How To Overwinter Figs! When & Why Fig Trees Need To Be Protected

[@rishtunkhwa8990]

It will help those viewing this informative video if you let the viewers know what cold hardy zone you are in. This will help relate your system to the viewer own cold hardy zone.

[@regencylass1183]

"There's a few more..." There are actually hundreds of more varieties of common figs. 🙂

[@ashleylambson]

Ty, finally someone answering my questions, got a brown turkey, chicago hardy an black mission, they've survived my greenhouse in pots in high desert az but puttem in ground this spring an was curious how to winterem over. Finally ur video popped up in my search, showed me all I needed! Good on ya!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Glad I could help.

[@ladysouthwold]

Thank you so much really helpful to me from the UK - I have one in a pot and will cover and make sure I have a small air vent at the top... Didn't know also that I should wait for all the leaves to drop...👍

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome

[@canpoling]

I enjoyed watching your dog. 😊 Love BC's!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. He zips through every video.

[@davidmoffitt9257]

This video was excellent. Very informative. Very concise. But I do have a question. If you wrap it in burlap and a plastic tarp and leave the top open, won't rain get in there and soak the burlap causing mold to grow? Wouldn't it be better to tarp the whole thing and call it a day?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. I appreciate that. Some people put a bucket on the top for just that reason. If you leave just a small opening at that top for it to breath, you shouldn't need it. Not much rain will get down inside. The tree still has to breath.

[@sheri023]

Thank you. Now I know why my 4 yr old figs have never been bigger than one foot tall or grown any figs. It never gets colder than 26 degrees in zone 9A for a few days in the winter, but it must be cold enough to cause the die back.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. Mine die back too. They come back more vigorous every year though. they grow from the roots.

[@fabricdragon]

if you (since you live so far south) want to grow without wrapping, you can choose a hardier fig that is rated to handle down to 10 degrees on the top and minus ten on the roots...

[@sheri023]

@@fabricdragon any ideas on what varieties would stand the cold? My Chicago hardy must have been a culture type because it is still little and never produced a fig.

[@r5yamaha]

Yep in Cleveland the fig grows vigorously from the ground and has many fruit. The growing season just isn't long enough for the fruit to ripen.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Ross Raddi's channel is all about figs. He lives in Philly and doesn't have issues. Check him out for tips.

[@justinciallella4724]

I'm going to protect mine this year, in zone 6a. I have two that set fruit but don't ripen, and one that's 8ft tall, but never sets fruit.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool. Hope it helps

[@roccosisto8196]

Many thanks. I got a present of a variety called “Chicago Hardy” I’m going to take your advice and wrap them as you suggested. I am in Massachusetts In the Berkshire Mountains and we have very early frost. When should I un wrap them? A very informative program. Many thanks

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome. Wrapping and unwrapping depends solely on the weather. Unfortunately that changes year to year so I cannot give you an absolute.

[@mounirjermany5948]

@roccosisto8196 We live in Massachusetts zone 5b and are planning on getting a few Chicago Hardy to plant in ground. Wondering if yours have been able to survive the winter? If so, we would appreciate any tips you can share. Thank you-

[@fabricdragon]

i dont know a date, but a you tuber who grows in a more southern zone covers his with shade cloth to keep them dormant until he is certain the cold weather is past... so you may have to guess at unwrapping and then try shade cloth?

[@PatC.]

Maybe this info will help someone. I live in NJ in zone 7A close to Staten Island (most of NJ is zone 6) Anyway my mother in law who lived nearby was gifted a small fig tree (type unknown but I think Brown Turkey) which after awhile they stopped wrapping for winter and it made it through 10 winters unwrapped and was 15 feet tall. Then an unusually prolonged cold snap during winter killed the whole top to the ground but it grew back the following year.

[@chipsammich2078]

Same just happened to me this past winter..

[@randylynnr]

I am I. Zone 9 SC when do I need to wrap my figs that are a couple years old

[@randylynnr]

Do you ever share cuttings? I would love to get some in the mail! Please let me know

[@dovgoldstein3755]

Great clear video, thank you! We live in Northern Maryland and my brown turkey fig died back to the ground last year even though it was a relatively mild winter. It grew back and produced only five or six figs. This year, I will follow your directions but: If I burlap as you instructed and the old growth is saved, won't the plant waste a ton of energy growing that breva crop? So should I be picking off all the figlets on old wood? Thank you!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thanks, glad it was helpful. The breba crop should only be in the Spring. It won't waste any energy because the fig tree will go dormant in Winter. You can pick them off but it won't make much of a difference.

[@MsShanarun]

We live in the Seattle area, zone 8b. This summer/June will be 1 year. (Only covered it on nights of frost temps.) We shall see! Question; we can get a lot of rain. Any comments about lots of water for an in-ground fig? TIA!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Cool. Just make sure you have well draining soil and the fig should be fine with a lot or rain.

[@FreeGirl9608]

We have a brown turkey fig and live in zone 5 and don’t get much fruit due to having to start all over again from ground level every spring. The figs we get are wonderful but far too few. Please do a video on summer care as well; we think summer heat and not watering enough impacts stress and also impacts fruit production. Thank you for this video, we hope all this wrapping gives us a head start in the spring!!

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. I will try to do another video on what you mentioned.

[@rg1599]

Great video. I’ve been trying to get figs going but missed this step.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you. Glad I could help.

[@chipsammich2078]

Those cutco scissors are nice.. Better be for $140/pair.. just bought a new pair one of my kids lost (i think threw away on accident) my last pair id had for 20 years..

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Bummer you lost them. They certainly are the best.

[@conniecampbell1025]

Thanks Eric, very good info. Question, when do I wrap my figs? I am in zone 6 (north central TN.) and we can have frost one day then get into the 60's for a week then frost again.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome. As long as they have gone dormant, you can wrap them. If you leave the vent at the top, you shouldn’t have to worry about a few warm days.

[@user-wt1hh7nx4s]

what is the time you remove the covers of fid tree?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

As soon as spring hits and the trees start to bud.

[@johnb-lz9mg]

Can you spray a fungicide on the branches first then wrap it for winter? I have and use trifecta crop control for mold prevention on other crops. So I thought why not spray it on my new fig tree before wrapping it for winter. I am new to figs so any help would be great. Thanks

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I would spray it with copper sulfate and let it dry for a day before you wrap it. or you could spray what is called a dormant oil.

[@johnb-lz9mg]

Thanks

[@Tpurisi69]

Hey Eric, we're in zone 5b east of Cleveland. When we wrap the figs, aren't we trying to keep the wood from freezing? Wouldn't the vent on top let the little warmth the earth provides out? Would it make sense to cover the top until the season starts to warm and open the top up? Im struggling for the last 10yr. For 20 years we had beautiful figs. Last year a December polar vortex did them in after 2 years of keeping them alive without fruit. My uncle suggested to leave the top open and a little of the bottom and unfortunately it didn't work. This year its back to cover them completely and we did them just before this big freeze this weekened. Temps this season have never went under 20-25 fortunately. We use burlap and foil bubble wrap.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It is getting harder and harder to keep them protected with the colder and colder winters. The bubble wrap and burlap combination should surely help some. It would let out some of the heat inside if you kept it open. I think I mentioned putting a bucket on the top to keep that warmer air in. Just monitor it in more temperate temperatures so that you don't get any mold growth in there. Take off the bucket and let it breath and then replace it.

[@Tpurisi69]

Good call Eric, when temps moderate this next week I will pop open the top and cover it with a bucket! 🙏🤞

[@deanne.m.sanderson]

I'm in zone 8, Southern WA. Should I only cover during freeze? We get so much rain, I'm concerned about mold. Also, is there a way to know what kind of fugs I have. They are very small plants about 8". So far 2 if the 3 have produced a single fig that never rippened.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It all depends on how long they have been planted. Since they are so small, it sounds like they have not been in the ground long enough to establish a good root system. I would cover them but wait for the end of the rainy season.

[@deanne.m.sanderson]

@@CountryLivingExperience Rainy season in WA can last until June :) But we get some freezes over the winter. They have been in the ground for over a year, but the first year, the rabbits chewed them down. I was happy to see growth this past spring and summer and surrounded them with chicken wire.

[@DM-hd4xm]

Thank you very much, do you also use the same concept of protection for figs in pots? I live in area 5b that is Southern Denver suburbs and winters are harsh so say the least, occasionally single digits and few times a year below zero .

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You're welcome. That may be a bit more difficult. If they are in the pot, the roots are above ground and more susceptible to freezing. I don't have a solution for that accept to bring them inside.

[@vsgardensandvlogs4171]

Nice information. Tku

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You’re welcome

[@ginnieware1633]

I have a problem as I live in Virginia (Zone 7) and have a fig in full bloom (Late October - very green leaves) but next week it will be going down to 30 degrees at night. I want to wrap it to protect it but it is not dormant. How should I shield it from the cold?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

That is a tough one. If it is in a pot, bring it in. If not, wrap it as much as you can. It will go dormant pretty fast when the temps stay that low for a week or two.

[@ginnieware1633]

Thank you very much - I'll give it a gentle wrap the day before. You are a superstar!

[@stevewytas]

Does this get done when the tree reaches 10' tall?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No. They are tougher the larger they get and should handle the cold ok.

[@talltimberswoodshop7552]

Good info, Eric. I've never raised figs, but I've got a backyard that could hold a couple of trees. Do they need a lot of sunlight? Thanks.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

They do need full sun and are well worth it. They are one of the few fruit trees in this area that can grow organically and do not need any sprays. I talked to the guys at the A&M extension office in Tyler and they gave me that info. They do really well around here and don't need that much care.

[@randylynnr]

Is it the same if I have it in a very large pot

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I have never had them in pots. I would still protect them though. Sorry, I don’t sell any cuttings.

[@bolson081]

Great video! Thank you for the info. Where would I get burlap?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Thank you so much. Here a link to the burlap we got....amzn.to/3kLBMaa

[@kobusdewet5004]

Hi, i have 3 brown turkey fig trees in a greenhouse. Would it be necessary to close them up as i think it would be okay in our Zone 6B not yo do so. These grew from seedlings into 5 ft trees inside the greenhouse in pots within 6 months. Your thoughts. Kobus. NWA

[@CountryLivingExperience]

It depends. Is your greenhouse heated?

[@kobusdewet5004]

No sir. But it is well made and I think it would be fine.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

@@kobusdewet5004 I would wrap them then.

[@alijasim6310]

This might be a silly question but if I do put the bucket on the top do I need to put holes in that bucket as well?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

You do not need holes in the bucket.

[@marnez390]

When you cover them are you supposed to uncover when the sun comes out or leave them covered all winter?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No. Cover once. Uncover in spring.

[@MsTheHymn]

So how cold would it need to get to consider overwinterizing a fig tree?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Unless you live in the tropics or sub-tropics, you have a winter.

[@angiebailey9829]

I have a fig tree I bought and didnt transplant in the ground last year. I thought it had died and decided to plant it anyway this past spring and it came alive and was beautiful. No fruit but was nice. Now I dont know what to do to over winter it. I live in zone 7b. I have straw on hand and 3mil plastic. I thought of covering with the straw and then wrapping in plastic then put some mulch from and pile that has been sitting for a year, around the base. Would this work or not? Thanks.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

As long as you can keep it breathing at the top, it should be fine. You want that moisture to escape if it gets inside.

[@caburtnett1980]

Do I wait for the leaves to fall off or can/should I cut them off? I'm in a 6 in PA, but had a frost and the leaves stayed on. Every time I see someone start to winterize there are no leaves. Thoughts?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

Best time to wrap is after the leaves fall off naturally. If they are stuck on, you should be able to just kind of knock them off.

[@sheppardpace5172]

I propagated 2 common figs from cuttings (given by a friend and they call it brown figs and yellow figs) not sure about the variety. I m in zone 8b in georgia, will my young figs need protection? They are 6-8 inches tall right now in the ground.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

They will need protection because their root systems may not be developed yet.

[@sheppardpace5172]

Thank you. I will get on it right away.

[@DanJ41]

Have you ever tried burying your fig trees. I’ve had more success than covering above ground. I dig a trench as deep as the shovel lay down a piece of plywood (12” in width cut ) on the bottom and then another piece of plywood on top. Then I use dirt to cover around the plywood.

[@CountryLivingExperience]

I have not tried that. It would be quite difficult as the are rooted very strongly in the ground.

[@r5yamaha]

My grandfather wrapped the tree in canvas then pushed it over and buried the tree. It worked well...lots of ripe figs in Northern Ohio.

[@sharriceowens913]

So are u not gonna water it?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

No. The rain is enough. I don't water my fruit trees unless we are in a drought.

[@ccccclark2605]

👍❤️🇨🇱🇺🇸✝️🙏

[@SA-lr1sf]

What is so special about Burlap?

[@CountryLivingExperience]

breathable, some insulative properties, dries fast