Hardiness of actively-growing young fig tree?

[patandchickens]

So my experiment this year is a leetle tiny Hardy Chicago fig (it's only 8" tall at present and has spent its whole life in a greenhouse, I've been working on hardening it off the last week or so).

*Supposedly* it is hardy down to 10-20 F when dormant for winter. I'll grow it in a container and put it in the chicken bldg for the winter.

But, anyone care to make any sort of a guess as to how much cold the actively growing plant can tolerate? (Imagine it were fully hardened off). I don't want it to be out too cold and lose all its few leaves... but I also don't want to spend the rest of my life taking the darn thing at night.

Anyone out there got a fig for reference?

Thanks,

Pat

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I don't have a reference for you Pat, but my guess would be mid 40's F. I guess this because my fig would not leaf out until it got to be about that temperature as a low and with the added heat of my hothouse during the day. It might have leafed out sooner, but I kept it in a cooler location (but above freezing) until just recently and it would not leaf out at all until it went into the greenhouse. My guess is to treat it like a tomato.

 

[GrowinVeggiesInSC]

We have a fig tree, but I live in SC, zone 8! Not sure how much help I'll be.
I swear I've killed the darn thing every year since we've had it (we've had it three years now), and it only produced fruit the very first year (while it was still in the container). Since then we've transplanted it once and then the dogs ran it over and broke it off during its dormant winter stage. Every time it has come back.
Here's the latest picture of it. It's been about that big since we've had it, because of the plant murder we commit every year, I suppose, especially when the dogs ran it over and snapped it short. Right now, I'm just glad it has leaves.

As for your question, it seems to do just fine in winter here, but then again, while we do have brief periods of cold weather, we don't have what I would call a "real winter." But in all other aspects of trying to kill this tree, it's made it through unscathed. They are hardy little things.

I hope someone closer to your area can help you out with your temperature question!

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I have two fig trees, both are still quite small (2ft 6ins). Both have survived several winters in temperatures well below freezing. One in fact lived in a pot for years & always was outside. When my favourite Andalusian Roo died last year I decided to plant it over the top of his grave. I remembered that it used to be a tradition to bury a dead animal when you planted a fig. It is thriving, so the spirit of my lovely "Velasquez" (his name) lives on. ! have planted them against the white wall of my house, where they get whatever sunshine is going for two-thirds of the day -- this is also traditional here.

When I had my restaurant we had a huge fig tree in the car park. It was 16ft high & the same in width & that had been there, in all weathers since the 1890's. Mind you your winters can be a lot colder for a lot longer....!! you will have to cosset it for quite a few years I suspect.

Hope this helps!

:rose Hattie :rose