I would grow cuttings from that farmer's trees. Most fig varieties won't ripen figs on years they freeze to the ground in your zone, including Brown Turkey, I believe.

LSU Purple was bred to perform this trick but it won't accomplish it here in southeastern NY. The figs from the new wood never get ripe before hard frost.

I get plenty of figs but bring my plants in over winter (into the equivalent of an unheated root cellar- a room built into the side of a hill). I even got a small breba crop in July this year but am still waiting for my main crop to ripen- they are slow this year but there's still plenty of time. Last year the crop was finished when weather was warm enough to ripen figs for another 2 weeks.

If you get some wood from that farmer, I'd like to eventually try the variety myself.

Thanks harvestman that's a great idea I had not considered

ClarkinKS,

There is a lot of information on how to grow figs in Zone 5. I have been trying for the last few years. I planted an in-ground Chicago Hardy a few years ago and this is the first year it has had some significant growth. It has not ripened any figs yet and may not this year either as the weather is already turning. I planted it a few feet from my foundation, facing south. In the fall I build a cinder block bunker around it and it's made it through every winter.

I got some good tips from Robert Harper who grows them in-ground in zone 6, if I recall. "Danny's Delight has the same taste profile as Hardy Chicago, and bears 4 times as many fruit. Sal's EL is more cold hardy then Hardy Chicago, and is always sweet. It also bears 4 times as many figs as Hardy Chicago."

Here is a link that might be useful: Is it possible to grow fig tree in the ground in Zone 5?

Thanks Milehighgirl I will give the concrete block bunker a try. The other varieties sound nice . Checking out the link now!

I have had brown turkey and mission in ground for 7 years and have not had the slightest hint of fruit production any year, regardless of the kind of winter we have . The plants seem to die back to the same degree (within inches of ground) each year, whether we've hit 0 or -15 that winter. I would be skeptical of ever getting figs after significant dieback, but then again I have stopped trying because I don't really like the taste anyway. If you love them try some protection...

Thanks fabaceae_native that gives me the information I was looking for. I would have thought they would have set fruit for you by now. I will wrap these like Milehighgirl suggested and go see the other farmer about getting a start from a variety more acclimated to this area as harvestman suggested.

Clark,

Just one thing, make sure you do not create a habitat for vermin. I didn't put any mulch on the ground around the tree. If you do then wrap the tree in hardware cloth first,

Greetings:

I have not grown figs but heard of a few adventurous people in SE WI growing them. A friend of mine grows them in large tubs. She overwinters them in her insulated garage.

Even after -18 for the lows here for 1.5 weeks this past winter, they survived! Last year she bought me some giant
fresh figs from a specialty store that got them from California. Certified organic.

Later she gave me some of her crop. While the fruit was smaller from her trees, they were much sweeter than the expensive organic figs she bought me earlier as a gift.

I believe hers are 'Chicago'.

I've recently gotten started with figs here in zone 5 as well, I plan to keep them in containers for the first two seasons so that when I do plant them out they will be ready to send some roots deep into the soil. I will probably employ some protective measures. Variety selection seems key, cold hardiness and also early ripening being the most important. Here in the NE, resistance to splitting should also be a consideration. A few that I've read are good performers(in addition to the ones mentioned) are: Marseilles Black, Ronde de Bordeaux, Desert King(breba crop), Florea, Nero 600m.
The common Brown Turkey I've heard is not so good...needs long ripening period and lots of sun and heat to be good eating.

I overwintered an unknown fig last winter. Im up in zone 3/4 up on the north shore of superior. I bent the small branches as far down as they could go and buried the whole thing in leaves, and then covered that with a wash basin, making sure there is little no no gap between the basin and leaves. Then I buried the whole thing again in leaves. We get reliable snow and that helps. It pushed out 3 feet of growth but I dont see any signs of fruits.

JessieSt,

I plan to keep them in containers for the first two seasons

Mine was 4 years old at the time I planted it.

Canadianplant,

It pushed out 3 feet of growth but I don't see any signs of fruits.

There is a general rule to snip off the new growth after 6 new leaves are formed on a branch. This will encourage the plant to fruit rather than put out new growth. At the very most clip them when 24" of new growth occurs.

I'm certainly not as knowledgable as most on here, but since you seem to mostly be looking for the experiences of others I will share mine. I live right on the border of zone 6b/7a and this year I'm sure it was closure to 6b. I had 3 Chicago hardy figs that were 2 years old before this past winter. I went to great lengths to winterize those figs which were about 4 feet tall last fall. I wrapped them with insulation and set 55 gallon drums on top of them and piled mulch around the base. In spite of these efforts, the all 3 appeared to be dead when I uncovered them this past spring. Pretty much all the wood above the ground was dead. The good news is that they all did come back. The better news is that they not only came back, but have grown almost as large as they were before the winter kill (about 3.5 feet tall and bushy) AND are absolutely covered in figs. A couple have ripened in the last few days and I'm pretty sure all the other ones are going to ripen as well since we have 1-2 more months of good weather here. So, long story short, in my own limited experience a Chicago Hardy fig can be killed back to the ground and still end up regrowing a great deal of new wood and, more importantly, a good crop of figs. I was so impressed that I planted 10 more this summer!

Milehighgirl vermin are a big problem here so I suspect I might be making them a nice warm nest if I used leaves to pass their January away gnawing on my fig trees. I will go with the concrete block idea I like that.Thecityman a row of figs would be wonderful I may try the Chicago hardy plants as suggested.

Last winter I moved to a place in zone 6. 2 neighbors had figs and lost them last winter. I dont know if they came back or were completely dead. One tree I do not see any growth so assume that one is gone. The one neighbor had some brought from Italy and they been in the ground something like 7+ years. I want to plant figs but that is discouraging. good luck.

Wow cityman, I'm absolutely blown away by your report! I've never heard such good first-hand evidence of fruiting after significant diebackâ¦

A couple important questions, for me and hopefully for others: How long is your growing season (last spring/first fall frost dates)? What kind of climate are you in? Did the figs actually ripen, and how do they taste? If they are still ripening, will they finish by October?

My father lives right outside the Bronx in southern Westc hester Co. He has a unknown fig tree most likely from Italy given to him as a rooted cutting. The tree is 10 years old and is never given any kind of winter protection. It is planted at least 20 feet from the house. Last winter was brutal the tree is covered in ripe figs as I write this. Would love to have a rooted cutting from this tree. Would send wood of tree to some one who can root in trade of one of the cuttings after being rooted.

Nyboy,

There is a ton of information on rooting fig cuttings at Figs For Fun. Personally I haven't had much luck but I think it's because I don't want to baby the babies. The growing season is so short here that if the cuttings are rooted late enough not to need lights then they aren't mature enough to handle their first winter in the garage. It seems the best way to do it would be to baby them through their first winter indoors under lights, but uhg, the winters are long here.

By clicking the link below you agree that you will not abandon us here on GardenWeb, nor will you hold me liable for any fig addictions that may follow. (Personally I've had to abstain for a while)

Here is a link that might be useful: Figs For Fun

Nyboy that sounds like a great deal ! This is a picture of what one of my figs looks like. It is around 2' tall with this years growth. Getting some great tips from this post !

Looks like Ronde de Bordeaux, in my very limited experience.

This is what it actually is milehighgirl which i'm not sure if its a brown turkey fig, Chicago hardy or what so I'm only guessing when I say I think its a brown turkey fig.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fig

Clark

All my figs died to the ground this past winter of -15 F. They grew back to about 5 feet as of today with lots of fruits. I will see if any them ripe by late October. I will update with the results.

Tony

Here is the photo with fruits.

Tony

Milehighgirl thanks for the link. I am trying to root a branch by holding it to the soil with a brick, old man told me it will work.

Thanks Tony!

Clark,

Well it shows how little I know about fig leaves. I was sure it was Ronde but then I found this posting.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vern's Brown Turkey Pictures

They do kind of look like those I guess. Thanks Milehighgirl!

These come from the web, not experience.

Cold Hardy Figs
Brown Turkey (Texas Everbearing) DWN
Blue Celeste (all Celeste really) DWN
Brunswick
Hardy Chicago DWN to zone 4
Violet De Bordeaux (Negronne) medium eye, down to zone 5 DWN
Desert King DWN to zone 5
Italian Honey (Lattarula)
Peter's Honey DWN to zone 6
Osborne Prolific (Neverella) DWN
Excel DWN
Texas Blue Giant DWN to zone 6
Golden Celeste
Black Mission DWN
[there are others but they require either hot summers or a summer greenhouse to sweeten]
Alma - late ripening, honey fig, ugly fig, super flavor [female Allison X male Hamma Caprifig]
Atreano
Bayenfeige Violetta
Biancheta
Brogiotto Nero (Briogiotto Fiorentino)
Capelas
Dauphine
Genovese Nero
Hollier
Isfahan
LSU Purple
Mademoiselle de deux Saisons
Malta (Sugar Fig)
Northland (Nordland Bergfeige)
Paradiso Bianco
Portuguese East Mountain
Ronde de Bordeaux
Sal's (Corleone)
Skardu Dark
Stela (honey fig) (aka Stella)
Sultane
Tena (Bifere)
Ventura

Here is a link that might be useful: Cold Hardy Figs

I'm sorry I was slow to respond, but it looks like Tonytran had the same experience I did and my figs look just about exactly the same size as his (both the plant and the fruit). As for whether they will ripen or not, I just don't know. I have had 3-4 ripen already, but they seem to be odd-balls since the vast majority of my fruits are still a little larger than marbles. My season, by the way, is about 6 months or so....the last frost is usually in mid April and the first frost usually in mid-October. I am in middle Tennessee, btw. I uncovered my Chicago hardy figs in mid April and they appeared completely dead. I cut the dead wood back to about 8 inches up from the ground, at which point I saw a little green so I stopped. Nothing happened for like a month or so (which makes their eventual growth and fruit more amazing) but then it slowly started to grow back. It grew slowly until around July, then took off and put out fruits as it grew. Its now about 4 foot tall and has lots of small green fruit. Again, my situation sounds and looks very much like Tonytrans, so I guess it isn't THAT unusual after all. BTW....the 10 new figs I planted THIS YEAR are about 3 feet tall and also have a good deal of fruit. They aren't nearly as thick in fruit or brush as the ones that are 3 year old re-starts after winter kill. If you have other questions let me know.

Great info fascist_Nation on cold hardiness! ! Thanks Thecityman let us know how they turn out.

FLOREA zone 5, do not fertilize ,for it will lose it's hardiness. i am rooting some ,can't tell you anymore about it ,i searched for cold hardy figs and this one said zone 5 , i live in 6b so i am considering this to be hardier than my chicago hardy and brown turkey ! we shall see. " "FLOREA "

Chuckell let us know how Florea turns out. Thanks for letting us know the name. Where did you find them?