It depends on the variety. With a kill-back like you experienced, you will be delayed a bit ... but you will get fruit. The question  is this an early or late maturing variety? If it is late maturing, you may push your main crop up against first frost. I experienced the same kill-back this year as you did. Every one of my in-ground figs died back to the base of the trunks. In cases of early varieties, the new young growth (12-14") is already showing signs of fruit setting  I am expecting to eat figs from these trees.

In your title you mention "Hardy Fig" ... are you referencing a Chicago Hardy? If so, you have a great chance.

-Steve

The short answer is depending on the variety and the health of your plant, it is entirely possible that your plant could produce an edible crop this season.

Ficus Caria cultivars can have anywhere from 1 to 3 crops per season but do to the short growing season in the NE, I don't know of any variety that produces 3 edible crops.
You still could get a breba crop if some of the second year wood survived but that is probably not going to happen. If you know your variety, go to the link below and research which crops are preferred. A technique that many enthusiast use in the North East is to pinch off the breba crop which encourages the main crop sooner.

So if your cultivar characteristically produces a poor breba crop but produces a desirable main crop you're in good shape.

Again, I caution you to research your plants characteristics first as some varieties have an excellent breba but a poor main crop or a main crop that requires pollination which will not happen in the NE.

I hope this helped and Good luck!
Vinnie

Here is a link that might be useful: Figs4fun Varieties

Stevec:Good Information,about your figs dieing to soil level.
A lot of mine died to soil level,too.
It does look that this winter ,generally,on the east coast was more Damaging to fig trees and other subtropicals.
Yet we did not have any very low extreme Temperature.
I think what did them in was that the cold,lasted for days,this winter.
H

Herman
You are correct about the winter damage in the north-east. None of my fruit trees (cherries, plum, apricot, peach bloomed including sour cherries like North Star and Evan cherry which are the hardiest. There was only one flower bloomed on Evan but I can't find it any more. All trees have spotty leafing at nodes far apart. The two apricots have now some dead branches. I have been thinking the whole month as to what caused it because we did not have sever winter and no bad late frost to cause that damage.
And that is what makes fig interesting with minimum such risks when stored dormant in the cold store. Timely ripening of figs is a totally different issue but we shall learn more about it gradually to manage ripening.

Herman,

Yes, this was a bad winter ... I lost 9 figs back to their base. I keep a remote temperature probe wrapped in with one of my figs and this winter it went down to -0.2 deg F. The temp has gone down this low in the past & I have not had the damage like I had this year ... I believe you are correct ... it was most likely the duration.

-Steve

It's a Hardy Celeste from Paradise.
Normally, I remove brebas to ripen main crop.
This year no breba yet.

It's recovering nicely branching at every bud site.
Can I apply the pinching method to speed up figs and keep it shorter for winter protection?

thats some nice growth it doesn't even look like that same plant.

Ahh ... Celeste.

I would not expect any brebas on this ... it is not known to set reliable brebas. Even so, brebas set on last yearÂs wood ... not much of that left on your tree. You have a good shot though ... Celeste has a habit of setting figs on such die backs ... good luck. One other thing ... watch the fertilizer later in the season ... you want that vigorous growth to harden up real good prior to the cold hitting.

-Steve

Steve, what varieties are you growing? I am in the same zone as you and havent covered my figs for years. My 5 or so varieties that are in the ground lost less than an inch. Goodground, thats why I dont waste my time with "hardy celeste".

goodground the short answer to your pinching question is yes. One of our more knowledgeable enthusiast recently pointed out in a different thread, that you may be able encourage main crop development on growth from last years wood but fruit development on the sucker growth from the roots is doubtful at best.

ejp3,

I have an assortment. Most of my orchard are in large containers that I move in and out of the garage for the winter ... no die back this way and I get a great breba crop. For my inground ... I have to cover them. Even with covering I lost them to the ground this winter  bad winter.

The link points to a pictorial listing of what I grow (click on each picture to get info and additional pictures of the variety)

-Steve

Here is a link that might be useful: Fig Orchard

john,

But my growth is neither from wood of last year or from suckers. Can I get fruit from 3-4yr old wood?

Last year's wood would be required for Brebas. With new growth from your 3-4 yo wood you are positioned for main crop figs. Again, the issue will be ... by the time it sets fruit will they have time to mature.

-Steve

Thanks Steve.
I will use the pinching method to speed up fruiting since grow season is limited as it is. Even if I don't get ripe fruit this year, I consider the dieback a blessing so the tree (bush) can remain shorter for winter protection.

By the way, I do not fertilize the tree. I just apply a thick layer of leaves in early spring. I'm surprised this tree grows so well even though it only gets about TWO hours of sun. Even with only 2 hours of full sun, it put out about 20 fruits in the 2nd year. Last year, it had about 50 figs.

I selected this shady location because I know the roots will never die there. The ground where the roots dwell is heated by the house furnace all winter.