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mandolls

Wintering Potted Figs in the far north

mandolls
12 years ago

I have a fig in a pot that I have had for about a year and a half, it was tiny when I purchased it, probably it was from a cutting that was only a few months old. Last year, before I had run across this forum, and educated myself a little, I just wintered it by my sunniest window where it continued to grow all winter long. I put it back outside this spring, and it just keeps growing. No figs, but I didnt really expect any this year.This winter, my plan is to let it go dormant. We have already had a light frost, so some of the leaves have blackened, but most are still alive and healthy.

My question is about temperatures. I have searched on this forum, but I dont see anyone dealing with weather as cold as we get here (occasionally down to -30 F). I will not be able to hold it between 25-45 degrees. My garage will certainly get colder than that when it goes sub zero. I have a workshop area that is a converted attached garage, that I keep the heat at 55-65 most of the winter, and I am sure the concrete slab floor is cooler than that. My question is, should I try to keep it in the garage (colder) as long as the weather is above 20 outside and then pull it into the workshop only when it is colder? or can I keep it in the workshop all winter ? Once it is inside, should it be wrapped to keep it dark? It is big enough that hauling in and out will be a lot of work. It did beautifully inside growing all last winter, but it is huge now and all the advice here says dont do that. I winter over large lantana in pots in the workshop every year, letting them dry out and lose most of their leaves, but they start leaving out again in Feb, next to a window. Any advice is appreciated.

This is what it looked like at the end of last winter.

This is what it looked like a few weeks ago

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