more trees in the cool part of my basement to dry down.  I lost 10-15 trees down there.  Just too dry.  I wasn't watching them close enough.

I was amazed I didn't lose anything in the garage.