ideas to extend growing season

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bgli

Registered:1424131946
Posts: 70

Posted 1456596110	Reply with quote #1

Hi and still pretty new to this. Here in New York (Long Island) it is still cold but getting nicer so my expanding fig tree collection still tucked away in garage with no sign of breaking dormancy so all good. My in ground hardy Chicago is well wrapped so hoping it did not suffer from a few days near zero. However like many of us, getting the itch to try ways to extend the fig season in hopes of getting some ripe figs from some of my more challenging varieties like cdd noir and banc. Is it silly to try and encourage an early dormancy break or should I just be more patient and do the fig shuffle in April? Could some experienced members share thoughts on best practices to extend growing season here in colder climates. Been thinking about a small inexpensive plastic greenhouse and know they are not great quality but I saw one that is more like a low, long and wide type so I could put 5 or 6 fig plants within it. Would probably not last too long. If you have links to a recommended cheap portable greenhouse that would be great. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks!!! __________________ Barry

rafaelissimmo

Registered:1335639347
Posts: 1,473

Posted 1456640567	Reply with quote #2

I'm in Queens, there is only one good option and that is a greenhouse. Works like a charm. Learning curve. I would not recommend a cheap greenhouse, you get what you pay for. Johnnyq set up a cheap greenhouse (harbor freight) and re-inforced into champion quality, but it took a lot of work, and some thoughtful attention to improve it. You can also shell out big bucks for a Juliana, a Riga (the best) or any number of other quality greenhouses that are not cheap. It can be done! You can also go professional quality greenhouse, like Ronnie Wagner at CNY figgery or some of the members I know in Pennsylvania and you can grow figs practically year round. Good luck. __________________ Zone 7b, Queens, New York

pino

Registered:1383190021
Posts: 2,117

Posted 1456671239	Reply with quote #3

Barry This is a million $ question for me. You can throw a lot of money at it and get an amazing greenhouse as Raf suggested and you will probably get lots of enjoyment and be happy you did it. But greenhouse fig growing has its challenges; between the cooling, heating, humidity controls, the elements ... Also some people have said greenhouse figs just don't have the same taste as figs grown in direct sun and be prepared for severe fig splitting issues. In places with heavy rainfall it can be beneficial. In my temperate climate the ideal would be a figatorium I.e. a greenhouse with a removable roof for the summer. They actually exist if you have $100K to throw around for the size I need. I have been testing an improvised one using a hoophouse/tunnel with removable poly. Goal to extend the season (spring/Fall) but grow the figs in the open sun during the summer. __________________ Pino, zone 6, Niagara, JCJ Acres Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.

rafaelissimmo

Registered:1335639347
Posts: 1,473

Posted 1456693962 · Edited	Reply with quote #4

I recommend the greenhouse because it gives you a jump start, I cannot give it thumbs up for autumnal use, and the figs will not taste poorly because they will ripen outdoors, I am only referring to a 6-8 week head start. __________________ Zone 7b, Queens, New York

efletche

Registered:1446357594
Posts: 35

Posted 1456694560	Reply with quote #5

Move to Florida!! lol __________________ Central Florida, Zone 9 Wanted: Malta Black, Panache, Col de Dame Rimada, anything really sweet and juicy (fig wise)

barnhardt9999

Registered:1351699779
Posts: 183

Posted 1457120831	Reply with quote #6

If you have a south facing office, you can use it as a greenhouse... __________________ 8a

AltadenaMara

Registered:1422990132
Posts: 375

Posted 1457164926	Reply with quote #7

My dining room becomes a sun room with a high powered sun lamp during the short winter we have here. I usually just over winter my tropicals, but this year brought in my Black Madiera, CdDN, Fico Preto and Black Bursa which still had unripe figs on them. A few of the figs ripened but the taste was way off what the figs tasted like in the fall, not worth the bother. I doubt I'll try it next year. Hopefully I'll be able to dry some of the figs from my trees and extend the season that way. I'm on my second plastic greenhouse. In your climate, you would need to wrap it in insulation and buy and expensive heater and fan system to maintain and circulate the heat. That's in addition to the lighting. There were winter nights when I was throwing wool blankets over the added insulation on my greenhouse to try and maintain heat with the little space heater I was using. We weren't using the dining room much so it became the "greenhouse" for the short winter we have here. It's a lot easier to heat, light and maintain the plants there. The local hydroponics stores sells large floor trays to put the plants on and save the floors. It does a big business with all the people growing marijuana indoors here, so has all the equipment and know how needed. Christmas and New Years family dinners we set up in the front room where we spend most of our time together anyway. No problem. __________________ Mara Southern California Zone 1990= 9b 2012= 10a 2020=?

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