On 31 Aug 2004 10:06:26 -0700, (simy1) wrote:

Boron Elgar wrote in message . ..

You own me a Mission and a Brown Turkey already. Both were nursery
graded and specifically grown for this climate. Both were protected
over winters milder than the zone rating. Both failed to emerge in
spring. Both were tub grown. We have a specialized situation her that
you seem unable to grasp.


This is entirely correct. Potted and in the ground are totally
different beasts. Even a very large pot will freeze solid given enough
hours below. I have, for example, lost all lemon balm plants planted
in an old capped well. The walls of the well are 1ft thick, the "pot"
is 2.5 ft wide and 3 ft deep, so it was much better protected than a
regular pot. Lemon balm, of course, is hardy to Zone 4 (Zone 5.5
here). The difference is in the thermal flow from below. So Boron has
two choices (three, assuming he wants to risk losing the fig): bring
the fig in, or bury the fig pot. Even burying it will not eliminate
the risk of a truly severe winter, unless good part of the fig is
buried also.

More desperate measures include placing the pot near the dryer vent,
wrapping the fig in insulation (including underneath the pot), and
placing a deicing cable inside the insulation. The insulation alone
will not prevent a kill if the freeze lasts more than a day. Also,
venting the dryer directly onto a cold fig willl probably cause the
fig's bark to split severely. All are somewhat labor intensive. In my
tunnels hardy greens overwinter easily, the tunnel alone (a thin poly
film) giving them about 1.5 zones, with the ground acting as thermal
ballast. You could also consider buying a 55 gallon drum, to be placed
full of water inside the same insulation jacket as the fig, and
somehow heating the drum for more even heating of the fig. The drum
will take a few days to freeze in severe weather, and until then the
temp will stay at 32 inside the jacket, giving you a bit more leeway
on how to manage your fig's survival.


I want to thank all of you who have made these wonderful suggestions.
I am beginning to think that these lovelies are just too tender to
make it, regardless of what the Monrovia Nursery tags say.

I will give it a try this year & wrap the tree & use foam peanuts &
leaves to insulate, and perhaps bury it part way with a tarp around it
and leaves/peanuts under & around, but I am beginning to think that I
will wind up with my figs as an annual....I have gotten wonderful
prices on them by hitting the local garden center at just the right
time, and as much as I love the Mediterranean look they give to my
patio, I may just use tough love instead..

Boron