Hi Andrew,
This is a common effect of a rough winter. The fig will fight to survive, but there are things you can do to help. I posted this info on several other threads. It seems like most everyone had more die-back than usual this winter.

If you don't help it along, the new growth may not have time to harden off before NEXT winter, and would be killed again. First you'll need to trim the existing branch structure to give the new growth as much sun as possible. Do the "scratch test" on the bark to see how much living wood, if any you still have. Starting at the top, scratch the bark with your thumbnail, exposing the inner bark. Most likely it's dead that high up, and the inner bark will be greyish to brown. Go down the trunk until you reach green inner bark (it won't be deep, but just under the outer bark you can easily scratch off). If you find any green, the trunk will be alive from that point down. It has the ability to produce new growth from that point and below. If you had a thick canopy of limbs, I would suggest thinning them to provide more light to the sprouts, but it looks like you have one main trunk (probably a mistake...in colder climates I suggest a bush, not tree form). You can probably wait a while to trim it back. But I think I'd concentrate on the ground level sprouts, in any case. Once you see what's going to sprout, thin the new growth to 3 to 5 sprouts. You don't want the roots trying to support a jungle after being so stressed. To insure that the growth will harden off before next winter, pinch out the growing tips every time 5-7 new full-sized leaves form on each sprout. This will cause the growth below to begin to lignify (harden and form bark), as well as insuring a full, bushy, shrubby growth. IF it were in ground, I would say DON'T fertilize until next year, it only stresses the plant more. Since yours is potted (and I'm assuming in regular potting soil, not Tapla's soilless mix.), it won't hurt to feed a very dilute liquid fertilizer, about 1/4 the recommended strength, but more often. IF your plant is in an inorganic based, well-draining mix, you can use your regular feritilizer regimen after your first growth begins to toughen up. But be sure to halt fertilizing by mid-August to prevent pushing late season growth that can't harden off before frost. You said it's a "mission fig", but I can't be sure of the variety of your fig, so I don't know if it bears on new wood. But if it does form fruit this year, it wouldn't hurt to keep it picked off as it forms, the earlier the better. This will allow the tree to concentrate its energy on growth.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Al's Soilless mix-why and how

This post was edited by fig_insanity on Fri, May 16, 14 at 21:11