Got my bale of straw for winterizing fig

9 years ago

Fig "bush" 3 ft. tall needs insulation as winter approaches, so I made a wide cylinder 3 ft. high of chicken wire and am loosely filling it with straw (NOT hay, which has seeds in it). Last winter it survived well with this treatment, and produced 3 figs! (young Brown Turkey tree). In this climate it will probably never achieve a height worthy of being called "tree" but it's short and happy -- like me.

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bill_ri_z6b

9 years ago

Carol,

I don't do anything with my fig tree. It's at least 50+ years old, but it normally dies to the ground each year, and comes back every spring. I train/prune all the shoots but the strongest/straightest one. It now stands about 7 feet tall, and has several figs. I doubt that they will ripen. The generally don't. I do like the tropical look of the leaves, and because my grandfather gave it to me so long ago, I haven't the heart to dig it up.

Years ago, a neighbor (long since passed) who came from Italy had the largest fig tree I have ever seen in this area. It was at least 20 feet high and nearly as wide. He and his wife would sit in its shade in summer! He got loads of figs every year. BUT.....every fall was a major undertaking to protect this thing. He and his two sons plus one son-in-law would take two days to complete the task. First, they had to build a scaffolding to reach all of it. Then they pruned down to the major branches. Then used large, thick ropes to tie the branches together as much as possible so it would be more manageable. Then the covered it with blankets, then plastic, the two layers of insulation, and finally, several more layers of plastic sheeting. Then the whole thing was tied up with many feet and turns of rope. The last step was to pile up soil all around the base, at least 10 feet out from the base of the tree in all directions, and about five feet up the height of it. I am tired just typing about all this! But it certainly would be a record setter for figs in Rhode Island. I wish I had taken some photos 30 years ago!

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Comments (12)

timbz6
9 years ago
Great story Bill. That 20 footer must be a sight.

Heres on in Warren RI. They place a 55 gallon drum of water at the base then cover with tarps. This one gets big too. Note the photo is June 4.
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Lynn in Parkton, Maryland
9 years ago
What was the 55 gallon drum of water for?
timbz6
9 years ago
Hi Lynn, the drum of water retains heat and slowly releases it over night so the temperature under the tarp does not get as cold as outside. They may use more than one drum.......not sure.
nekobus
9 years ago
I've had a Brown Turkey for I think three years now, just north of Boston. I've been wrapping it in burlap and mulch every winter -- it pretty much dies to the ground by spring, but produces more new shoots with each successive year. Maybe next year I'll try not wrapping it up and see what happens, now that the roots are pretty established.

I got a single ripe fig this year!
Lynn in Parkton, Maryland
9 years ago
We have a Chicago Hardy that has been in the ground for about 4 years. We talk about protecting it, but never get around to it. Two of the four winters have been brutally cold. It dies back to the ground but has lots of healthy shoots in the spring and is now standing about 5 to 6 feet tall. We typically get around a dozen figs. We had four ripen yesterday. I was looking at this thread to see if I could encourage my husband to protect it this year for greater yield, but it looks as if we are not doing too bad on fruit production considering we let it fend for itself.
timbz6
9 years ago
A friend near me protects his Chicago Hardy figs 'trees' with steel wire fence and wraps it in poly film then places a light bulb inside and it survives the winter. He gets loads of figs like 100's.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
9 years ago
I am envious! If I ever live in a house with a large insulated sunporch I will try one of the hardier, smaller figs in a big pot.
Persimmons
9 years ago
I'm with Carol (OP) on this post in terms of methodology, but I have to argue for proper siting being everyone's best tool in raising figs!

My Ficus carica 'Olympian' from Logee's greenhouse is producing fruit in it's first full season in the ground. It is sited with south-facing exposure about 15-20 feet from the nearest foundation wall or large structure. This part of the yard is also protected from winter wind/exposure by a fence and heavy maple cover on the east and west sides--The fig sits in a wonderfully warm, full-sun pocket year round!!! Although I'm in 6b, conditions in my yard help protect my fig from more damaging winter conditions and THIS above all is helping the fig resprout sooner and stay foliated later (and produce fruit!)

Last week I began mulching the still-foliated, 6-foot-tall fig shrub with maple and elm leaf debris. Around the entire plant is a cage, about the height of the plant, which I'll fill will straw after burlapping/blanketing the trunks this autumn. Depending on the winter temps I can drape tarps and blankets above the tree's cage for extra protection.
Lynn in Parkton, Maryland
9 years ago
Timbz6, in what zone is your friend growing the Chicago Hardy?
timbz6
9 years ago
My friend lives in a bordering town, zone 6b.
Lynn in Parkton, Maryland
9 years ago
That's close to my zone. I'm suppose to be 6 but due to location in a valley where cold air comes up the valley from a river we always plan for 5. Maybe I could do better if I protected it. I might be able to wrap it, but I am pretty sure my husband is going to think the light bulb is out of the question.