Cold Hardy

ETXfigs

ETXfigs

Well-known member
I am going to list some of my fig varieties. If anyone knows which ones are more cold hardy and which ones are the least cold hardy, please let me know. CDD Roja has leaves turning yellow and falling off. It still has figs that have not swelled yet. One of the figs is turning colors but not swelling. I have a feeling that CDD Roja might be one of the least cold hardy but I don't know. I might bring it indoors to try to ripen the figs. Here is the list. If you know which ones are least cold hardy, it will help me prepare for winter. If anyone else wants to list their figs to do the same, you can use this thread too.

Strawberry Verte
EBT
VdB
VdS
I-258
CDD Roja
Schar Israel
Dr Gowaty
GXY
SoCal Sunset
WM#1
Violeta
Green Ischia
 
Since you are in zone 8B, your definition and my definition of cold hardy might be different :)

From the list, I only recognize VdB as a bit cold hardy. Enough for me to try to see if it will fruit in-ground for me in Zone 5B. It has been in pot 1 year and 1st winter in ground. So I will see how cold hardy it is. Probably not enough to with stand the -18F we got this week!
 
ETXfigs said:
I am going to list some of my fig varieties. If anyone knows which ones are more cold hardy and which ones are the least cold hardy, please let me know. CDD Roja has leaves turning yellow and falling off. It still has figs that have not swelled yet. One of the figs is turning colors but not swelling. I have a feeling that CDD Roja might be one of the least cold hardy but I don't know. I might bring it indoors to try to ripen the figs. Here is the list. If you know which ones are least cold hardy, it will help me prepare for winter. If anyone else wants to list their figs to do the same, you can use this thread too.

Strawberry Verte
EBT
VdB
VdS
I-258
CDD Roja
Schar Israel
Dr Gowaty
GXY
SoCal Sunset
WM#1
Violeta
Green Ischia
Click to expand...
WM#1 will be your most cold hardy on that list.
 
EBT, VdB, WM1, I-258, Green Ischia are all reasonably hardy for the average zone 8 weather(10-20F low). Personally, I haven't put one out for a test because 1) mine are young 2) I don't think figs are that cold hardy without help like microclimate. 3) I don't have an extra volunteer for the experiment. :ROFLMAO:
 
My personal opinion is this.... And consider that I grow all my figs in a pretty cool climate. The term, "hardy" means very little to me. It cant. All my trees get the exact same protection and are treated the same way. I don't even know that one variety can tolerate say, -5 and another maybe -10. I just keep them above a certain threshold.

What does matter to me a lot... is how productive is a tree and how many days does it take to ripen its figs. No matter how cold your climate, you can probably figure out a way to protect your trees from extreme cold. What will be a lot more difficult is ensuring that you have enough days that are sunny and warm enough to wake the trees up... get them squeezing out figs and being able to ripen them in a shorter season.

It doesn't matter if your tree can handle -50 if it can't ripen a crop where you live.

My $0.02
 
Oh, I should clarify I haven't put any of the ones I mentioned for the test but I have a few trees inground outside with the snow/ice right now. Cdd Roja is one of them. I don't think it is cold hardy so I gave it a Christmas light in addition to the usual wrapping.
 
TorontoJoe said:
My personal opinion is this.... And consider that I grow all my figs in a pretty cool climate. The term, "hardy" means very little to me. It cant. All my trees get the exact same protection and are treated the same way. I don't even know that one variety can tolerate say, -5 and another maybe -10. I just keep them above a certain threshold.

What does matter to me a lot... is how productive is a tree and how many days does it take to ripen its figs. No matter how cold your climate, you can probably figure out a way to protect your trees from extreme cold. What will be a lot more difficult is ensuring that you have enough days that are sunny and warm enough to wake the trees up... get them squeezing out figs and being able to ripen them in a shorter season.

It doesn't matter if your tree can handle -50 if it can't ripen a crop where you live.

My $0.02
Click to expand...
Haven't you tried to set up a grow tent or something with heat to wake them up early? It is more challenging with inground trees as they tend to spread out.
 
A thread should be dedicated to this in the Spring with certain reporting parameters (age of tree, microclimate, level of die back, and attach nearest weather station data, if available etc.).

A brief dip to single digits in a protected microclimate is much different than sustained single digit temperatures out in the open.
 
grasshopper said:
Haven't you tried to set up a grow tent or something with heat to wake them up early? It is more challenging with inground trees as they tend to spread out.
Click to expand...

In ground is definitely more challenging but the rewards are far greater. In ground trees get bigger and produce way more figs... the trick is controlling the climate, outdoors.

Yes, I try to wake my container trees up early but with as many trees as I have it's difficult. Some get no real head start.

In ground we're at the mercy of when the soil heats up enough... I've been able to manage that to some degree by putting pop up greenhouses over the in ground trees and heating the soil with warm water... but that's hit and miss. I'm hoping my newest ground heating thing is going to show some real results this spring.

TorontoJoe

Thread 'Electri-fig-ation - Part 2 - Subterranean'

Sometimes, occasionally.... I try to post something that's of actual, practical use :) I hope this helps others growing figs in cold climates and like the original, Electri-fig-ation method, I hope others find their own ways to adapt and improve on the idea.

As these well protected trees get bigger and bigger they start to wake up later and later every year. We've had some discussion about trying to get the trees to wake earlier in the spring by applying warm water to the root zone....I don't know how well that works. I've been hinting around trying to figure out...
  • TorontoJoe
  • canada cold cold climate overwinter short season winter winter protection
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If one is successful with in ground trees, pruning is a different game. Thick trunks take a lot longer to sprout new growth so it becomes a matter of also keeping budding growth.... even though the thick trunks probably wouldn't need any protection
 
NYC_Fignetic said:
Maryland??? White Madeira #1 is from Portugal no?
Click to expand...
Originally from Madeira Portugal and brought over to the states along with I believe 5 other figs and it was a Greek man that was growing them. From what I heard there was a white Madeira 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The 1 was his best one out of the bunch hence WM#1. They were brought over to the states and were grown in ground in Maryland.
 
I don't consider any of the ones in your list to be cold hardy at least in my zone. Cold hardy to mean is that the fig tree doesn't get killed by freezing damage with minimal protection (mulch) in my zone 7. One may also factor in if it fruits before frost. I believe there was an Ourfigs member who took amazing notes who took great notes. A member with forum name Rewton provided a great reference that I still follow and the link is https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-...-for-cold-hardiness-during-the-2021-22-winter I hope this is acceptable to share if not please delete this post.
 
TorontoJoe said:
In ground is definitely more challenging but the rewards are far greater. In ground trees get bigger and produce way more figs... the trick is controlling the climate, outdoors.

Yes, I try to wake my container trees up early but with as many trees as I have it's difficult. Some get no real head start.

In ground we're at the mercy of when the soil heats up enough... I've been able to manage that to some degree by putting pop up greenhouses over the in ground trees and heating the soil with warm water... but that's hit and miss. I'm hoping my newest ground heating thing is going to show some real results this spring.

TorontoJoe

Thread 'Electri-fig-ation - Part 2 - Subterranean'

Sometimes, occasionally.... I try to post something that's of actual, practical use :) I hope this helps others growing figs in cold climates and like the original, Electri-fig-ation method, I hope others find their own ways to adapt and improve on the idea.

As these well protected trees get bigger and bigger they start to wake up later and later every year. We've had some discussion about trying to get the trees to wake earlier in the spring by applying warm water to the root zone....I don't know how well that works. I've been hinting around trying to figure out...
  • TorontoJoe
  • canada cold cold climate overwinter short season winter winter protection
  • Replies: 41
  • Forum: Fig Talk
  • Like
  • Love

If one is successful with in ground trees, pruning is a different game. Thick trunks take a lot longer to sprout new growth so it becomes a matter of also keeping budding growth.... even though the thick trunks probably wouldn't need any protection
Click to expand...
Maybe popup grow tent with geothermal pipes? I just saw a youtube video - the guy only dug 4 ft deep to bury a net of perforated pipes with socks and bury 2x 55 gal water drums to stabilize temperature in the greenhouse. Between sunlight and ground heat, he was able to keep the temperature warm enough to grow in winter. I forget where he is located.
 
grasshopper said:
Maybe popup grow tent with geothermal pipes? I just saw a youtube video - the guy only dug 4 ft deep to bury a net of perforated pipes with socks and bury 2x 55 gal water drums to stabilize temperature in the greenhouse. Between sunlight and ground heat, he was able to keep the temperature warm enough to grow in winter. I forget where he is located.
Click to expand...

It’s been years and I’m still learning. No matter what I do above ground it has become very clear that everything starts from below. Protecting a tree from freezing has become fairly easy… My focus of late is on the roots… Seems that’s the real “control center“
 
bushdoctor82 said:
A thread should be dedicated to this in the Spring with certain reporting parameters (age of tree, microclimate, level of die back, and attach nearest weather station data, if available etc.).

A brief dip to single digits in a protected microclimate is much different than sustained single digit temperatures out in the open.
Click to expand...
Also what your feeding your figs before the freeze. Because that can also make a big difference in cold hardiness.
 
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