Brown Turkey, Celeste, and Chicago Hardy are the three fig cultivars most widely touted as hardy in zone 6. All three types can be found growing in backyards around here (Knoxville). Some are sizeable trees! Most of the larger ones I've seen are in warm microclimates (next to a blacktop driveway, etc), but I've also seen big ones located in areas that I doubt were atypically warm for the area. I think that, if you stick with known hardy cultivars, you should have very little problem growing figs. Protection when young (as you mentioned) is probably not a bad idea, but I really don't think you'd have a problem anyway. I do think proper planting (and even partial bare-rooting) will go a long way in making sure your figs get through their fist winter.

Different people have different ideas about what a good fig tastes like, so I won't even try to cover that. I know what I like, but not necessarily which ones others like best.

I would not plant a fig very close to my foundation. I've dealt with too many cases of tree-root damage to foundations. I haven't ever seen a fig tree damage a foundation, but I also haven't seen one planted very close to a foundation. To me, it just doesn't make sense to take the chance.

Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a Tree or Shrub

I am in JC which is slightly colder than Knoxville. I have a Chicago Hardy and it is doing well. Overgrew the pot some years ago, is planted on a sheltered southern slope, suffers some winter damage - apparently less and less every year. At first was only bearing in fall. Now starts in spring, on old wood. Is spreading, I even thought of dividing a part of it, don't know if it is worth it.

Thank you both for your thoughts. Good to know. I actually saw the results of one study indicating that LSU Gold was hardier than Chicago, but can't remember the source and cannot attest to its veracity. But that's why I asked about LG. Hidden Springs in TN sells both, so I may ask there. I've seen elsewhere that the advantage of Chicago is that it fruits quickly on new growth, so that even if it gets killed back, it will produce a good crop on new wood by fall. Don't know how other varieties are in this regard. Anyway, thanks again.

Johnson City is markedly colder than Knoxville. Even so, have you updated your zone yet? Are the Tri-Cities still zone 6?

Current official USDA hardiness zone ratings for the Tri-Cities area range from 6A to 7A (average is 6B). SW Tri-Cities and following down the valley towards Knoxville tends to be in the warmer range, but Bristol and most of the area surrounding the Tri-Cities is in the zone 6 range.

I realize this message is late and you may not see it, pyrocaniac, but I couldn't resist telling you about a friend from long ago who had many large fig trees. When I commented on how I would like to grow fig trees, she gave me some advice. She said to make sure the trees are planted near the house or somewhere near a path where you walk by them every day. She said fig trees do better when they are close to people. Of course, she lived in Alabama, so her trees may have been better because of that, but I just thought I would pass that funny advice along.

Nice to see people are still talking about figs. Mine is bearing well this year, I even have stored quite some dried figs. I don't know what climate zone I am in any more, it is trial and error. Whatever fails to survive here seems to be mostly from multiple freezing-and-thawing without snow - torture for a normal plant. Mulching may actually make it worse because it gets so wet, it all just rots together.

I know I am late for this post. I did not see anyone say the figs should be planted on the South side of house or building. Thats something I think is very important to protect from North wind in the winter. This year my Brown Turkeys were loaded and I don't think I had any on the Chicago Hardy. Celest was OK but nothing to brag about. By the way I am in North West Tn. not far from the original poster. I have one I call the green fig, slightly yellow when ripe, have no idea what the variety is but it is really growing fast and had a few this year.I recieved a cutting and the person did not know what variety it was. Wish someone could identify the thing.

Mine are not planted near a building at all. In fact, they are on an exposed hilltop. They seem to be doing well so far, but I guess we'll have to see as the years go by.