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Porfirio

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hi everybody.
When I winter my figs outside here in zone 5, I will make a trench in the garden and lay the potted trees, branches tighted close together, plywood on top,snow does the rest.
Never loosed a fig tree yet. In spring ( End of april), I open the ends to let in air  so they dont get mold. When temps warm in late may I raise them up.
Do you guys have another methode that works well for you? New ways of wintering welcome.
Thanks cold growers.
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Rio Zone 5 Montreal Canada
zone5figger

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
How deep do you dif your,trench?
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Jesse- zone 5, 1000' elevation
Porfirio

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Quote:
Originally Posted by zone5figger
How deep do you dif your,trench?

Just enough to  have  the layed pots and branchs let the plywood  lay on top without forcing down on them.
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Rio Zone 5 Montreal Canada
FigTrees2013

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
for my potted plants, I just bring them in the cellar. Given how much more of a yield I get from my in-ground trees (as long as we have a warm summer), I get some 2x4s and make a square frame around my trees. then I put a plywood square on top, and wrap the frame with old moving blankets and insulation. Don't let anything touch the branches -- any moisture will suffocate them and cause mold. Then I cover it with a tarp, leaving a little bit at the bottom open (but protected with a screen to keep out mice). A guy in my neighborhood has 2x 50+ year old trees with massive trunks and he does something pretty similar, so I'm just following the expert. He gets 5 gallon pails of figs every couple of days from just 2 trees! 
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Zone 6b
VeryNew2Figs

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
How cold does it get in the winter for you guys?
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Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
rmulhero

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
I use a root cellar to overwinter my figs. It works great and had no tip dieback last year.
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Becky, zone 5
Growing: Hardy Chicago, VdB, Dessert King, Celeste, Green Ischia, Marseilles VS, Kathleen's Black, Red Sicilian, Adriatic JH, Violetta bayerfeinge, New Brunswick, Magnolia and Italian Honey.

Wishlist: Sicilian Black JR, Petite Negra, Sweet George, Lattarula, Sals Corleone (Gene),  Vasilika sika, Galicia negra, Dalmatie and any cold hardy fig.
Porfirio

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Quote:
Originally Posted by VeryNew2Figs
How cold does it get in the winter for you guys?

Here usually we get cold peaks down to -17 F°-28 C°  not counting the wind effect.
But the average temperature for the winter

2016

MonthMaximumAverageMinimum
oct. 201523,5 °C7,8 °C-4,9 °C
nov. 201519,5 °C4,3 °C-10,1 °C
déc. 201516,9 °C1,7 °C-12,1 °C
janu. 20167,7 °C-6,4 °C-21,2 °C
fébr. 20168,6 °C-6,2 °C-27,6 °C=-17.68°F
mars 201616,5 °C-0,1 °C-18,8 °C
apr. 201622,0 °C4,0 °C-10,0 °C
may 201631,7 °C14,5 °C1,1 °C
june 201632,9 °C19,3 °C7,9 °C
july. 201633,7 °C22,0 °C11,8 °C
augu 201633,8 °C22,7 °C12,8 °C
sept. 201629,5 °C17,5 °C4,3 °C
oct. 201625,0 °C12,5 °C0,7 °C
 You get an idea how harsh it can be.
Hope it helps.
 
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Rio Zone 5 Montreal Canada
toisanwu

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Hi Rio,

Thank you for sharing your overwintering method.

Ottawa winter is similar to Montreal's.  I am looking to explore the overwintering method that you are using. 

My current issue is my basement does not have a root cellar (in which temperature is actually ideal for fig dormancy) and my attached garage is uninsulated and unheated and will have two cars in it.  I don't believe figs can survive the winter here being inside my garage.
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Bill
Ottawa, Canada, Zone 5 (USDA Zone 4)
gofiger

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
Quote:
Originally Posted by toisanwu
Hi Rio,

Thank you for sharing your overwintering method.

Ottawa winter is similar to Montreal's.  I am looking to explore the overwintering method that you are using. 

My current issue is my basement does not have a root cellar (in which temperature is actually ideal for fig dormancy) and my attached garage is uninsulated and unheated and will have two cars in it.  I don't believe figs can survive the winter here being inside my garage.


No the garage being uninsulated will not be good enough for you. I tried it my first winter with my first fig tree and it croaked.
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Steve
Zone 5b-6a
Oshawa Ontario
That's Canada eh!

Wish List: A Canadian member that is willing to share there cuttings with me.
jrdewhirst

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Becky -- Could you describe the root cellar (dimensions, especially depth; materials)?  It sounds like a great solution.  I'm guessing that once the cellar is built, you are able to keep the plants roughly at ground temperature in the dark with modest effort.  That sounds perfect.
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Joe D
chrisb9341

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
I store my 25 trees in my unheated attached garage. I stack the pots against the house side of the garage, cover with old sheets, blankets and a large tarp. During very cold periods 0 F or below I will put a small electric heater under the tarp to help. I have a thermometer with a remote sensor that I put with the trees to monitor the temp. Works very well. It doesnt get as cold in there as I thought it would.
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Chris
Ballston Spa Ny Zone 5a
vito12831

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Hello all.
I live in zone 4, I put all my trees in the garage, I have a thermometer when It gets below 45 I turn the heater on,my garage is insulated so I don't have to use it much.
Vito
jrdewhirst

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Steve --

How did you care for the fig while in the garage?  Are you sure it didn't dry out?  What variety was it?

I ask because I stored pots in my unheated, attached (insulated) garage last year without a problem despite outside temperature lows well below
0 F.  I've known lots of people who stored pots in garages successfully, so I'm curious about reported problems.  I want to avoid losing plants, if possible.

Actually, I did have one problem -- warmth.  In March, the garage got too warm and the figs came out of dormancy earlier than ideal.  But cold was not an issue.

Thanks. 
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Joe D
gofiger

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrdewhirst
Steve --

How did you care for the fig while in the garage?  Are you sure it didn't dry out?  What variety was it?

I ask because I stored pots in my unheated, attached (insulated) garage last year without a problem despite outside temperature lows well below
0 F.  I've known lots of people who stored pots in garages successfully, so I'm curious about reported problems.  I want to avoid losing plants, if possible.

Actually, I did have one problem -- warmth.  In March, the garage got too warm and the figs came out of dormancy earlier than ideal.  But cold was not an issue.

Thanks. 

It was a hardy chigago and I did water it enough during the winter to keep it from drying out. The difference between my garage and yours is mine is uninsulated and I did absolutely nothing else to protect it from the cold...because at that time any info I had read suggested an unheated garage would be fine. I learned the hard way.  Since then my trees have been going in my cold cellar in the basement and I have had no issues. It's a little bit of work hauling stuff downstairs every spring and fall but I don't have to spend any $$$ on buying heaters or heating my garage and my cold cellar is 4 X 24 so I have lots of room.
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Steve
Zone 5b-6a
Oshawa Ontario
That's Canada eh!

Wish List: A Canadian member that is willing to share there cuttings with me.
VeryNew2Figs

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
I really want to keep the tops of the trees from dying, but it gets so cold here and stays that way for long stretches of time.  I can't imagine any variety not losing the top growth without heroic efforts.  But since I've got enough plants to play with I'm going to give the trenching a try with a couple of the Hardy Chicagos and see what happens.  There's one bed that I used this summer to harden off the plants (improvised a shade cover).  I'll do one Hardy Chicago that I started early last year and one that I started late last year.  Then I've got a pretty big chest cooler that I could put a few of the smaller plants in and leave it in the garage to see how they make it.  The rest will go in the basement.
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Cheryl
Chicago, Zone 6a (That's what they say, but it still feels like 5)
Growing:  Hardy Chicago, Black Mission, Brunswick, Kadota, Ischia Green, Desert King, Osborne Prolific (slow but steady), Malta Black, Violette de Bordeaux, Texas Everbearing, Beall, White Adriatic, Nolo Pink Eyed Lady.
Rooting: Ronde de Bordeaux, Celeste, Nero 600 m, Violetta Bayernfeing, Marseilles Black VS, Celeste.
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