Looking for Zone 7b Fig Advice

[CyntheB]

eFrostTent_1059.jpg (398.37 KiB) Viewed 2553 times

Attempted to set up the trellis with sandbags yesterday. The sandbags are too heavy for the trellis, so gave up on that idea.

Instead, I constructed a large tent of heavy-weight, white garden frost cloth, which will transmit sunlight. The cloth does not touch the branches. And when I prune off the freeze damage, will not touch the tops of the trees either. I'm hoping it will act a bit like a greenhouse, gathering solar warmth to help them through the cold nights. If the days seem too warm, I can vent the top easily to release extra heat. I'll take a photo today and post it later. Piled pine needles generously over the figs' root zones for extra protection.

The tent top will collapse in snow though. But snow isn't as devastatingly cold and creates it's own root zone blanket. What's your experience with how figs hold up with snow? Also am not sure how the tent will hold up on very windy days? Will need to secure the cloth better to the stakes I'm using for structure.

[alanmercieca]

Dominick's, which has more damage, is planted in front. The low angle, early morning, winter sun (which is damaging to frozen tissues) hits it first. Aldo in back (closer to the house) seems less injured. I will prune them today then. Temps are due to get quite cold again this week.

Attempted to set up the trellis with sandbags yesterday. The sandbags are too heavy for the trellis, so gave up on that idea.

Instead, I constructed a large tent of heavy-weight, white garden frost cloth, which will transmit sunlight. The cloth does not touch the branches. And when I prune off the freeze damage, will not touch the tops of the trees either. I'm hoping it will act a bit like a greenhouse, gathering solar warmth to help them through the cold nights. If the days seem too warm, I can vent the top easily to release extra heat. I'll take a photo today and post it later. Piled pine needles generously over the figs' root zones for extra protection.

The tent top will collapse in snow though. But snow isn't as devastatingly cold and creates it's own root zone blanket. What's your experience with how figs hold up with snow? Also am not sure how the tent will hold up on very windy days? Will need to secure the cloth better to the stakes I'm using for structure.

Some friends of mine that have grown figs both in OR and FL, said they've wrapped their figs' trunks and branches with 4-5in strips of wool cloth sewn on loosely as insulation. They never had any problems with rotting. Seems like an interesting, labor intensive, idea.

In Florida, I am guessing you mean northern Florida.

Here snow has never lasted more than like 3 days while I have lived here and only one time heavy. Just the same you should get heavier snow fall than us. Here ice from freezing rain is much worst than the snow. By what I have read from people in places with more snow than us, is that only heavy snow does any real damage, same sort of damage that freezing rain does. Too much weight and too much wetness that can freeze. Light dry snow covering the tree thick does act like insulation from the wind and from cold.

Like you I think that snow would flatten your tent, what's holding the fabric, clips? They would come off with the wind I think. How was that structure made, with what? Anything anchoring it down?

[CyntheB]

In Florida, I am guessing you mean northern Florida.

Here snow has never lasted more than like 3 days while I have lived here and only one time heavy. Just the same you should get heavier snow fall than us. Here ice from freezing rain is much worst than the snow. By what I have read from people in places with more snow than us, is that only heavy snow does any real damage, same sort of damage that freezing rain does. Too much weight and too much wetness that can freeze. Light dry snow covering the tree thick does act like insulation from the wind and from cold.

Like you I think that snow would flatten your tent, what's holding the fabric, clips? They would come off with the wind I think. How was that structure made, with what? Anything anchoring it down?

I don't know where my friends lived in FL?

Our snowfall here is very similar to what you experience. Because we're high desert, fortunately it tends to be light and dry. And melts away in a few days. Last winter was unusually dry. The wildlife were desperate for food and invaded people's garden. The other two winters snowfall wasn't very heavy. Not sure we've experienced freezing rain, except very briefly. (We can get hail during summer monsoons, which punctures and tears the leaves.)

The tent's support structure are thick, tall, sturdy, round plastic stakes,3 on each end, shoved almost a foot in the ground (hopefully I didn't injure the figs' roots). I'm sure the stakes won't blow over or out. I have shorter, thinner stakes on each side.

For now I'm using clips up top with wire ties near the base in a few places to hold the fabric on. Intense winds could yank the clips off and tear the fabric away from the wire wraps. I could cut slits in the fabric to insert broad plastic ties in several place on each stake to hold the sides of the tent on. Plan to remove snow or the tent top in the case of snowfall, so it doesn't collapse. It's an experiment...

When I checked the figs yesterday, the interior of the tent was very slightly warmer than the outside. I let it vent, so not to get too warm during the day, after I pruned off the freeze damaged wood....which fortunately appeared to be mainly surface injury. Then I closed up the tent in the later afternoon.

[alanmercieca]

I don't know where my friends lived in FL?

Our snowfall here is very similar to what you experience. Because we're high desert, fortunately it tends to be light and dry. And melts away in a few days. Last winter was unusually dry. The wildlife were desperate for food and invaded people's garden. The other two winters snowfall wasn't very heavy. Not sure we've experienced freezing rain, except very briefly. (We can get hail during summer monsoons, which punctures and tears the leaves.)

The tent's support structure are thick, tall, sturdy, round plastic stakes,3 on each end, shoved almost a foot in the ground (hopefully I didn't injure the figs' roots). I'm sure the stakes won't blow over or out. I have shorter, thinner stakes on each side.

For now I'm using clips up top with wire ties near the base in a few places to hold the fabric on. Intense winds could yank the clips off and tear the fabric away from the wire wraps. I could cut slits in the fabric to insert broad plastic ties in several place on each stake to hold the sides of the tent on. Plan to remove snow or the tent top in the case of snowfall, so it doesn't collapse. It's an experiment...

When I checked the figs yesterday, the interior of the tent was very slightly warmer than the outside. I let it vent, so not to get too warm during the day, after I pruned off the freeze damaged wood....which fortunately appeared to be mainly surface injury. Then I closed up the tent in the later afternoon.

It would help some if the top of the tent was somehow slanted a bit so that the snow would slide off easier, or heated some that would help like something dark on top, preferably black, then just remove the snow from the top if it may get too heavy anyway.

Most of Florida does not freeze, as far as I can tell.

[CyntheB]

Winter Protection Update
Alan ~ The tall support poles and side wall frost cloth of the tent are holding up well. We've had a few windy days last mid-month w/wind speed to the mid-teens. That does blow the top layer loose (not entirely off) by dislodging the clothespins and metal clips I'm using to hold the top layer on.

Temperatures have been VERY cold at times this month, down to the mid-single digits. That is so cold the frost cloth tent cannot protect the tops of the young trees from freeze damage. The damage turns the bark red, but does not seem to go very deep. Just this afternoon I pruned off all reddened bark (the second freeze damage pruning this winter season). The trees are still more than half the height they grew last year, so they seem to be doing well for being young.

How are your figs doing with the Arctic vortex weather descending into your area?

[alanmercieca]

Winter Protection Update
Alan ~ The tall support poles and side wall frost cloth of the tent are holding up well. We've had a few windy days last mid-month w/wind speed to the mid-teens. That does blow the top layer loose (not entirely off) by dislodging the clothespins and metal clips I'm using to hold the top layer on.

Temperatures have been VERY cold at times this month, down to the mid-single digits. That is so cold the frost cloth tent cannot protect the tops of the young trees from freeze damage. The damage turns the bark red, but does not seem to go very deep. Just this afternoon I pruned off all reddened bark (the second freeze damage pruning this winter season). The trees are still more than half the height they grew last year, so they seem to be doing well for being young.

How are your figs doing with the Arctic vortex weather descending into your area?

So far the coldest that we have seen this year was about 16 degrees, due to the Arctic Vortex. Days after the about 16 degrees and still there is bright green buds and tiny figs on the fig tree. I did not look at much plants though, I was very busy today, and it was rather muddy. This year it's been one of the mildest winters we have seen so far, and the fig trees are showing even more cold hardiness this year.

[CyntheB]

This year it's been one of the mildest winters we have seen so far, and the fig trees are showing even more cold hardiness this year.

Excellent! Looking forward to spring (April / May) here for the trees and seeing new growth.

[alanmercieca]

This year it's been one of the mildest winters we have seen so far, and the fig trees are showing even more cold hardiness this year.

Excellent! Looking forward to spring (April / May) here for the trees and seeing new growth.

Yes, I am too looking forward to this year's growing season, and once the mystery of what will happen after winter is gone that is when the excitement starts, one of the reasons that fig trees are so popular to grow is because they produce so young, after growing fig trees some people loose patience to grow anything that takes longer to produce.

[CyntheB]

Well, after 'Dominick's' produced two dozen figlets last year....if it gets going sooner this year, maybe we'll have a chance to taste them for the first time. And perhaps 'Aldo' will make it's first figlets? We'll see.

[alanmercieca]

Well, after 'Dominick's' produced two dozen figlets last year....if it gets going sooner this year, maybe we'll have a chance to taste them for the first time. And perhaps 'Aldo' will make it's first figlets? We'll see.

Most fig trees produce their first or second year in ground for me, yet you did plant it much later in the year than I would in your climate. I'd be surprised if you did not get edible figs from both trees this year.