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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > Fig Hardiness - Survival & Production Data (Winter 2013 - Summer 2014)
 
 


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smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
As mentioned ad nauseum, the 2013-14 winter conditions were apocalyptic for fig trees across the US.  There are several threads discussing fig die-off, but none discuss that eventual production of the fig later that year.

With that said, due to the severity of last winter, this growing season should give us an excellent indicator of how hardy fig varieties are to stressful winter conditions.

Dennis' (snagplus) very informative thread (located here), provided good detail on his fig tree's growing condition, winterization, survival rate, die back and fig production during the following summer season.  Moreover, a majority of his figs were not protected which is the "dream" maintenance we'd all like our fig trees to need to defend themselves for the upcoming winter.  

I've taken the liberty to re-create his information into a data table which should provide all of us with data to make informed decisions on what types of figs do well "in-ground"/"in containers" following a stressful winter season.  The spreadsheet is located here. 

Please take a look at it and let me know if you think any other data points should be collected.  At this time, I'm leaving the table open for editing so anyone can add data to the table.  If you have done so, please respond to this thread letting us all know that you added data and for what varieties.  If it looks like the table is getting corrupted over time, I may lock it down and ask that you provide you information in text form within this thread and I'll transcribe them to the table.

Any information you can provide on your fig survival & production rate from the last winter's season would be really helpful and greatly informative to fig newbs (such as myself) everywhere.

Thanks.

 ps - the default sort on this will be according to fig name.  If you have additional information you'd like to add to your fig, you can easily do so by clicking on the "F4F Name" column and then resorting to that all of the varieties that you added to the database are grouped together.  After editing, please return the sort back priority back to fig name.
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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
drphil69

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Very nice table!  One good addition would be tree age (and/or trunk diameter/circumference), and perhaps FMV (yes/not symptomatic).

I'm new to figs so I had no fig trees last winter, but this info will be incredibly helpful to me to help decide in-ground trees here in Delaware.
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Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.
smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
I added tree age to the table.  Good thinking.
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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
for me, trunk diameter would be a big plus. my understanding is that many figs need no protection after caliper  is over 3cm, but i've seen no data backing this or any other number.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
Rewton

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Malcolm, I put in a couple entries for my two in-ground trees.  If I get time I could also put in entries for a large number of container trees that had no die back whatsoever in my detached garage.  I occasonially ran a radiator for the coldest nights and the lowest it got was around 23 F.  I also gave them a little water every 2-3 weeks.  It sounds like some people lost their trees stored in a garage because of too much or too little water.
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Steve MD zone 7a
PhilaGardener

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
Thanks - this will be a great resource!
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Philadelphia Gardener Near Philly, but winters still feeling like Zone 6!
Ruuting

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
This could be an impressive database.
Though some people may not be comfortable with including the source of their varieties, I can see some potential for eliminating variety confusion. Two plants by the same name yielding very different results in similar areas would quickly be recognized as separate varieties IMO.
I like the idea of including information about the plants' rebound the following fruiting season.
This is excellent.

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Rui
Southeast CT, zone 6B
Otmani007

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
I like the idea of this database. It'll be very informative. Thanks for taking the time to compile such useful info.
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Dallas, TX - Zone 8a

Wish List: Col de Dame Blanche, Brogiotto Bianco, Sicilian White, Panache

Otmani
FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Great job, Malcolm.  I've added my in-ground data.
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Frank
zone 7a - VA
smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
I agree about caliper as well.  Especially since different figs grow at different rates.  Some three year old faste growing figs may have trunks as thick as a slower growing variety at six years.  I will add this data point to the database.

Thanks for everyone that has posted to the table so far.  Keep them coming.
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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Also added a data point for the presence of FMV as in theory that could play a role in overall hardiness.
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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
thanks for including caliper. i need to know.
the fmv point is also helpful. i've been told fmv causes lack of winter hardiness. i believe that but i'd ratyer believe actual data.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
Rewton

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
"Also added a data point for the presence of FMV as in theory that could play a role in overall hardiness."

Funny thing is that my Kathleen's Black which I rooted from a cutting had never shown any fmv symptoms until this year when it froze pretty much to the ground.  I suppose the stress of being damaged to that extent caused the virus to become active.  Nevertheless it is growing very well now.  Some say that all figs have fmv but some show the symptoms more than others - this experience leads me to think they may be correct.
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Steve MD zone 7a
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
it seems to me that if  tree has fmv in so mild a form that there are no visible symptoms vigor may not be affected.

or, the trees may just slow down. i note that my tissue culture is stronger than  any purchased trees.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
GeneDaniels

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
This is a great idea! I added data about my HC here in zone 7b. I hope I did it right so that it is saved to the table. 
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Zone 7b (Central Arkansas) Seven trees in the ground: Hardy Chicago, Celeste(?), LSU gold, Italian Black, Southern Brown Turkey(?), Strawberry Verte, and Unk yellow.  Trees in pots: VdB, CdD, and Sicilian?
smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Gene,

Thanks for your input.  There is no "save" function for the spreadsheet.  It saves instantaneously so as soon as you put in your info, you can close the page.  If you're concerned as to whether it took or not, you can always reload the doc link to confirm.

ps - the trunk size data point was transcribed on the DB as a data rather than a measurement.  Not sure if that's a issue with the DB or not.  If it is, let me know and I'll try and get it fixed.
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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
Holy smokes... the Nordland seems incredibly hardy...

  • Exposure to 6F temp
  • 1 year old fig
  • In-ground planting
  • Winterization via black bag only
  • 5% die back
  • Figs produced following summer

Granted this is zone 8a, but 6F is more like what you'd see in a zone 6/7 during a typical winter season.  I've got a Long d' Aout and I've read that the Nordland and the LdA are the same variety (is this true?) so I'm pretty stoked about that.

Thanks for the data barnhardt9999.
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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
smithmal

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
bump... figs are producing now, please record how well (or bad) your trees have done from their exposure to the past winter.  I'm sure new fig tree owners will find this very useful especially for the upcoming winter which is forecasted to be colder than normal for the NE (as cold as last winter? Probably not).

[forecast] 



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Malcolm - MD - Zone 6B

Varieties growing (Received 2014): Beale, Col de Dame Blanc, Danny's Delight, Desert King, JH Adriatic, Lemon, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles Black VS, Olympian, Ronde de Bordeaux, Strawberry Verte, Vista, UCR-184-15s, Violette de Bordeaux, White King
susieqz

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
this thing is super, malcom. i sure wish people would fill in trunk size tho.

i'd like that done, then this spreadsheet could be pinned to the top so it's always available.
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susie 
wish list:  nothing. i can't grow cuttings  . right now, i have  6 trees showing no signs of fmv. i'd like to keep it that way' 

i was told that if i couldn't deal with fmv, i should grow peaches, so i got a peach tree to live with my clean figs.
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