Inground Project zone 4-5

MFJFIGS said:
@Vitooch1
What is the wattage per foot of the heat cable you are using?
I have Frost King, 7 watts per foot wrapped around my trees, but I am hesitant to use it.
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@TorontoJoe is using 1 watt per foot cable. I would guess the 7 watt per foot would not be bad if it does not get to hot when trying to bring the temperature up to your set temp. But I will leave this up to the people up north.
 
MFJFIGS said:
@GoodFriendMike
Joe linked in this Frost King which is 7 watts per foot.
But, in another thread he did say he uses the 3 watts per meter cables…
So, I am not really sure which of the two he is using. I tagged him so he could weigh in.

@TorontoJoe

www.homedepot.com

Frost King 30 ft. Automatic Electric Heat Cable Kit Accessory HC30A - The Home Depot

Frost King Automatic Electric Heat Cable Kit is designed for use on metal and plastic water pipes to help prevent the pipes from freezing.
www.homedepot.com
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I am sure between him and @Vitooch1 you will get the information you need. I have never used heat cable for plants.
 
Vitooch1 said:
MING!!! You already started to make soppressatas? That temperature for
Salami is way too perfect, your stash might be the best in town.
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I made a bit of sasizza to dry last week but the chamber has to stay up all the time because there’s always something in there the culatello takes 2 years. Hijacking… sorry 😆
 
GoodFriendMike said:
@TorontoJoe is using 1 watt per foot cable. I would guess the 7 watt per foot would not be bad if it does not get to hot when trying to bring the temperature up to your set temp. But I will leave this up to the people up north.
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Mine is 5w per foot at 9 ft. When the cord is spread out regardless it doesn’t get extremely hot.
 
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I think there is a typo in @Vitooch1 ‘s post.
Vitooch: did you mean to say “….When the cord is spread out regardless it “”doesn't””get extremely hot?
 
When they say a variety is cold hardy to Zone 7a (0-5 degree Fahrenheit)… does that mean the roots of this variety can survive these low temperatures “without protection”, or also the tree/limbs above soil line will survive as well (without dieback)?
 
MFJFIGS said:
When they say a variety is cold hardy to Zone 7a (0-5 degree Fahrenheit)… does that mean the roots of this variety can survive these low temperatures “without protection”, or also the tree/limbs above soil line will survive as well (without dieback)?
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I'm going to say "no". Ground temps are what keep figs coming back when they die back to the ground. It's that ground heat that keeps figs alive when one employs the Sarcophagus overwintering method. Or the Grave Digger. Hardiness is (supposed) to refer to the zone that a plant can be grown in the ground, unprotected.

However, when it comes to figs... I completely ignore hardiness ratings. I look at it this way. I have to protect all my figs and they don't get individual treatment. They're all stored together. Also, even if a fig tree is hardy to Z2... it's useless if the figs don't ripen early enough in a shorter season. I tend to consider ripening time before all else.... unless the fig is totally hot.... then I'll go out of my way to stretch the season.

Short answer... if even moderately established, I don't know of a fig that won't bounce back if it dies to the ground here. I've never lost one that way
 
Hello all, just thought I’d add two winters ago I laid down my branches and covered with 2” blue styrofoam but I didn’t account for field mice which was a perfect environment for them through the winter so last year I bought hot pepper flakes and scattered all around and worked into the mulch. Worked like a charm,no damage.(from the mice anyway)
 
Poppa_curse said:
Hello all, just thought I’d add two winters ago I laid down my branches and covered with 2” blue styrofoam but I didn’t account for field mice which was a perfect environment for them through the winter so last year I bought hot pepper flakes and scattered all around and worked into the mulch. Worked like a charm,no damage.(from the mice anyway)
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Great idea! I use them to keep squirrels out of my raised beds. Never thought of doing with buried figs.
 
Negative 20°C is bitter cold. That is -4° F.
What is your location again?
Every few years, we get hit here by a nasty cold spell… I hope winter 2025 will cut us some slack.
 

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MFJFIGS said:
Negative 20°C is bitter cold. That is -4° F.
What is your location again?
Every few years, we get hit here by a nasty cold spell… I hope winter 2025 will cut us some slack
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Here in northern Ontario there is no slack. One day could be +5 the next day could be -15 and in mid January we get hit hard with -30’s so I need to really keep an eye on this fig box. Next year I might place a back up coil incase one burns out.
 
It is 8° F this morning here in Massachusetts. I am happy to report temperature inside my largest spaceship held up at just over 32°F.
That is all passive heat helped by a large footprint of 22 ft by 5 ft enclosure that is sheltering 4 decent size fig trees (RDB, Hollier, RLBV, and Takoma Violet). Temperature inside a much smaller enclosure built to protect a MBVS dipped slightly below 29° F. (note that the sensors are inside the enclosure but not inside the burlap and pink insulation wrapped around the trunks and limbs)
Three other enclosures do not have a Govee sensor inside.

Photos were taken this morning from the lower and upper floors. Please forgive the poor quality caused by the window screen as I wasn’t brave enough to step outside 🥶
 

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MFJFIGS said:
It is 8° F this morning here in Massachusetts. I am happy to report temperature inside my largest spaceship held up at just over 32°F.
That is all passive heat helped by a large footprint of 22 ft by 5 ft enclosure that is sheltering 4 decent size fig trees (RDB, Hollier, RLBV, and Takoma Violet). Temperature inside a much smaller enclosure built to protect a MBVS dipped slightly below 29° F. (note that the sensors are inside the enclosure but not inside the burlap and pink insulation wrapped around the trunks and limbs)
Three other enclosures do not have a Govee sensor inside.

Photos were taken this morning from the lower and upper floors. Please forgive the poor quality caused by the window screen as I wasn’t brave enough to step outside 🥶
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Very interesting it might just be a few degrees warmer inside the insulation but this is why I made the box easy access and I get the internal temps inside the isolation. Also for 1 reason incase in emergency I need to replace my equipment. If your govee fails on a really cold day it’s game over.
 
Vitooch1 said:
Very interesting it might just be a few degrees warmer inside the insulation but this is why I made the box easy access and I get the internal temps inside the isolation. Also for 1 reason incase in emergency I need to replace my equipment. If your govee fails on a really cold day it’s game over.
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Great data!
 
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