Temperate Fruit & Orchards > Temperate Fruit Discussion

Has anyone successfully grown a fig tree in USDA zone 6a (Connecticut)?

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willpollinateforfood:
Hi everyone,
Sadly my 18" tall Brown Turkey fig tree I bought online, did not survive the winter here in New England. It was healthy all season. I provided moderate mulch and kept it in a fully sunny spot. I live in Connecticut, USA. I know we had nights below -10 degree F, which is the average lowest temperature for zone 6a. If anyone can help me with advice from variety (should I try Chicago Hardy fig cultivar instead?), to overwintering outdoors, etc. I would be grateful! Or should I give up on figs altogether?
Thank you,
Kelly

fyliu:
I hope someone with real experience can chime in. Most of us live in much warmer places and don't know the hardiness of figs in colder climates. I can only tell you to get a greenhouse so that your figs will be warm enough to survive winter if the outside weather gets too cold for them.

ramv:
There are numerous people on the ourfigs forum who are successfully growing figs in Zones 4,5 and 6. The ones in cooler zones usually grow them in pots and take them indoors in winter. Figs go dormant and can easily take temperatures of 10f during dormancy.  In zone 6 you can protect with pipe insulation outdoors.

In addition some varieties are very cold tolerant. Hardy Chicago and various strains of English  Brown Turkey are especially hardy. Some can take temperatures of around 0 f.

coyote:
If you're going to put it in the ground, then yes I recommend Chicago Hardy in a protected location such as a well mulched southern or eastern exposure.  That said even with these conditions Chicago Hardy often dies back to its roots, but it owes its popularity to the fact that it will often grow back from its roots and fruit on new wood.   

You can experiment with other fig varieties in ground and you might find some other successes, just be prepared for a very high kill rate.

Otherwise I recommend growing them in pot culture, which is what I and many others in cold zones do.  Generally figs do quite well in pot culture. 

willpollinateforfood:
Thank you everyone! I wish I had space indoors to bring a fig tree inside, but I collect tropicals, so I have a 3 ft. coffea arabica tree in my kitchen window already along with seed-grown lemon, orange, guava, feijoa, pomegranate, avocado, bonsais and passionflower vine seedlings. Self admitted plant-a-holic. (and a carnivorous Nepenthes hanging pitcher plant). plus more.

I will try again with a 1 gallon Chicago Hardy fig tree with twice as much mulch from a nursery in milder zones. My brown turkey fig tree was purchased from a Louisiana nursery, maybe that's a contributing factor behind my fig's passing, in LA it would have never felt zone 6 cold.

I appreciate being welcomed into this forum, I am a 24 year old college student hoping to be involved in horticulture for life.
- Kelly

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