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The Best of the Fig Discussions - Page 3

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In areas as cold as zone 6, they can be grown as a bush, pruning the trunk to near ground level at the end of the second year. Allow several stems to replace the trunk, and grow as you would a lilac. For further protection, erect a frame over the plant, stuff it with hay, and covering it with a heavy rug from October to March. Keep the roots as dry as possible during winter, raising a berm so melting snows run off during thaws. Below zone 6, the fig should be planted into a tub or pot that can be brought into a warm location in winter and taken out again in spring. Keep your fig tree small by contricting roots and pruning away one or two large canes each year. New ones develop -- a plant consisting of about 10 canes in total is a practical and fruitful size. If the wood on your fig is live, but the buds have frozen off, the wood is not likely to re-sprout. Instead, its a good idea to chop the whole thing back and start again from the roots. This was excellent information from Joelle!!! This Hardiness Testimonial from Sonni in NY: while growing up in Brooklyn NY, many people had fig trees and I believe that is zone 5 (maybe almost zone 6 in some parts). Most wrapped their trees after pruning each fall - with burlap and some added plastic wrapping and tied it all up. I know the plastic would be a mistake in a very sunny spot - but most of these trees were in partial shade. My neighbor's tree is over 35 years old. My neighbor, who hailed from Italy, is long gone but the fig tree, which hasn't been wrapped for about 20 years, has so many giant figs that the newest owners came by last weekend with a BUSHEL of purple figs, offering them to my parents and I. The woman said that last year they pruned like crazy and this year the figs are overflowing. That was after another winter of zone 5 here in New York! Ultra-Cold Protection info from Figman64 in Long Island NY:
1) Around here when all of the leaves and figs fall off or need to be removed (around thanksgiving), tie all the branches with strong twine from bottom to top. Put a wooden stake along side the main stem so it sticks out 3 inches from the top
2)Pack straw or Hay inside all of the branches so it's packed full to protect fig tree from cold and freeze and use more twine if needed also pile some straw or hay around the base of the tree.
3) Tightly wrap burlap around tree from top to bottom and tie with heavy twine to secure
4) Dig a little trough around the base of the fig tree about 12 inches away depending on the size of the tree. Now take Tar Paper, NOT plastic and start wrapping fig tree from bottom to top, tightly with heavy twine. When you get to top of fig tree make sure you leave a 2 inch diameter hole at top. Your wooden stake should stick out about 3 inches so you can rest a metal pail on it.
5) Now bank soil around the base of the tar paper so cold air and mice do not get in it.

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