Mine are doing OK. They were left over winter in an unheated attached garage, which is usually fine here in SW OH. However, the door was left up on the coldest night of the year (4F), so I had a pipe freeze and most of the tips on a few of my trees. They're still slowly managing to leaf out directly from the stalks, but I'm not hopeful there will be much fruit on those. One RdB tree didn't have any bud damage and for the fourth year in a row has grown straight up to nearly six feet tall now. It’s not at all bush like as most of my others are, and it has a distinct tall tree-like shape which I really like.

Had to cover those 4 in yard with old bed sheets as temps went into the 30s night before last the 2 small plants came into garage from driveway.

Last night similar except temps a little better down to 42 but did not chance it setting them back a few weeks so same ole same ole cover and put away the 2 smaller potted ones.

Looks like much better weather around corner as spring has been up and down here as usual.

Martin

dieseler, I'm glad your managing to take care of your brood, knowing first hand what a labor of love it is. I'm just not that disciplined, so I only keep a half dozen plants in total to ferry back and forth. I was wondering if you've ever had trees that had all their buds die, but put on new growth directly from the prior years' wood? They were covered with tiny green nubs that eventually grew leaves. If so did they completely recover and return to normal producing fruit, and if so how long did it take?

Gred, the only one that did that was hardy chicago in ground during that 21 minus cold blast we had hear years ago . It grew slowly from old wood and did eventually ripen figs i believe following year.

Ironic though what did kill it was an infestation of ants as i was looking around it one day to see what was what i felt them biting me. Sadly the tree was far gone under it when dug around and about it as i never ever saw that many ants in my life.

Now a days i care for 6 total plants 4 being in large containers and hardy chicago is still going from the old original i had several times over. ; )

Sorry to hear about your HC, but stuff happens. Ants aren’t that hard to deal with if you catch them in time. They never been to bad for me just the occasional fruit that they dig into before I pick it. For some reason I thought you had way more than six trees, like bluemoon.

I’ve got six in pots, ranging from five to twenty-five gallons. I’ve often considered putting one in the ground, but just haven’t. Its most likely because I think it would have to be one of the largest to even stand a chance, and I don’t want to risk losing one of those. Or it could be that I don’t want to hand dig a hole that large. I’m also unsure of where to put it in my yard. My front lawn faces south, but I don’t want it there incase I want to provide it with a little extra protection. That could be unsightly … neighbors. The back doesn’t get quite as much sun and there are lots of other things already growing in there. There is one spot I think would work but there’s an old tree stump that would need to come out first so that would make it even more work, aaarh.

By the way, how was the fruit from the HC? I’ve heard good things about it and thought it might be worthy of an inground attempt here in SW OH.

Our hardy chicago sibling is an adult producing well and the fruit was always one of my favorites along with black madeira and violet bordeaux and as of late and several years old called black tuscan but still have not ate quite enough of that cultivar to properly judge it. The figs now are all in leaf and outside. Will take picture and post in new thread when tme permits.

In past like many i did have quite a few fig cultivars as time marched along with age and health i had to cut back nowadays it is just me eating the figs kids grown and out on own and such and Mrs does not eat them.

Martin

A lot of what you said directly applies to me. Kids gone, aging albeit gracefully, and my wife doesn't care for them nearly as much as I do. How anyone can not like a fresh, perfectly ripe fig berry is beyond me.

I currently have RdB, Atreano Belleclare, and UCD Excel varieties. I have the biggest plants on wheels because its a real job to shuttle those in and out. The RdB is my favorite because they're tasty and early. In fact they are my birthday present to myself the first week of Aug. My Atreanos have some freeze damage, but are doing OK. The UCD Excel plant has disappointed me with poor production four seasons straight. So, I'm probably going to let it go because it also got the worst freeze damage. I guess I'll try the HC if they're still at home depot or lowes. If all goes well, and god willing, I'll put it in the ground in a few years.