In ground and unprotected fig trees for zone 6a/5b

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Oshawaman

Registered:1359927036
Posts: 25

Posted 1359934973	Reply with quote #1

Hello everyone!I'm new at growing figs but two years ago I decided to buy a couple of trees that were being offered locally:one Hardy Chicago and a Brown Turkey.I overwintered them successfully in my basement and last May I bought two more of the same varieties and planted them all outside and they took off like wild fire.HCs are now over 1.5m and the BTs are a little bit shorter.We've had a cold winter with temps around -20C so far and I've noticed a bit of damage on the BTs but otherwise the wood is still green.I hope they make it through the rest of the winter since I gave them no protection whatsoever.I knew I was taking a chance but they weren't that expensive.Anyway, I'd like to try different varieties like Florea,Laradek Brown Turkey,Marseilles VS Black and Blue Celeste and others that you think or know do well in this climate.I live within 1Km of Lake Ontario so I believe I'm closer to a zone 6a than 5b.Any help or info on this topic is appreciated.Thank you. Manny __________________ Zone 5b/6a Wish List:Florea,LaRadek Brown Turkey,Nexoe,Brooklyn White,Lyndhurst White,Nero 600M,Bayernfeige Violetta and other hardy varieties.

yquemandfigs

Registered:1332982229
Posts: 58

Posted 1359943680	Reply with quote #2

welcome to the forum manny you experiment is going to be interesting in the spring, all of mine are in pots, inside. i was skiing out there in kirby today, not much snow but cold john __________________ Downtown Toronto - Zone 6a Starting a Fig Forest in my driveway Growing: Colisanti Yellow, Marseilles White, Niagara Black, Marseilles Black VS, Sals El, Noir de Carombe,2 Unknown

Oshawaman

Registered:1359927036
Posts: 25

Posted 1359946927	Reply with quote #3

Thank you for the welcome John.I'm keeping my fingers crossed... Manny __________________ Zone 5b/6a Wish List:Florea,LaRadek Brown Turkey,Nexoe,Brooklyn White,Lyndhurst White,Nero 600M,Bayernfeige Violetta and other hardy varieties.

sammy

Registered:1330355079
Posts: 261

Posted 1359947435	Reply with quote #4

Welcome to the forum Manny. I hope your trees make it. It will be interesting to see what happens to them. __________________ Sam zone 4 Thessalon Ontario, Canada.

Tonycm

Registered:1314411773
Posts: 922

Posted 1359949025	Reply with quote #5

Manny, I'm trying an experiment too. I have an unknowns that I'm leaving completely exposed to the elements. Post your results, there'll be some interest in.the outcome. __________________ Zone 6a Sarver, PA Wish list; Rafed's Genovese Nero

ascpete

Registered:1336096379
Posts: 1,942

Posted 1359950065	Reply with quote #6

Hello Manny, Welcome to the forum community. I am in the Catskills region of New York, and plan on growing several varieties in ground also, though with some protection. If you search for "Japanese fig espalier" you will find a pruning technique that would work quite well for colder areas, with an easy means for winter protection. Good luck

daveturpin

Registered:1346217241
Posts: 78

Posted 1359952013	Reply with quote #7

Hey Manny - I'm pretty close (in PTBO), so I'm really interested in hearing about the results of your experiment! Welcome and be sure to keep us updateds. I'm kinda new to this, and my plants are pretty small, so I don't have much to share yet - but I should by next year. Good to see someone else close by. :) __________________ Wish List - Cold Hardy like Florea, Lyndhurst White, Malta Black, Sal G strain, Improved Celeste - or others proven to be pretty hardy.

Oshawaman

Registered:1359927036
Posts: 25

Posted 1359975216	Reply with quote #8

Thank you everyone for the welcome and suggestions.I'll let the community know how my experiment is going. Manny __________________ Zone 5b/6a Wish List:Florea,LaRadek Brown Turkey,Nexoe,Brooklyn White,Lyndhurst White,Nero 600M,Bayernfeige Violetta and other hardy varieties.

baust55

Registered:1240892043
Posts: 497

Posted 1361650903	Reply with quote #9

keep us updated . i am in zone 5 __________________ AUSTIN Read more mad non- scientist stuff ....check out my post on KITTY LITTER ! http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/kitty-litter-really-kitty-litter-7398708?pid=1287129765#post1287129765 "I grow fruit of the wine!" Zone 5 Fig trees I have : Hardy Chicago , Weeping Black , Ginoso , Excel , VEBT , and Genovese Nero . My Wish list: Panache, Florea,Desert King , RdB, Marseilles black vs, Vdb , Abruzzi, JH Adriatic , Nero 600 , MvsB, Malta Black,

pino

Registered:1383190021
Posts: 2,117

Posted 1388278625	Reply with quote #10

Hi Manny I live close to you and close to the lake Ontario Zone 6b and I have grown figs in the ground for many years. Unfortunately I have bad news for you because all the varieties I have ever seen; if you don't protect the young fig trees for the winter they will die off at least the top will die for sure. It may not be too late to provide some protection for the bottom of the tree so that the roots survive and next summer the tree will shoot out new branches. However you will only get 1 or 2 ripe figs this way. Even if the fig branch still look green at this time after the many days of -17C we have had it is surely dead it just hasn't started decomposing because of the cold. If you take a cutting now and bring it in it will start turning reddish brown and it will not grow. There are some reports from Sweden that they have some older fig trees (after they are protected the first5 years) that can survive -16C but reading trough their details they say that even those lose the tops in some years and grow back from the roots. __________________ Pino, zone 6, Niagara, JCJ Acres Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.

Centurion

Registered:1293429646
Posts: 810

Posted 1388278875	Reply with quote #11

I will now stop sniveling about our temp lows in the mid 20's. __________________ Dave Verde Valley, AZ Zone 8

queuetue

Registered:1388165568
Posts: 5

Posted 1388279428	Reply with quote #12

It'll be -30C (-22f) here by the end of the week. Good luck getting a truck battery that won't split open, let alone a fig tree that will survive in the ground! - Scott __________________ Looking for any cuttings people can spare while I get started. (I have LSU Gold / Purple and Hardy Chicago already.)

susieqz

Registered:1372082549
Posts: 971

Posted 1388279934	Reply with quote #13

hiya, manny. i'm in 6a but ive read lots about microclimates. i've enclosed an area with a 6' high wood fence which theoreticly should give me a microclimate closer to 7. you probably don't wanna build a fence, but you can get micro climate effects by planting in the most protected areas you have. for myself, i've eliminated these high winds that bring sub zero F temps here. __________________ 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.

OttawanZ5

Registered:1192897779
Posts: 2,551

Posted 1388280471	Reply with quote #14

Pino is right stating " Even if the fig branch still look green at this time after the many days of -17C we have had it is surely dead it just hasn't started decomposing because of the cold. If you take a cutting now and bring it in it will start turning reddish brown and it will not grow. : I tried Hardy Chicago in ground with protection last winter in Zone 5a. In spring when I removed maple leaves covering the plant, I jumped with joy because the stems looked fresh green. However the joy was short lived when the stems gradually turned brown and dried up. But that was zone 5a. Good luck in zone 5b/6a. __________________ Ottawan-Z5a, Canada

mgginva

Registered:1320266925
Posts: 1,856

Posted 1388299774	Reply with quote #15

Welcome and good luck. __________________ Michael in Virginia (zone 7a) Wish list: Perretta,

Oshawaman

Registered:1359927036
Posts: 25

Posted 1388461311	Reply with quote #16

Thank you for your suggestions...I did leave them unprotected last year and they died back to the ground when we had a couple of nights in February around minus 21 C or so and winds at 90 km/h.This year I barely protected them(two with burlap and tarp and the other only with a tarp).Hopefully they'll make it through...I think I'll keep protecting them for the next 2 or 3 years and then probably try again...It's probably a losing battle but you never know until you try it and see it for yourself.I'd never expose any rare varieties to this unless I had extras and I knew they were fairly "hardy". __________________ Zone 5b/6a Wish List:Florea,LaRadek Brown Turkey,Nexoe,Brooklyn White,Lyndhurst White,Nero 600M,Bayernfeige Violetta and other hardy varieties.

pino

Registered:1383190021
Posts: 2,117

Posted 1388601063	Reply with quote #17

Sounds like you are protecting them! You can add little improvements to the winter protection year to year. I have had my fig trees growing in the ground since 96. Some years are better than others. The worst that can happen is that the figs will die back. Just cut off dead branches and they will grow more in following year. Susie mentioned putting a 6' fence around them to increase the zone around the tree. __________________ Pino, zone 6, Niagara, JCJ Acres Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.

garden_whisperer

Registered:1353347580
Posts: 1,613

Posted 1388630881	Reply with quote #18

I'm in zone 6b and outside unprotected here I have rdb, hardy chicago, mvsb, sals g, adriatic (does get some winter damage) I am happy to say that I have a nordland rooted that will be joining them in spring along with others. __________________ Dave Zone 6b Illinois "Be the change you wish to see in the world"

Oshawaman

Registered:1359927036
Posts: 25

Posted 1388633560	Reply with quote #19

Wow!Never thought RdB would be hardy to Z6.Dave, obviously you are doing everything right.Do you protect them during the first few years, prune them every 5/6 leaves,etc...?Let us know how you do it please.We are now having very cold temps in the Toronto, Ontario area(around -18C/0F).What about you in your area?Half a zone can really make a difference... __________________ Zone 5b/6a Wish List:Florea,LaRadek Brown Turkey,Nexoe,Brooklyn White,Lyndhurst White,Nero 600M,Bayernfeige Violetta and other hardy varieties.

garden_whisperer

Registered:1353347580
Posts: 1,613

Posted 1388634722	Reply with quote #20

Our temps here are crazy a few weeks in the 20s a day or two poping up in the 50s then a a fewdays below zero. This is the midwest winters. Now on my rdb I have noticed dieback on the thin sucker like branches. Don't see any damage on the larger though I must say to gift cuttings I have trimmed them to a node or two above soil line, about 6 inches to a foot. I am planning to not cut it back as far in the future. Another thing is I my bed. Tilled very loose and deep with lotsa compost and wood chips tilled in and top dressed with a few inches of compost and cypris mulch. Theroy being the roots will go deeper and wider with ease. Now rdb is a very fast grower and by the end of next season it will be atleast 6 foot tall again. __________________ Dave Zone 6b Illinois "Be the change you wish to see in the world"

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