Winter Hardy Figs Project

G's Homestead

G's Homestead

Member
I joined this forum with the purpose to learn and bounce ideas about figs breeding. I live in zone 7b and my main goal for fig breeding is to develop cold hardy figs that can survive the winters without protection.
Few years back I planted several varieties to test out their hardiness, many of them died but many have demonstrated a significant level of hardiness.
The other goal is to improve the flavor profile of winter Hardy figs.

Below is a few clips of my orchard with my survivor figs. Celeste, Black Spanish, Olympian, Chicago Hardy the most obvious. There are a few more that showed resiliency such as Madeleine of 2 seasons, petite negri, and a few more but tend to die back to the ground, but every year they get stronger and grow larger… hoping they will be able to overwinter above ground growth soon.

What are your experiences with winter Hardy figs, I’m curious to hear your recommendations so I include them in my breeding program!

I made several videos but I can’t upload them… does anyone know how? pictures work but they aren’t the same.
 

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@G's Homestead, that's a worthy pursuit, for sure!

Unfortunately, I don't have the expertise to help (my last work in plant genetics and pharmacognosy was over 35 years ago). But if you even need to test a newly bred cold& resistant variant, I'd volunteer to do that in PA 😁

For now, I'm just trying to collect the known cold-hardy varieties.
 
My observation in zone 4b so much colder here. All figs will survive at the roots with heavy mulch placed a foot deep or so by end of September. All exposed parts die but covered parts survive. Goal number one is quick fruit set, goal number two is early ripening. Varieties such as Celeste ripen quick but refuse to set figs after winter die back. The end goal of all projects for cold hardiness should be quick fruit set while also ripening quickly. -25F here will chop them down to anything uncovered, but all exposed material died at +25F when it’s not dormant, this means early mulching is the most important winter survival factor.
 
Very nice tree's. With the idea of breeding for a certain trait.
It would be best if both parents have the traits you are looking for.
Question is. Is there a cold hardy persistent Capri?
Of the ones available I am unsure if they can handle such cold winters.
You may need to start by breeding for a early cold hardy Capri
that you can use for your future crosses.
 
GoodFriendMike said:
Very nice tree's. With the idea of breeding for a certain trait.
It would be best if both parents have the traits you are looking for.
Question is. Is there a cold hardy persistent Capri?
Of the ones available I am unsure if they can handle such cold winters.
You may need to start by breeding for a early cold hardy Capri
that you can use for your future crosses.
Click to expand...
Dc2 survived in ground here, obviously not material to produce profichi but none the less it’s a 4 foot tall tree today with a foot of mulch and survived -20F winter as a first year rooted cutting. Croisic, wild #1, ucd #1 are dead lol.
 
Bofig said:
Dc2 survived in ground here, obviously not material to produce profichi but none the less it’s a 4 foot tall tree today with a foot of mulch and survived -20F winter as a first year rooted cutting. Croisic, wild #1, ucd #1 are dead lol.
Click to expand...
Good to know. Well about the DC-2. Guess it is good that he will be using pollen from that Capri. :)
 
@G's Homestead @GoodFriendMike As previously noted my knowledge of ficus breeding programs is sparse, at the very best. So I feel incompetent to comments on the selections for cold hardiness you have chosen for your breeding program. But I must say what a beautiful looking home-based Orchard you have going there. Congratulations
 
Bofig said:
My observation in zone 4b so much colder here. All figs will survive at the roots with heavy mulch placed a foot deep or so by end of September. All exposed parts die but covered parts survive. Goal number one is quick fruit set, goal number two is early ripening. Varieties such as Celeste ripen quick but refuse to set figs after winter die back. The end goal of all projects for cold hardiness should be quick fruit set while also ripening quickly. -25F here will chop them down to anything uncovered, but all exposed material died at +25F when it’s not dormant, this means early mulching is the most important winter survival factor.
Click to expand...
Amazing insight! Didn’t think of the fruit setting speed, it makes sense! Thank you!
 
If this helps at my other house I wrapped all my trees except Terramo and Olympian. I wanted to see if they would survive and they did. They had dieback but not to the ground. About 6 inches from the ground survived and regrew and fruited. Last September we sold that house and left most of the inground trees there. 2 weeks ago a package was sent to that house by mistake and I had to go there to pick it up. I know the new owner didn’t cover any of the trees, so when I got there I was pleasantly surprised to see most of the trees were growing and doing well.
 
Aaron at NJ Fig Farm is maybe the BEST resource for cold hardiness and heirloom unknowns.

Big Bill at off the beaten path has done the remainder of the work for you since much of his figs in PA z6 dieback but regrow to fruition annually.

Don't recreate the wheel it's too time consuming. Some hardy figs like Turkeys fruit too late for me to enjoy in z7.
 
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