We planted figs for the first time this past summer. I'm hopeful for fruit in the future. You figs are lovely. How large were your trees when you put them in?
Thank you! They were about 1.5 feet tall and fit in a 2 gallon pot, the one in the middle of the greenhouse was even smaller in a 1 gallon pot. They grew super fast! I'm excited for your figs too :)
Hi! I'm so encouraged by seeing your video! I'm in zone 5a in Vermont and trying to figure out how to get my many figs in the ground and the greenhouse is what I am thinking! We get lots of snow but have the lake effect with lake champlain close by (near burlington) so can be a bit milder than the rest of vermont. Do you water them during the winter at all? I'm guessing you heavy mulch? With what? Thanks so much!
A greenhouse will go a long way for sure! I heavily much yes, with a mix of woodchips and we have sheep wool because we have sheep. I mostly don't water in the winter. The greenhouse has a lot of condensation and stays very moist, but if it did get dry because it was super sunny for several days I would water. But for the most part, it isn't until early March that things start to dry out. I gave some young fig trees to a friend in Quebec with a similar zone as you, and she's planting them a greenhouse - I'll report back on how her figs do next spring too. :)
Thanks so much for your thoughts and for the info on how you do things! It is so appreciated! And yes please lmk how it goes over in Quebec too!!! If she can do it I'm sure I can too, lol 😂
What variety are you growing? I got a very small rooted cutting in the fall and it has started producing a few small figs. I have it in a container inside for the winter. Hoping to keep it in a poly tunnel next year, but worried my season won't be long enough in PEI
I've got 3 varieties: 1. Petite Negra (purple figs) 2. Chicago Hardy (yellow/green figs) 3. Negronne (purple figs) And congrats on your plant producing a few small figs, it's so exciting! I hear you on not being sure of the season in PEI in a poly tunnel... These figs only start ripening in September, so it takes awhile from growing the branches and then getting the figs ripe. Maybe keeping them in pots so you can move them in if needed is a good idea to see what happens the first year? :)
This was year 2 of our in-ground figs in now 6b, no fruits. Hope I'm successful overwintering this season, otherwise a greenhouse seems to be the next step.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We had a fig tree in Zone 7a outdoors when we lived in Texas, and we had it for a few years... we only had about 5 figs during our last year there. I feel like it should be possible to get more figs but the season still felt short and the figs didn't have a chance to ripen. Ours didn't branch out nearly as much as the ones we have in the greenhouse, so I think that played a part too. Good luck with yours! :)
Great video! I’m in Bruce County, just north of you! I’ve been inspired to grow figs since seeing them in Vancouver. However, as you may know Bruce county winters can be brutal. Do you heat your greenhouse over the winter? Im thinking just a small 8x10 greenhouse, and planting straight into the ground. We only get a few days a year below -15, so I feel like a green house should keep them fairly safe. Would love to hear more on your experience!
We don't have direct heating, but we do use fans in a "climate battery" to circulate slightly warmer air. I think in a smaller greenhouse you might be able to keep them warmer if you're adding in any other form of heat. You might also find that if there's snow, that helps insulate, too!
I am in Zone 5 - just completing our greenhouse and plan on moving our figs in - do you heat your greenhouse over the winter. Further north so we may need too!
We don't heat ours in the winter, but we do have a bit of warmth from passive fans and a "climate battery". (See video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-zrB4PEh3sZ0.html) I don't think it's necessary, but your fig trees will "die back" and lose all their leaves. They should be more than able to bounce back and get a head start from being in the greenhouse though!
