50's and 60's would likely be too warm. The tree would need a certain amount of chill days for its dormancy.

Between 30-40 degrees is what youd want.

Do you have a garage or anything like that?

Hi Dave - yes, I have an unheated garage but wouldn't it get TOO cold in there? I'm pretty sure it gets below freezing during the worst part of our winter. I would be happy to store it in the garage if you think it will make it in there. What do you do with your figs? Have you ever tried the bend and bury technique here?

Is your garage attached to the house.

Martin

How cold is your garage in the Winter? (Attached are warmer thus the above question.) In the GROUND, they are cold hardy to about 7a (without protection), so, coldest MINIMUM of about 0 F (which in my area, seems to amount to average ANNUAL lows in the 20's/minimum teens). but containers are much colder than the ground, so I would be concerned if garage temps remained below freezing for prolonged periods (day and night). Occasional tips below freezing into the 20's should be okay. Figs are subtropical and deciduous, and would resent the constant warmth of your living room and would drop their leaves as well and eventually lose their vigor.

Yes, garage is attached to the house. I'm guessing it could get into the 20's during the coldest part of the winter and remain there for a bit. So I guess I'm left with trying to wrap it well AND putting in my garage and hoping for the best. Thanks for your comments!

Nicole, so is my garage and reason i asked, the fig tree's i store are several seasons old and up in large containers on the cement floor which holds a steady temp.

Have thermometer on back wall and its always always below 32F as our Chicago winters get very cold.

They do fine, i store them on wall that's adjacent to garage and some on back wall furthest from garage overhead door.

First season plants in the past were put in the attic.

Hmmmm, the attic...I have never considered that. It would be small enough this year to do that and then after that year I could do as you do and hope for the best. Thanks for the suggestion!

I would check out your temps in the attic as well. My attic is uninsulated and gets wicked cold in Winter and hot enough in the Summer to set off alarms. LOL.

Ok follow up question. We just had our first hard freeze here in VT. I brought my fig inside but now I'm not sure I should have? Do I need to let the leaves die and fall off prior to wrapping it up and putting it away for the winter? Or can it have leaves on it? I wasn't sure if a first year potted fig would die completely if I left it outside for a bit while we get our first frosts?

I was given a small (6-8") fig as a gift this month.do I want to keep it in my "grow room" and let it grow all winter or does it need the dormancy to produce fruit next yr. I can overwinter in my garage, it's just pretty small

One should not wait for plants to drop leaves a few hard frost is all that is needed to store away.

Juveniles can be killed otherwise.

There have been years my plants (elders) had leaves going into garage after 2 hard freezes with no problems.

Each season can be different.

This season for example my plants lost all their leaves due to the cold nights but no freezes as of yet as lowest was around 38 to date so until then there outdoors.

Now slightly warmer weather has my hardy chicago sprouting tiny leaves but good freeze when it comes eventually will take care of those.

Martin

I'm glad to see some tips about overwintering figs for newbies. I'm a fig growing newbie as well and after the first night of 32F, I found the soil mix of my 3 figs in fabric pouches to be almost rock hard! As if it was frozen! I got so scared I immediately moved them into my unheated and unattached garage. I'm hoping they're okay but I haven't the heart to go check on them since :'( it's a lucky thing your garage is attached Nicole! Sounds like the perfect place for them to sleep