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Container Gardening

What cold temps can potted FIG trees handle coming out of dormancy?

myermike_1micha

8 years ago

When do you start to bring your figs outside?

Can they handle cold temps at night as long as they don't freeze coming out of dormancy in containers?

I ask, because I know they have commenced growing and roots can get really cold in pots. Can they handle them as long as the temps don't go down to freezing? Mine are all leafing and fruiting out and I would like to get them outside as soon as possible since next week temps will be hitting the 50's and 60's...

Do they have to be brought in at night as long as temps stay above the high 30's?

Thanks a bunch..

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Comments (5)

tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
They can tolerate much more cold while buds are tight than they can after leaves start to open. After the spring flush is underway, they need to be protected from freezing temps. They can be left outdoors, as long as temps are above say, 35*. Keep in mind that you can still get frost when temps are well above freezing.

Al
myermike_1micha
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Thanks Al! I can always count on you for a solid answer)

Seems know one knows at the fig forums!

Mike
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It is not a bad idea to prune in the winter or during dormancy. However, you have to know the variety and if you expect breba crop then pruning will greatly minimize the breba crop but will enhance the main crop which the plant bears on the current (new) year growth. Some varieties such as Desert King have breba crop as the major crop in most places, so Desert King can be pruned in summer after the breba crop because in most places no main crop is expected. I tried to find a link of thread by Herman2 but coulkd not (probably archived), but here are my notes from Herman2 post that deals with the issue to some extent (minor edits for clarity to myself): quote: "If you bring your poted figs inside every winter then you do not need cold hardy varieties, but early fruitting is what you need. Now there are two kind of early fruitting figs: Type #1 Figs that have an early breba crop, such as Desert King, Gentille, Dauphine, St.John, Gillete, where breba crop is the main crop. For Type#1 you never prune in winter but when you see the fruits buds in spring,for shape only .Also you have to bring them inside imediatelly after leafe fall in order to preserve the breba fruit buds that are allready on the tree in the fall ,very small you can't even see them,but no doubt they are there,and need to be protected.If not bud fruits freeze and no fruits next year! Type #2 Figs that has an early main crop as :Celeste, Hardy Chicago, Pastilliere, Sal"s fig, Early Violet,.There could be more but I do not have experience growing them. Growing this figs in pot and bringing them inside for winter should guaranty ripe fruits, in colder climates. For Type #2 you can bring them in later because rhey produce main crop on new growth so no fruits buds in the fall. regards" unquote
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I have 3 fig cuttings from last year, they are about 12 inches tall. They dropped their leaves in the fall and I wintered them in the garage. I watered them about once a month in the winter. I just looked at them today and noticed there were some new leave tips at a the very top, which have dried out and the stem is dried out also, Should I water and trim off the dried out stem. Also when is a good time to put the pots outside. I don't plan on planting them in the ground but want to keep in pots for awhile. Any suggestions or advice is appreciated.
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No kidding! Hobby, it's frustrating. My weather has been just nuts..I had to bring them in for a week after having them outside for a week a couple of weeks ago..It was warmer then than now. So, they have all leafed out and now I have to bring them back in for next week because I am suppose to get snow and way below temps..Can't win! Bahama, you are SO lucky!
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How cold is your garage in the Winter? (Attached are warmer thus the above question.) In the GROUND, they are cold hardy to about 7a (without protection), so, coldest MINIMUM of about 0 F (which in my area, seems to amount to average ANNUAL lows in the 20's/minimum teens). but containers are much colder than the ground, so I would be concerned if garage temps remained below freezing for prolonged periods (day and night). Occasional tips below freezing into the 20's should be okay. Figs are subtropical and deciduous, and would resent the constant warmth of your living room and would drop their leaves as well and eventually lose their vigor.
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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
Temperate plants are moved toward dormancy by shorter days (technically, it's longer nights, but that's another topic), and the deal is sealed by falling temps. Once the plant has been subjected to an appropriate number of chilling units, it passes from a true dormancy to a state of quiescence. During this stage, the plant will start growing soon after ambient temps reach 42-45*. Once growth has been initiated, the tree loses much of it's ability to resist injury from chilling and needs protection from frost and freezing temps.

Al
myermike_1micha
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I think I get the dormancy thingy..lol

The same plants will drop their leaves and sense the time to do so when shorter days approach along with longer cold nights.

In spring, they sense it's time to grow with nights getting shorter although they are subjected to the same cold temps but continue to grow, even in pots. Still though, they can not handle frost once leaves are in the works.+

I was afraid they would react poorly to cooler temps as they do in the fall, but I get it that spring is an entirely different experience for them))

Thanks a bunch Al and if I am wrong, let me know. I feel much safer exposing them to cold temps as long as it's not frost or freezing ones now that they are actively growing.

P.s..I expose citrus on my cold porch to temps in the 40's all winter and they do well, so I figure why not figs?

Mike
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
8 years ago
Ideally, after your figs enter dormancy, you want to keep them between 25-42* for as long as you can into spring so the low temps can inhibit growth. I hate these short stretches of really warm weather that start trees to growing in Jan or Feb because very often the trees can't be moved outdoors and all the growth they push while under the protection the unheated garage affords is wasted energy; this, because the growth is so lanky it has to be removed anyway.

Al

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