Dave is right. Then there is the snow weight on that pop up. I tried once, but once December rolled in and the days turned into the thirties, I had to take it down.

I'm in zone 7 and my citrus all come inside for the winter. Could you come up with a setup to keep them outside? Probably, especially during a mild winter. Bringing them inside greatly increases the chance of survival.

I am in Zone 6b and I need to heat a 4 layer glass box.

Steve

Well guess that answers my question. Anyone have any good recommendations on a indoor grow light than? Was thinking about using a left over LED light from my reef aquarium, but it’s mostly blue LEDs

Nothing wrong with blue lights, anything above 5000 Kelvin is blue and that is what plants use for vegative growth. Below 3000 Kelvin is red and that is used for fruiting/budding.

I use the cheapest CFL's or LED's I fine at big box stores.

Steve

how long of a photoperiod do you typically run?

16 hours

I leave my lights on (I have about 200 watts of led lights) for the same amount of time it's light outside as it's right in front of a large south facing window and they light up my whole backyard when it's dark out. Even with lights only going for less than 10 hours I still get 2 growth flushes most winters.

What is the lowest temperature that my meiwai kumquats can handle? It is dipping down to mid 40s overnight. Should I leave them out or bring them in?

For me it all depends on a couple factors.
If I don’t mind my trees slowing down dramatically or turning a bit lighter green then I leave them out as long as I can. Until a frost and even then I cover them.
Or
If I plan on storing them in a colder area of my home like my cold porch.
If I plan on growing them in warmer conditions like my home or greenhouse I’ll either bring them in at night to keep warm or bring them inside before temps consistently fall into the 40’s to prevent winter lead drop and a shock to them.
It’s all about acclimation and what I can do to give them as close as to they are use to growing outside.

I put most of mine (large plants) in my heated garage. When I say 'heated' it actually is quite cool, but stays above 40 degrees on the coldest nights. The garage is semi-insulated and will often heat up to 75 or warmer with mild days and sun. These generally cool temps really help slow growth and keep the bugs down.

Dave. Where do you store your fig trees to keep them dormant )?

Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

I have two figs. One I take into the garage and one is dug into the soil for the winter. Both are in pots. Part of me wants to grow it in the ground permanently, and part of me wants to throw them out. You see, I'm very allergic to the leaves and sap. The skin reaction is similar to poison ivy. So do I really want to mess with annual pruning and mowing around a plant in the ground at the risk of dermatitis? They grow so incredibly fast in the ground. I can eat the fruit though, no problem.

Dave, that is so strange that you can at least eat the fruit. I'm guessing all fig trees are like that? I finally took the dive and planted my Chicago Hardy and I am still getting the most sweetest figs I ever had off that tree, even now. My mother LOVES the fruit and that tree which stand about 8 feet high now in ground way up here in New England.

I hear you about wondering to throw them out or keep them. I had a year like that when I had 20 and ended up keeping 2. Then I collected again. lol Never stops)

Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

Mike, the fig I have is the Green Ischia that I picked up at Monticello one year. Apparently Thomas Jefferson brought Green Ischia over from Europe and what I got was a rooted cutting off one of his plants. Don't know how many generations of cuttings it went through before mine though. LOL!

I truly love to eat figs and so want one in the ground to have my own, but so don't want to deal with dermatitis!

Dave, LOL.. You have yourself an antique tree worth a ton of money if that is from that tree, not sure if it's worth the skin issues though. Man, and that tree gives great fruit too. If I lived closer I would take it off your hands and plant it in my yard! I think they are cold hardy if protected and give an early breba. I almost bought one. Nothing like fresh figs, right? I just picked one this morning and my mom and I had to split it. lol. It was cold and sweet. Next spring I will be planting a couple more, trust me)

Let me tell you when I say I am with you. I love figs as much as I do citrus.

Meyermike(Zone 6a Ma.)

Just drive down to Monticello in the summer. At the Visitor's Center they sell plants propagated from the grounds. I think it was $14. Pretty cheap.