Obviously for northern gardeners like myself its so they survive another year, But from a plant physiology standpoint what does wrapping do? I thought of this yesterday when in the nice weather I contemplated unwrapping my figs. So I searched this forum and learned a mature tree may not need wrapped if its south facing and sheltered and more than a few years old. Mine is 13, south and sheltered. I also learned unwrapped figs can handle below freezing temps to about 27 degrees F. Not on a sustained basis clearly. So I looked at the projected two week weather and except for a day here or there when it drops to 26 or 27, most temps are at least low 30's and historical averages are mid 30's. Safe perhaps but I did not unwrap and that got me thinking about wrapping.

So is wrapping an American tradition? Or did folks north of Naples or other Mediterranean or Middle Eastern country where cold is possible at higher elevations bring the method with them when the emigrated? The "traditonal" method seems to be tar paper and a bucket top. That has evoled in to various forms of insulation, blankets, foam pipe wrap, wilt pruf etc. Yet you read where insulation minimizes heat loss and dormant figs are not generating heat and clearly a thin canvass, plastic or tar paper cover is not much of an insulator. And if we use a plastic unvented tarp that could raise the temp too much from solar heat gain.

I bundle the branches and wrap in a blue tarp with bags of leaves around the base to insulate the roots. Maybe I am not gaining anything by insulating the roots and the bags actually prevent solar heat gain on the soil where its needed.

So is the wrapping merely to keep the wind off the branches and prevent drying out? If so, a basic wind break tarp, not tightly wrapped and bound and insulated would seem to be all we need.

Anyone know why we wrap from the botanical level or have other comments or different observations?

Jim