Electri-fig-ation

[TorontoJoe]

It's still a bit early for me so forgive the older mix of photos... I wanted to make available my method for overwintering in-ground fig trees in cold climates.

I allow the tree to get hit by a few frosts and drop its leaves naturally. This is generally going to happen later than potted trees as the soil temps need to dip for this to happen.

The first thing I do is prune back.... With larger trees it can be more challenging and you may need to take the tree down further. Once one pruning I use the strongest cord I have... in my case polypropylene twine... and I tie the tree up as tightly as possible.



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Following this I drape and tie a layer of burlap around the tree. After the burlap I wind heating cables around being careful to not cross them if at all possible.

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Note that the heating cables do not get "hot". It's actually difficult to tell they're even on when holding them. They are designed with a built in thermostat switch and will come on during freezing temps and switch off when not needed. This are readily available at most big box home improvement stores. They generally range from 5-7 watts per linear foot.

Following the heating cable I cover the tree with a single layer of fiberglass batt or roll insulation. While heat will be generated, it'll be important to retain it when the weather is very cold. I use electrical tape to wrap any connections with extension cords. 

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It's important to remember that wet insulation is essentially no insulation. The entire tree should be covered with at least two layers of tightly woven tarp or even better, building wrap like Typar as these products repel water while still breathing

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Tie everything tightly and if possible mound a layer of mulch around the base as high as you can. This will add as extra insulation and prevent wind from blowing up underneath.

During periods of very low temperatures it's a good idea to ensure power is getting to the receptacle and no breakers have tripped. 

Be careful to wear gloves and cover your skin as the insulation will make your skin itch.

It's not a bad idea to place a wireless thermometer inside to monitor temps. If it gets too low it may be a sign your insulation is wet.

This method has served me well for years. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. 

I'll be update this tread when it comes time to wrap my in-ground trees. 

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[Figology]

That's a 3 meter step stool for size reference.

 

[TorontoJoe]

 Busted

 

[Figgerlickinggood]

This method would make a great YouTube tutorial.

 

[Figless]

@"TorontoJoe"#1 the last time I saw you post this it didn't look as well thought out. This is making more sense.. it's progress. I get that you have been thinking about this method for a while... does it work? Make some more sense than what I've been thinking about. My heated mini Greenhouse waste too much heat compared to this.

 

[ktrain]

That is devotion squared.
It is amazing what we will go through to protect our trees.
Kudos Sir...it's a beautiful tree every year!

 

[TorontoJoe]

It definitely works as you can see in the last photo. But it takes some time and patience

 

[Figless]

@"MFJFIGS"#76 @"TorontoJoe"#1 @"Figgerlickinggood"#7 . It occurs to me this is a subject that is very important. Certainly I will probably never use in california. Teresa brought up that this would make a great YouTube video. I believe (Teresa is a genius). We need to make this a YouTube video then have it embedded on our website. We should consider TJ making a video that we could have permanently on figfanatic Plus have it be on YouTube with a redirect to figfanatic.com. this could be a giant net to catch new cold weather membership. I remember one time being upset because the old house (OF) didn't seem to pay enough attention to the BFF. @"TorontoJoe"#1  at that time told me (OF) was predominantly an eastern states, and cold weather organization mostly concerned with Eastern State issues

Cold weather issues / freezes can be a giant net to capture cold weather hobbyist attention. Also to increase our membership. Joe Please consider rewriting this thread into something permanent, and sticky. Also tying it to a video as Teresa wisely suggested. Redirecting traffic to Figfanatics.com

 

[TorontoJoe]

A video… that would mean I’d need to be on camera. That’s I muscle I’m not comfortable flexing

 

[ktrain]

Lol.  Bigfoot has been seem more times than Joe.

@"Figless"#18

 

[Figless]

@"TorontoJoe"#1   @"ktrain"#2 @Bigfoot maybe Bigfoot would be available for the video. We must have somebody in Canada who is photogenic, and wants to be in a winter fig video. I have a girl here in Berkeley who's always wanted to be a star, and can remember lines. We thought about having someone represent Figless Farms LOL what about Kevin? Do you still have your looks? I seem to have misplaced mine somewhere along life's Road.

 

[TorontoJoe]

For those who don't know me. This is how I protect my in-ground trees for the winter here in Toronto, Canada

I've been looking forward to posting the 2024 Electri-fig-ation so it has a better sense of real-time.

I'll just focus on the in ground I-258 this year that fruited so nicely

The first thing I needed to do was turn what was, this tree




Into this tree




I skipped the burlap last year which I think was a mistake and responsible for holding some moisture on the insulation. So I got it on there prior to installing my heating cables.... Being careful to cross cables as little as possible. I electrical taped around all the cord connections to keep moisture out of there as well.




I used about half a roll of fiberglass pink. If you use this stuff, wear gloves and it's pretty prickly.




Finally, I went with 3 layers of woven white tarp. I used older tarps for the inner layers and one in really good condition for the top to prevent any water getting in. The woven tarps shed water well enough to keep the insulation dry but also breath well.




Nice and cozy for the winter!

Don't forget to mound up mulch or chips or even soil at the bottom to keep the cold air from blowing up underneath. I need to add more. I like to have it near knee high if I can

Many have asked what cables I use. I originally bought the brown and yellow cables that you see there but I don't see them available anymore. I also use these ones which pretty much the same. I do recommend you buy a brand and not cheap knock-offs.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-K...tric-Heat-Cable-Kit-Accessory-HC30A/100196471

The length will depend on how much tree you wish to protect. As you can see I pruned back pretty heavily this year as the branches have become too thick to bend like they used to.

 

[Inflorescence]

I asked Gemini to create an image inspired by your electrifigation thread and this is what it came up with:

 

[bushdoctor82]

Looks great and detailed. 

What factors into your decision on when to wrap it for the winter? Forecast, free time or something else?

Last year I wrapped my trees mid-December and looking at my long range forecast, I’ll probably shoot for that same time frame this year.

 

[TorontoJoe]

Looks great and detailed. 

What factors into your decision on when to wrap it for the winter? Forecast, free time or something else?

Last year I wrapped my trees mid-December and looking at my long range forecast, I’ll probably shoot for that same time frame this year.

Normally I'd wait until the tree gets hit by a bit more frost and dropped all its leaves on its own... That's usually happened by now. Its been so warm though and may not dip to zero until December. The tree was going a bit yellow and starting to lose a few leaves so I decided to go for it rather than get caught off guard with a really deep, surprise-freeze later in December.

 

[TorontoJoe]

I asked Gemini to create an image inspired by your electrifigation thread and this is what it came up with:

Well...  that's a creepy Franken-fig! LoL!