On 17 Jan 2005 07:11:55 -0800, "simy1" wrote:


John Bachman wrote:
I am in Southern NH, zone 5b and am considering giving a fig tree a
try. I have read various techniques for babying the tree through our
winters; trenching, covering, bring em inside and plant along a south
facing wall.

I am planning on the latter as soon as I build the wall which has no
other purpose. Then I plan on constructing a cover with ventilation
for winters.

Anyone care to comment on their succesful techniques? Actually,
unsuccesful techniques are worthwhile too - why reinvent broken
wheels?

TIA

John

I have no fig experience - long torn between the sublime flavor of a
fig off the tree and the difficulties of growing one in Michigan I
chose to not grow one. But I have had tunnels in my garden for several
years now, single layer, and I can tell you that with the thermal
ballast provided by the soil itself they give you about 15F, which is
probably a bit more than you need to keep your fig alive.

Tunnels? Not sure that I follow you there. Can you expand on that a
bit?

A couple
oildrums filled with water inside the enclosure will give you extra
security by moderating both temperature extremes.

I had not thought of the oil drums. I have a couple, painted black
and everything. Full of water and snugged up inside a covering might
be helpful. We are getting -4F tonight and -10F tomorrow - happens
nearly every year. That is hard to counter for very long.

You have to wonder, however, if the heat units at your place will be
enough to ripen the figs in time. I have a nice looking jujube, full
sun, producing lots of berries, and they never ripen in time (it's just
as well, the squirrels like them unripe). You may be able to get the
units by keeping the cover until Mem.day and putting it back around
Sept. 20.

It seems to me that some years they will ripen and some they will not.
We often get a frost in September but just as often not. Where's that
damned global warming when you need it? I would hate to put in a fig
leading to blame for a decade of early frosts.

John