oh bullshit. I have a Chicago fig that can take it as cold as it comes, I
think it's called Stella now. Another one calle Vern's Brown Turkey is
reliable and productive in the Northwest and bears large, sweet and
flavorful dark brown figs with amber flesh and sometimes producing two crops
a year. There is also another one called Desert King that can take coastal
and cooler areas with yellowish green skin and strawberry colored flesh.
Very productive and reliable. You can get any of these or something else
they offer (these are the best cold hardy varieties I've seen though) at
www.onegreenworld.com
"John Bachman" wrote in message
John Bachman wrote:
snip
It seems to me that some years they will ripen and some they will
not.
Mine did that only because the sprout I'd planted needed time to form a good
tree. The sprout has become a nice low trunked 10 year old and since I don't
whack it back anymore (I made the mistake of cutting the main branch down to
eight inches one year to "protect" it and now it's a bit too low to the
raised beds soil line) and only cut the higher branches back so they'll
branch more, my hardy fig gives me earlier fruit setting which ripens
earlier. If the season turns cool in September, I get a good batch. If the
season stays warm later, I get a second flush of fruit. You owe it to
yourself to experience fresh ripened figs.
Even a tree purchased now and planted on a warmish day will fruit for you
next year. And each year it grows bigger, it will acclimate and give you
more figs than you can do anything with.
They look like deflating balloons when they're perfect. My problem is the
hornets have found my tree and I fear their children will remember the
source for their pleasures late in my season last year and return earlier
and I'll miss out. These ain't small hornets! Today was the perfectly
bitter cold day to kill the tips of the last year's branch growth, which
will make cutting the branches back easier because I will see where they
were froze back.
Once your fig has started forming a tree trunk, it'll be fine. You shouldn't
have to winter over the tree at all. Plant it on the south-western side of
your property and it'll be fine. If you are afraid the cold will nip it,
mulch over the whole thing and put a small enclosing fence around the leaves
to keep them in place until March the first two years. (this is how I got my
fig sprout, a branch rooted under all the leaves my friend, Mary Emma had
put around her own tree, which is a Chicago Turkey fig) Only below zero
temperatures held for a week or more would do in this fig tree.
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

let 'em blame the figs anyway. If it doesn't get down below -5 and only
occaisonally, figs should do well if planted on the SW side like I said
above.

-10F? Let me be the first to discourage you. The coldest I have seen
here in 10 years has been -5F, and some years it does not even get
below 0. Figs like it hot, more so than jujube, otherwise they will not
make it.

Well, we have cold winter's when they finally get here and normal to hot
spring and summer months in Eastern Tennessee. With all the rains we got
last year, my established fig tree used all the overcast days and spring
warmth and rains to grow more branches and set fruit earlier and took all
seasons to ripen them by August first and second week where we were STILL
getting rains. (last year was a very rainy summer for us and not too many
hot days) The figs were just as good as always, and held on the tree until
I dared not pick them because of the hornets finding them. But I had quite a
few to eat out of hand before then, gathering up a few containers with
excesses to share with a few people at work who had never had them before.
I've ruined several people's love for Fig Newton's now thanks to them
tasting figs fresh ripened and sweet. Nothing like that in the cookie. (one
woman refused when I told her how sweet and tart they are fresh because she
didn't want the Newton taste ruined for her........so the other co-worker
got more and he was beside himself they were so good this year, he wants a
cutting for himself off my tree now g)
Why not something like hardy kiwis? Flavor-wise, they are the equal of figs,
and you will get those for sure because they like it mild, but will take 6
years.
My point exactly. Figs will produce a few fruit the next year and every
year afterwards with more and more as they establish themselves as a small
tree or shrub. You don't even have to coppice it to the ground if you don't
want to but just whack it back to three foot stems and do that leaf mulch
thing packed around the plant and ANY variety will survive this way. I
guarantee it. And once you see what One Green World has to offer, you'll
want a few acres to try out really neat fruiting trees, shrubs, vines and
the like they offer. They even have Paw Paw! And some fruiting things I
want to try one of everything....LOL Especially the Honey Berries. This
year is my Honey Berry year for my woods. Especially since they can take
dryish woods
Nice plant with huge output once it gets going, though you need a lot of
space.
That's about right. Mary Emma's kiwi has thick, invasive vines and you HAVE
to get two females and a male. And at least One Green WOrld has a guarantee
you have both sexes to assure fruiting. (and a neat picture to show you what
a male plant SHOULD look like on page 50 of their catalog, as their website
isn't up yet, just abilities to order their catalog) they have several cold
hardy varieties.
Or you keep the cover on the fig
9.5 months a year.

you won't have to do even that with the right fig.
Well, I like a challenge and I understand that fresh figs are a
delight (if I can get there).

oh you will. And once you taste a ripe fig there won't be any going back g
That is why I am seeking ideas on how
to get them through the winters. I have been told that others in this
area have succeeded, although I have not met any of them.

If all else fails you can always give me a holler adn I'll lay down a branch
and get it to root. That's you're last option. Try One Green World first.
top quality plants and a huge selection of awesome things to try with edible
fruits.

I thought of the kiwi but the fruits are very small, right?
some, yes, others no. Depends on what kind you grow, if you do. All the
best luck. (remember south west side of yer yard for the fig)
madgardener. zone 7, Eastern Tennessee

John