Selecting Zone 5a Fig trees

NY Zone 5A fig choice

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NYC_Fignetic

NYC_Fignetic

Well-known member
Hi First Merry Christmas to all. Wish you a happy and healthy Holidays. I have someone in NY Zone 5A who wants to grow figs in ground.. Any recommendations on Best Fig Varieties that will survive these harsh 5A winters ? She tends to get heavy snow up there. These are some that I think that would make it but looking to broaden the options if possible.

Chicago Hardy, Brown Turkey, Celeste, Olympian, Florea, VDC, Azores Dark, RDB

If the options are limited to these, Which is the best earliest and best tasking ? looking for 2-3 varieties..
 
You have some good choices already. Depending on your favorite flavor profile, these might be good to consider:

Teramo
Longue D'Aout
Green Michurinska
Black Bethlehem or Dark Portuguese
Alma

If Brown Turkey, make sure it is one of the variants of ENGLISH Brown Turkey

5A would still need winter protection, if outdoors
 
I would tell your friend to grow the chosen tree in a large pot for several years to increase the rootball and trunk diameter. Protect the tree by storage in garage during those winters. Once the tree is mature enough then plant in a sunny well draining spot. Winter protection is a must for the next several years until the tree and root ball matures. Even then it could be a crap shot depending on many variables.
 
I’ve grown for a few years in ground 4b. Most of those have not ripened in ground for me. What has is Marseilles black vs, Fignomenal, one unknown(possibly Florea), yellow Lebanese. Fignomenal being a smaller version of Chicago hardy I think allows fruiting earlier in the season because my Chicago hardy hasn’t ripened a fig yet after four years in ground. In zone 4b the biggest factors are mulching early before the hard frost because the sap still flowing causes them to be very susceptible to cold injury. I mulched about a foot or two thick and only the trees damaged on the first frosts without mulch have died. Voles and moles can be problematic as the mulch is the only places that has soil not frozen solid so they like to make it a home. Also voles seem to love fig bark rather than all the other stuff they could be eating.

Another couple important factors, make sure these trees get planted in the most sunlight possible and also fertilize heavy early on in the season, then switch to bloom boost by June. Anything showing up by July 1 here should ripen so that’s the goal.
 
NYC_Fignetic said:
is Dark Portuguese a zone 5A fig ?
Click to expand...
In reality none are zone 5a but if you do some extra protection almost all will survive. I don’t know how fast it ripens but many of the etnas after a few years should ripen although it won’t be anywhere close to a potted tree. Most top growth dies at 15F so that’s like 7B/8A levels to guarantee top growth survival. 4b to 7a is basically the same, cover with heavy mulch and anything above the mulch is dead.

Quick fruit set and quick ripening are two factors, Celeste although often called cold hardy still dies back here but it seems to refuse fruiting after die back making it a bad choice for inground in super cold zones.
 
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