I bought a LSU purple fig. I cut holes in the pot, and planted it in the ground. It grew well. After it dropped it's leaves, I pulled the pot out, and stored it in the garage. We had a particularly cold winter in Syracuse. I took the temperature when it was around -8, -10f, and the fig was a constant 19f. I put the plant outside when it warmed up, maybe 40-50's during the day, 20-30's at night. The plant had green buds on it over winter, but they turned brown, and never sprouted. Main stalk is dead, zero growth from the plant after being outside for two months, maybe longer.

Is LSU purple not that cold hardy?

When people say unheated garage, do they actually mean above freezing temperatures?

My basement is around 55f during the winter. Too warm?

I have purchased Celeste and Olympian from Wellspring, hoping they'll be more cold hardy, and am trying to figure out where I'll store them.