Thanks for posting raee_gw, it would help us to give you advice to see a photo of the tree.

You can add the photo now, I know from experience that when starting a post it doesn't give you option to insert photos.

In zone 5, 6 it will be hard to ripen fig's at thin time angles you bring them in for the night, during the day keep them on the sunny place close to the wall.

Or just let it do what it wants, as you might not have enough time and warm weather to ripening.

Does it still activly growing new leaves ?

I agree with bluemoonlight. It needs warm soil, strong sunlight and hot dry air. Since you are looking at not getting any to ripen, I'd gamble on a few of them and remove half or more, preferably the smallest ones. Then see if some of the remainders can get across the finish line.

It is on my black driveway in front of the south facing garage door, so it is getting plenty of heat; but the nights should be getting cooler very soon. I will take your advice and pick off most. The pot is too large to trundle in & out -- it will stay in the garage, well wrapped up, for the winter.

Good advice Grad.

raee_gw, is that fig tree in dark container ?

The question of will it ripen gets asked every year, including by myself here near the bottom of the thread. I asked about a different variety, but I did actually get a couple of them to finish that first year. Keep us posted.

Bluemoonlight, yes, it is in a 17"W, 12"D black nursery tree pot.

Thanks for the link Gred!

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio did you get any to ripen?

No, Gred, I removed over half of them and continued to water regularly (it has still been very dry here) and they still have neither increased in size or shown signs of ripening! It is odd. I will just wait for the bush to go dormant and hope for next year. I hope also that by letting it set so much fruit I didn't set it on a path of being an every-other-year producer.

At this late date its not likely to happen this year where you are. Sorry to hear that it didn't work, but there is always next season. Hopefully the weather will be more typical and having at least grown larger this season it should be able to ripen fruit next time. Hang in there, the taste of home grown figs is worth it.

This was a very odd year weather-wise. It was very wet until July, then turned very dry and unusually hot - it was 90+ still last Wednesday! But now the typical October cool & rainy weather has arrived (hopefully to stay, we are so behind on rain). I am going to pick off the rest of the green figs.

I also had a very bad growing season, much like yours raee. It started with some -14 days in Jan., so even my attached garage dropped down to 10 and I lost lots of bud tips. Then the yo-yo temps swings, an extended rainy period, followed by unusual heat and near drought conditions. I didn't get nearly half the fruit I collected last year. On the up side, I learned a few things that I plant to implement next season to improve my next harvest. One can hope, can't he.

Well! I hadn't gotten around to removing the fruit, and this past week when I went to do it, I noticed that they had started to color. So I waited, and today:

Sweet but not terrifically flavorful. Not very big either, only 1" x 1". Wonder if the size is typical for the variety, or just from a bad year? Looking forward to next year!

Raee the fruit will taste much better when they ripen in August-Sept not Oct nights in Cold Zones Oct nights are cold and fruit does not develop taste properly although passable but not near favorable.

Recall i mention one can mark calendar when they first appear on plant pea size then count forward 80-90 days.

Bringing them out of winter storage on days in high 40s to awaken them then back in garage at night will help along with favorable mother nature spring. Some years mother nature is not favorable though as i have experienced here .

Earlier the plant can set fruit the better a few weeks at end of season can make all the difference and reason why in our z5 i have been doing what i call the fig shuffle for many many years onto black top driveway then eventually in backyard not on cool grass but on landscape rocks and on cement patio for better warmth to container.

Martin

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio, I'm so glad it worked for you. Chances are you will be hooked on figs from here out. As Martin said, the taste will get better.

I was looking at furniture dollies in the Harbor Freight ad today -- $8 only and would be perfect for rolling the pot in and out of the garage as you suggest, Martin.

I just need to contrive an easy to take on & off winter protection wrap also (my garage is unheated and uninsulated)

I lost a nice Chicago Hardy two years ago, just when it finally had a good year the previous year, due to the vagaries of our spring weather - an unexpected freeze after it was out for the season (late April)

Raee yes whatever makes it easier for you ,my recently past on neighbor gave me a 2 wheel truck dolly maybe 10 years back its old but works well .

Martin

raee_gw nice to see that your Celeste ripen its fig's, although not sweet enough and little sweetness ! You did well !

Good luck next season Raee !

Here is what I made for three of my fig trees.

I build a caddy, attached the garbage container on it and made it to a Self watering container.

It's so much easier now to roll them in and out from and to garage.

bluemoonlight, those are so large! I have a couple of semi dwarf apples in trash cans.

Do you need to wrap those figs over the winter while in the garage? If so, what do you do?

Same question to you, Martin!

Raee garage attached to house i throw bedsheets over them against back wall and hang blue tarp on side wall that drapes over the plants to block some wind when door opens in winter.time.Sometimes they get tip damage . Small containers in 2/3 gallon pots have died in past so if i have any they go in attic and were fine.

Month of January and when wall thermometer was working temps would drop into the teens .

Martin