Winter Protection

[Nyboy]

Yesterday I planted a small fig tree that is hardy in my zone with winter protection. I never plant things that can't handle my winters, but really wanted a fig tree. My plan is to cover the tree with a 5 gallon pail, then cover the pail in a hill of mulch. will this work? I am worried that the tree willn't get air, do dormant trees need air? My other idea was to surround the tree in hardware cloth then fill in with mulch. what is the best way, I dont want to dig up and bury. Winter can have anywhere from no snow to 6 feet here .

 

[so lucky]

I don't think covering with a bucket would be a good idea. There is a product you can get to spray on the tree called "frost-pruf" or something similar--it coats the twigs to keep them from damage from drying out and/or freezing and bursting.
Also, the chicken wire and leaves is probably a good idea.
Have you planted the tree in the warmest microclimate on your property?

 

[digitS']

Nyboy, I'd like to have a fig tree. We had a fig tree near the path to the side pasture when I was a little kid. The banties would hang out there, just kind of waiting for a ripe fig to fall on the ground. I had a special "bounce" method with my hand under a fig to determine if it was ripe enuf to eat . . . same technique I used on the blackberries .

I have read articles about winter protection. One method was to allow the fig tree to only have two main roots so that a trench could be dug on one side of it and the tree leaned over into the trench and covered with soil, leaves & a tarp. Wow! It sounded like it would be a lot of stress on the tree!

I don't know anything about winter tree protection. Your idea with the bucket reminds me of a useful way I have stored my root crops in the ground. I have sometimes used one of those very large, two-handled buckets to cover the pine needles that, in turn, cover the soil that cover the carrots & such. It doesn't really seem necessary for me to use that big bucket but it seemed to work well and keeps the pine needles together and dry. The bucket didn't sit all the way down against the soil surface.

Try to think of some way to be sure that mice don't get to your tree in the winter. With the carrots & such, I just wait to cover them with the pine needles until as late as I can, before the soil begins to freeze. That way, I am hoping that all mouse activity outdoors has come to an end.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

The wire cage idea is a good one. Instead of using leaves which will get soggy, and mat, I would fill it with the coarse bark that is used for mulch. Then you could also wrap the outside of the cage with burlap.

I had some crocosmia come back this spring that I had planted last fall, which is a first for me. Crocosmia is not reliably hardy at my house.
What I did different this year was to pile a lot of peat moss on the plants after I cut them back for the fall. Of course it helps that last winter was a mild one....

Good luck with your fig NYboy, I hope it does well for you!

 

[thistlebloom]

Oops!

 

[Smart Red]

What kind of fig? And perhaps everyone else knows, but what zone?

I have grown a Brown Turkey fig here for the past 7 years. So far I have brought it inside my sunroom to overwinter. DigitS pretty much described the way I've read to protect a fig tree over the winter in a borderline hardy zone. It did involve cutting one side's roots and trenching it under soil and mulch then cutting the other side to repeat the next year. Actually sounds like a lot less work that hauling it in and out. Now I have a 18X24' garden shed where I hope to keep it. I figure it should provide at least one zone warmer than outside.

It is not the snow that kills fig trees, it is the cold, the wind, and the quick changes in temperature. Until the tree gets bigger, you should try wrapping it with hardware cloth and fill the interior space with shredded leaves or straw then cover the whole thing with burlap. That will keep the tree warmer and protected from the wind and quick temperature fluctuations. Another way might be to stack hay bales around it, cover the bales with wood slats and add more bales over that. Breathing space and protection from wind and temp.

Also, one product soLucky mentioned goes by the name "Wilt Pruf". I use it to protect my rhodies from winter winds and it works well to protect those tender buds. I would certainly consider using it over the fig tree for extra protection. It must be put on after growth is over for the year and when the air temperature is above freezing (about 50s) so it has ample time to dry or it will do more harm than good.

 

[bobm]

The mentioned articles about cutting the roots on one side then bending the trunk into a trench and covering it will work for a year or two, but what does one do when the fig tree has a growth spurt to 10-20+ feet ?

 

[Nyboy]

Hardy Chicago at least thats how it was labeled. Going to try the wilt pruf and wire cage with mulch.

 

[journey11]

Hey Nyboy, here's a video on wrapping figs that I found on YouTube sometime back. http://youtu.be/71NlBkOvUxs

To summarize... Burlap, THEN brown paper, then cardboard at the base, then tar paper. And a bucket over top to keep the rain out. See the vid for details. I just bought a huge roll of tar paper the other day. (Also called 15# roofing felt.) That's what I use to wrap my bee boxes too.

I have a brown turkey fig that I kept in a pot indoors last year, bagged for humidity and stored in a dark, cool corner of my basement. It did fine otherwise, but I believe it will grow and produce better if planted in the ground. Mine set many figs this summer, but I lost most of them due to inconsistent watering (rain too much, or me too little.) Being in the ground is better. It can send out more roots and not get bound too. I will go ahead and plant mine now that fall is here.

Another recommendation is to plant them where they get some windbreak, like up against your house or shed. They require full sun too, though. So I had a hard time picking the spot for mine. We get some wicked winter winds up here on my ridge. My fingers are crossed...

 

[Nyboy]

Journey good video, good tip not to use plastic. Tar paper isn't something I have on hand, plastic is, I would have used the plastic. Next trip to big box store will pick up tar paper.Good luck with your brown turkey, if my hardy chicago makes it though winter I will send you a cutting. Figs are supose to be easly to root. Fingers crossed!!