Dont fertilize now. Is the basement heated or unheated?

Don't fertilize it. In fact, I'd check the potting soil bag to make sure there's no fertilizer in it. Fertilizer could stimulate new growth, which is exactly what the tree doesn't need right now.

Assuming it still has leaves, I'd put it back outside, in a very sheltered location, to allow it to go dormant. Even if it has lost its leaves, it probably hasn't gone completely dormant yet so put it out. Make sure the soil doesn't dry out, but don't leave it sitting in soggy soil either.

If you have a garage or shed you can put it in afterwards, that would be better because the tree can have a proper winter dormancy. Before putting it in there, however, take a few cuttings to store in the fridge as an insurance policy and then spray the tree with three coats of Wilt-Pruf before putting it away. Good luck.

Thanks very much for the advice.
The basement is somewhat heated, maybe 60's during the day, cooler at night.
I will move it back outside and let it go dormant.
Can I leave it out uncovered in a frost?

Ideally, you should keep your tree colder than 42* but warmer than 25*. Fine roots tend to begin succumbing to cold in the upper 20s and temperatures above 42* before spring stimulate unwanted growth which inhibits resistance to chill injury and saps stored energy when tender foliage freezes.

Fertilizer doesn't stimulate growth. Adequate nutrition in the form of fertilizers in the soil only allows the tree to grow closer to it's normal potential genetic vigor than if there were nutritional deficiencies. That said, it is better to have minimal amounts of solubles in the soil while the tree is not growing because the lower level of TDS makes it easier for the plant to take up water and the nutrients dissolved in water.

Dormancy in carica is a fleeting thing - it only lasts for a week or so if temps are in the range mentioned above. The very short period of chill actually releases the tree from dormancy, after which it passes unnoticed into a quiescent period. During this period, the tree is fully capable of growth, but growth is inhibited as long as temperatures remain below 42*.

There is really no need to apply Wilt-Pruf to trees unless you expect the soil to remain frozen for extended periods and/or the tree will be exposed to drying winds/sun. Trees stored under shelter and out of the wind won't benefit from the application unless you forget to water, and then the benefit is dubious because it's unlikely the slight amount of transpirational loss it prevents could offset the fact you allowed the soil to dry completely. Wilt-Pruf works best for trees in soil that stays frozen and that are exposed to wind and sun during the winter.

Keep your tree as cold as you can for as long as you can w/o allowing the soil temperature to drop below 25* and your tree(s) will fare well - much better than if you tried to nurse them through the winter while in active growth phase.

Al

Al,

Does that apply to young plants (one year old) too?

Thanks as always

Cecil

The benefit of using WiltPruf might be an old wives' (husbands'?) tale, but it's one I believe in. Pots do stay frozen (and unwatered) for at least a couple months in my garage. Even if it did nothing else, a triple-coat of WiltPruf gives a tree a semi-gloss shine that accentuates the slight green of healthy young tips. That's a reassuring sight on a cold winter day.

One other thing I tried in the past was to wrap fig trees witha lot of burlap. Every year my trees were awfully slow to break dormancy and I used more burlap. I lost some trees and traded/gave away others, figuring those varieties weren't suited to the growing conditions. One year my last fig (Hardy Chicago) didn't leaf out until well into July. I decided I wouldn't bother with it any more but, at the last moment before serious winter weather hit, I did the WiltPruf sprays and put it in the garage, without taking the time to wrap it. The next spring it leafed out in spring, not mid-summer, and it's done well ever since. My theory is that the tree got no daylength signal in its thick wrapping, disrupting its seasonal cycle. I'm open to other theories.

One more question to Al but open to all.
The fig trees here in the north NE are just beginning to show early signs of dormancy setting in as seen by yellowing of leaves and a leaf falling here and there. The day/night temperatures range from high of 50F to low of 30F but unpredictable and could go down to 23F for two to four hours before sunrisr. Will it cause damage to 1.5 year old plants, say, in 5+ gallon pots?

I don't do anything until lows start dropping below 20F. Usually, but not always, the leaves are off by then. I like to wait as long as possible before moving a tree into the garage so the resident mice have already set up their homes elsewhere.

Bruce, Folks bury trees without affecting leaf-out times. Same with putting them in windowless sheds.
I've heard of people wrapping as you did having the same problem. I can't say with absolute certainty, but I think it has to do with day-night temperatures, not light. Plants are sensitive to the day-night temperature differential (DIF) and their growth can be greatly affected by decreasing the temperature fluctuation.