How to Overwinter Container Grown Figs in a Cold Climate | Here She Grows

[@Memyselfandionyoutube]

This was very helpful. Thanks!

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Glad it helped and thanks for watching!

[@chandrikatilwalli4741]

Erin at impatient Gardner recommend your channel for figs. I also live in Chicago south west suburb zone 5b. So happy I found you . Your instructions detailed yet simple. Thank you Heather.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi Chandrika! Thanks for reaching out. Simple and doable are the goals and I’m glad you found it that way.

[@stephenoconnor5691]

Cool

[@robertgrant008]

Thank you from the 🇬🇧 UK

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheImpatientGardener]

OK, I really need to do this. Thanks for all the great info!

[@heatherhereshegrows]

You’re welcome and that’s great! Looking forward to seeing your fig tree.

[@juliosdiy3206]

Thnks for ur inputs i live in MN so i am figuring out a way to dormant my new figs this coming winter.

[@melinapankey4493]

Thank you for your specific video. I’m from Kansas, I just bought my fig this year, had fruits and they were delicious. I will definitely wait until it dormant my fig. Lots of interesting informations! Love Figs too.. 🙏

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Thanks for watching!

[@adriantc4588]

Enjoyed your videos. Im in the north suburbs of chicago and my chicago hardy is in-ground this is the 3rd year it has made it. I also have french italian and greek verities that are in pots and i keep them in a cold basement also like you. The chicago hardy is covered with mulch burlap and plastic tarp. I hope once the main stems get over 2 inch thick i dont have todo that anymore. It is hardy to zone 5 (-20) but thats only the roots. The branches are hardy only down to 10 degrees when young unfortunately.

[@DM-hd4xm]

Thank you very much, you answered my questions, I have a potted fig tree in area 5b as well here in south Denver and the dilemma was what to do with it in the winter, I’ll follow your recommendations and see what happens next spring, thank you again.

[@Adam-em9rg]

Thanks for the excellent info. although a lil quiet. still excellent

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi Adam, thank you. I’ve since invested in a better microphone and it’s much better at picking up my voice. I tend to be soft spoken.

[@LensOfWisdom]

How cold does it need to be in the basement

[@zk6329]

Thank you very much for this video. i am excited to get my first ever fig tree and cant wait to grow it. i will be getting a 3 Gal. 'chicago Hardy' Fig (ficus Carica) Live Fruit-bearing Tree. Can you please give me some tips on how to maintain and store this plant and future care . Really appreciate that. i live in Chicago South West Suburbs and weather here goes crazy in winter as you can imagine.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hello and congrats on the fig! Are you going to plant it in the garden or grow it in a container? Depending on where you plant it and how much protection it receives in the winter, it may or may not die back to the ground. Good thing it’s root hardy! For container growing, bring it into a garage or cold dark basement after a frost hits it. That will signal it to drop its leaves and enter dormancy. The most important thing you can do during the winter is give it some water each month, not totally saturate it, but just enough to prevent the roots from desiccating. Reintroduce it gradually outdoors in the spring to prevent it from going into shock. Enjoy!

[@zk6329]

@@heatherhereshegrows i will be planting in a container. original was 3 gal, i bought 10Gal smart pots and will transfer it soon in few weeks. right now it's still outside and bears about 7 figs. 2 of them were ripe and were ready to harvest so my kids did the honor. i was initially planning to keep them in Garage, but my garage is heated, so is it still ok to keep in Garage..? the temp would be around 65 or so. basement is also finished and it has heat/cooling all over- looking around to find a spot without heat, even in Mechanical room i have a vent and register with one inlet. so there is a bit of heat there. any recommendations here... Thank you so much again !

[@heatherhereshegrows]

@@zk6329 that’s a great question. Ideally you want to keep the plant in a cold spot where it will remain dormant. My basement stays at 60 (certainly not very cold but seems to be enough) and as long as I let a few frosts hit the tree while it’s outside, it seems to be enough to tell the plant it’s time to sleep. It breaks dormancy without fail in March and it’s perfect timing. Good luck and do keep me posted!

[@zk6329]

@@heatherhereshegrows I bought the plant inside the house now the leaves have started to fall . I will transfer it into the smart pot of 10 gallons and then will take down and put it in the basement mechanical room where it’s a bit cold and dark.

[@deboz8793]

Thanks for the info. I have 1 fig trees that I need to overwinter in the garage. But they need repotting, so should I do that before winter or wait until spring?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi there! I’d wait until spring to repot.

[@deboz8793]

@@heatherhereshegrows Thank You! I will.

[@truthbetold2611]

A Canadian gardener has success storing potted fig trees in a greenhouse. He further insulated the plants with a layer of burlap and dry leaves, loosely packed not to stuff it. The branches don't die and are able to fruit sooner the following year. I'll try this method in Utah desert incorporating used tires and warmer area south of my house so I won't have to bring the plants indoors.

[@Betty-qd8st]

I just got a celeste and black mission.

[@sharonvercellotti6065]

Love, love, love this. Love learning from you! I am inspired to grow one now!! I never knew you could grow figs here. My mother in law makes them baked with goat cheese wrapped in bacon...

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi Sharon! Thanks for watching and your MIL’s bacon wrapped figs sound yummy. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions if you decide to grow a fig of your own.

[@zk6329]

Alright, so now we are in March, when can i introduce my FIG plant to the natural light and eventually bring it into the backyard.? i still have to transfer it into a smart pot- when would be a good time to do it..? Oh btw- my plant have some fresh leaves popping up .. WOOOOHOOOOO!!!!! Thank you for the winterizing tips.

[@FilomenaDapaz]

hi l got my first fig tree this year.now is in my garage but dont know if l shoud cover it?? tia

[@stephenoconnor5691]

Interestin.maybe I will try to grow one.in the past this dude burried one outside in a bathtub.they taste very delicious fresh figs

[@GardenEvolution]

Have me adding a fig now to my grow list next year! Thanks for the info Heather!

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Yes!!! 👊🏻

[@Wisconsin_Gardener]

They stay dormant in a heated basement?

[@jjjohn5914]

How cold is your basement? Think dormant temp should be between 32 & 40 for potted.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Yes, that’s ideal. But I’ve been successful in a basement that stays at a constant 56.

[@bribri10150]

How do you know the amount of gallon bag to use?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

I use Smart Pots and they have a wonderful tool on their website that gives recommendations on pot size based on what you want to grow. I started with a small three gallon pot when the tree was small and then potted on as it grew.

[@rbthegardennannyllc4219]

Do you think that since my fig is in my garage and when I go out there to check it for water (the light is turned on) - is the light stopping it from fruiting? Just a guess. Kind of like the thanksgiving cactus. Going on my third year this 2023 and I’ve had no fruit.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Unlike the Thanksgiving cactus, light exposure doesn’t affect its fruiting or flowering ability. If you’re using a fertilizer that’s heavy in nitrogen, the first number in the NPK ratio on the fertilizer bag, you could be encouraging healthy leaves but at the expense of fruit. It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on but it’s unlikely the garage light.

[@ameliadebusman3504]

How do you decide when to start bringing it out in the spring? Do you wait until your frost free date?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi Amelia, good question. I usually wait until late March/early April in my zone 5. The days are getting warmer and the tree is beginning to leaf out and needs the light.

[@ameliadebusman3504]

Thanks. I have been growing two figs in pots for a few years in addition to one in ground. I live in Kentucky and the one in ground I brought from Alabama. I am still learning how to manage them. One of my figs is a Chicago Hardy.

[@aftonline]

I'm guessing you are expecting those new fig leaves any day now? My fig tree is shedding its leaves here in Australia...

[@heatherhereshegrows]

I would be if it hadn’t died last fall. Still not sure what happened but I bought a new variety that I’ll be experimenting with this year.

[@aftonline]

@@heatherhereshegrows I'm sorry to hear that. Mine almost died one year, it rotted away on one side but came back from the root in the spring.

[@olsonlr]

I have my potted figs in a heated greenhouse. Do they need chill hours? Need to go outside?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi Larry! A heated greenhouse! That’s on my wish list. I’d harden them off before leaving them outside full time for the summer. Just be sure to move them back in the greenhouse for the winter if you’ll be leaving them in containers. I’d introduce them to the outside for the summer as I think the greenhouse could get too warm in the summer months.

[@olsonlr]

@@heatherhereshegrows Thanks. My biggest concern is their need for chill hours. They have lost all their leaves but do they need cold to bounce out of dormancy in the spring time?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Cold temps will keep them in their dormant state. Once they’re introduced to warming temperatures and sunlight, they’ll wake up. In my experience, they begin pushing new growth in March despite being in a cold, pitch black basement. They seem to o ow spring is coming.

[@emzyrainbowwings2430]

Those beautiful leaves can be boiled into a sugar syrup, and it's the most amazing tasting thing you will ever have in your coffee or oatmeal.

[@valerieg9494]

How do you make the sugar syrup with the leaves?

[@guidogencarelli4242]

Where are you located 😊

[@FrenchFifi65]

My Chicago Fig leaves are turning mottled brown, since it is fall, is this normal or do i likely have a fungus? It is potted.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Totally normal and nothing to worry about. The tree is preparing for dormancy as all deciduous trees do this time of year.

[@ramaalbaz3746]

I have a chicago hardy fig tree and I live in Virginia (zone 7), it’s already losing its leaves, would you recommend the same process you’ve described vs leaving it in its container on my porch? Thanks!

[@myra8793]

Can I keep my potted fig tree in the garage all winter? I brought it inside the house a two months back when the temp dropped below 15 degrees celcius, and kept it indoors for the last two months. My leaves haven't fallen at all, they are beginning to turn yellow and dark brown near the edges only recently. Its my first time growing a fig tree, so I did not know that the garage was a better option then keeping it in the house. Please let me know if I should leave it in the garage for the rest of winter, and should i add mulch to it? I live in zone 6, in Toronto Canada. My basement unfortunately isn't an option.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hi Myra! Your garage should be fine. I would locate it near an inside wall if the garage is attached to the house just for a little more warmth. I’m in zone 5 and my garage gets too cold for it. It would survive in there but would likely die back. Give it a drink once a month or so so it doesn’t totally dry out.

[@myra8793]

@@heatherhereshegrows thank you so much!

[@myra8793]

@@heatherhereshegrows Hi again! I just wanted to know if I needed to cover my plant in the garage with anything, and if I should cut off the small fruits that it has on it, at the moment?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

@@myra8793 Hi Myra! Are the fruits ready to pick? If they’re plump, have changed to their dark color and look like they’re drooping. You can probably pick. It’s hard to say for sure without seeing it. You can cover the fig for added insulation if you think it’s necessary. Some burlap, perhaps?

[@myra8793]

@@heatherhereshegrows Thank you so much for your reply! And no the fruits are not ready to pick, I think the plant started fruiting very late this summer. The fruits are still small, not drooping. The leaves have not fallen yet either.

[@davidbutton8497]

🌹🤟🌹🤟🌹🤟🌹🤟🏅nice work H-S-G 🍀

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Thank you!

[@v.j.l.4073]

Wish I could hear you...

[@emkn1479]

I’m so desperate to grow figs...but I have a Question. I have two figs in pots that I got from Lowe’s last year on clearance, they were called White Marseilles. I’m in zone 6, and we have a cold frame that has electricity, so we will likely heat it over the winter, just enough to keep it a little above freezing. Could I keep them in that structure and possibly cover them with burlap or a lightweight fabric to block out most of the sun?

[@heatherhereshegrows]

Hello! Great question and yes, a cold frame kept between 32 and 50 degrees F is ideal. Cover them with a breathable fabric like burlap that’ll allow air flow but block light and check their moisture every month or so. I would let a few light frosts do the work of removing the leaves for you before storing for the winter.

[@emkn1479]

@@heatherhereshegrows Thank you for your reply! They are well on their way to defoliating already. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it!

[@jayseflames176]

rut? Root.

[@wandagarrett942]

Thanks to #theimpatientgardener for calling out your channel. I’m moving from zone 9b (where figs grow in the ground without any winter care) to 5b. Giving up my fig trees was one of the sad things about the move; this has made me much happier 🤗.

[@heatherhereshegrows]

I’d feel the same way! I’ve never known a year-round gardening season so moving from one to a cold climate has to be challenging. At least you know you can still have figs. You’ll just have to work for it!

[@danieldipeppe1455]

Can u sell me some clippings

[@heatherhereshegrows]

I don’t sell cuttings but it’s pretty easy to find at nurseries these days.