Questions about seedling trees as winter approaches

S

Saw-whet

Member
I have 10 seedling trees in pots that sprouted at different times this spring.  Some have brown trunks and some still have green trunks.  They aren't that big, ranging from 1 - 2.5 ft tall.

1.  Could the ones with the brown (lignified?) trunks stay outside as the cold weather arrives and go dormant?  Could an overnight frost kill them?
2.  What should I do with the ones with green (undignified?) trunks?  Should I bring them inside and keep them like a houseplant over the winter? 

Thanks for any advice.
Jill
 
I would bring them all in.
I have trees that are several years old with 3" trunk that did not make it through cold temps.
Little ones just can't take it.

As for the green ones Jill, if you keep them somewhere that is say...in the 40's....mine have made it through the winter that way.
Temps in the 40's & low 50's for prolonged time may cause it to lignify a bit quicker, then you can get them a bit colder so they can go dormant.
It stinks to have new plants going into winter for just this reason.
 
I may have missed it. But what zone and state are you in? Here in zone 9 Louisiana. I only worry about the fresh growth. That is the part for me that freezes and dies back. A 2 to 2.5 foot seedling can handle a good bit. But if you are in an area that does not have mild winter's. I would protect them.
 
Thank you @"ktrain"#2 and @"GoodFriendMike"#9 for your replies.
I am in zone 6b in MA where winters are cold.
Once the trees go dormant, they will all spend the winter in the garage/basement where it is in the 40-50 degrees F range.  Maybe the thing to do is bring them into the garage on nights in the 30s and let them stay outside during the day when it is cool, but not cold, until they go dormant or it's cold all the time.  It's a bit of work but better than losing the plants.
 
@"Saw-whet"#145 . If I could hear a little bit of the back story on your fig seedlings project, I'm sure I would enjoy it. I always get curious when I hear about seedlings enjoying Mass climate zone weather. Burr it gets cold out there for little Seedling. I'm sure you're garage is insulated, I hope it's a fairly big one. I am sorry to hear you lost a few 2 1/2 inch trunk fig trees in a recent previous winter... My son runs a small Farm out in the Berkshires, and he's always telling me about the weather.
 
@"Figless"#18   Thanks for the question.
Not sure how much of a project it is.  More like an experiment. Last fall I bought seeds, UCR347-1 x Paratjal Rimada, from Tinkerbug (before learning how generous people were with cuttings).  10 seeds sprouted at various times during the spring in my sunroom.  They were up-potted to cups and then to pots outside once it was warm.  It has been fun to watch them grow from seed.  Actually, the whole fig growing hobby has turned out to be very fun and interesting. 
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The garage never gets close to freezing.  Although I am closer to Boston than the Berkshires, outside it does get very cold here during the winter. Could I ask the name of your son's farm?

Now I guess I wait and see what they are as they grow. Hopefully one, or more, will be a common female.  I’ll probably ask more questions as they grow.  But any advice or commentary on what to expect / do would be appreciated.

Jill
 
@"Saw-whet"#145 . Jill it sounds like your garage is going to be perfect for you. Just looking at your seedlings I can see that they are much more equal in size than they would be as cuttings even with the same variety. Your seedlings look amazing so vigorous, and healthy. I'm going to make a bet that you get two common figs out of your nine seedling project. Unfortunately for me, I have never done a Seedling project of my own yet so I cannot give you reliable advice. My bet is based on the millennial gardeners 45 seedling project, but he used Saleeb as the persistent male Capri fig father. I'm sure @"GoodFriendMike"#9 who is our Capri fig expert will give you much better advice than I can. Also @Figology is very knowledgeable as well. I am waiting on my son to give me permission to chat about his Berkshire Farm.
 
Thanks @"Figless"#18   It would be great if your prediction is correct.  They're in the garage as I type.  Millenial Gardener's project gives me hope.  Didn't mean to put you on the spot about your son's farm.
 
Hi Jill

I think you got good advice above but just to add. If you bring them in, be really meticulous in debugging them. Especially if you have other plants in your house. Given the lack of natural predators, you can easily get an infestation that could kill these trees or other plants your house. 

I've been there, and it's no fun.
 
Jill TJ is absolutely right. In frequently asked questions forum I wrote a thread about indoor propagation, and pest infestation that would be absolutely applicable. If you got the time take a look at it. Also @"ktrain"#2 has a good thread there too. Wettable sulfur is a good dormant spray, or dip, and spring as well.
 
@"TorontoJoe"#1 , @"Figless"#18  Thanks for the advice.  I read the two threads in FAQ section.  Millennial gardener has a 2 minute tip about spraying sulfur to eliminate spider mites. 
Is that pretty much what I should do to the fig trees?  Do I need to be concerned about it soaking into the pots?  Thanks for patience with rookie questions.
Jill
 
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