1) Let me say first that you work with what you have, but ideally you would keep trees cold until you can move them directly outdoors in spring, after danger of frost. That doesn't happen because potted trees are always ahead of trees in the landscape in breaking buds. Once bud movement commences, you should consider that the tree has lost all resistance to freezing temperatures. Therefore, since you want your trees to be in good light while in leaf, the second best scenario is to shuffle the trees between shelter and sunlight as ambient temps allow.

2) Allowing trees to be exposed to warm temperatures (above 42*) for several consecutive days will stimulate growth, after which time the trees will need protection from freezing temperatures, good light, and favorable humidity. Most homes have horrible indoor conditions for trees (from the tree's perspective) and trees decline. That leaves them weakened in the spring & trying to catch up in the summer. Their counterparts that enjoyed a long winter's rest are bursting with energy in the spring & raring to go. Trees that are allowed a needed cold rest also grow with closer to their genetic potential than trees that survive w/o a needed dormant rest. If all else was equal, trees allowed to rest until spring will far surpass those trees that were nursed through winter indoors, in spite of the argument that a longer growth period produces bigger trees. That is a fallacy.

3) First, figs are only truly dormant for a VERY short period. After a certain amount of time in chilling temperatures, they pass unnoticed from dormant to quiescent. During quiescence, the trees are capable of growth as soon as soil temperatures move into the mid-40s. You can keep figs quiescent (almost) indefinitely by keeping them cold. During dormancy and quiescence the amount of light they receive is of no importance. Bright sun or total darkness are fine, but remember that the sun usually raises soil temps.

4) No amount of water will stimulate a tree to grow, though ample water is required for growth. Growth onset is all about temperature. The soil should be damp through the dormancy, not wet.

5) Prolly lots, but unless you have specific questions, that's all you get for now. ;o)

Take care.

Al

Thank you, Al. That is very helpful information. My next questions are going to be very ME-centric.

As you have mentioned, the root temperature target is a narrow one, but it seems that most fig fanciers manage to get their tress to survive in spite of it so..

Is it a reasonable assumption that colder temperatures retard growth, at least somewhat, even though they are above 42F? When is the ideal time to put figs in a sheltered location for winter? Should I use a probe thermometer to monitor the soil temps in the pots and move them at 42 F? Lower? Getting to the very specific ME part, if I put my figs in the basement and the basement temperatures go above 42 and then below 42, is that a problem? IF the temps go below 42 for a week, is that enough time? If the temps then stay between 42 and 50, do I have to move the trees into the sun? Am I over-complicating this?

This last winter, I noticed that the buds started to swell in March. I moved them into an unheated greenhouse at that point. Of course this last Spring, just about everyone on the East Coast got hit with the Easter freeze, but only the tips of some of my plants were damaged. Would they have been better off staying the basement? Our last frost is around May 20, and waiting that long to put my trees out would means I would probably have zero ripe figs.

Thanks for any advice you have to offer.

C.J.

Sorry Just wanted to add to the confusion
http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/gardencompass/gc14_jan_07.html
Sal

Yes, cool temperatures do slow growth.

Put figs in a sheltered location when ambient temperatures are in the low 20s if the pot is on the ground or in the upper 20s if the pot is on a deck or other structure that isolates it from geothermal conduction.

No need to use a thermometer, just use your judgment & err on the side of caution if you can.

If you allow your trees a week or two of cold temperatures outdoors after they lose their leaves, your trees will have entered and exited true dormancy and have moved into quiescence. Any exposure to several days of warm temperatures (above 45*) will stimulate growth and you will have to deal with a growing tree for the winter. That should be avoided because it is lots of work to care for these trees and it is not good for the trees. IF you find your tree has started growing, all the foliage it puts out will be a drain on the tree's energy reserves unless you give it the light so it can make more food (equates to energy) than it uses. A trees dormant reserves are like a battery, and reserves are finite. Should you lose foliage to insects, disease, low humidity, under/over-watering during the winter, the tree may not have enough reserves to push another flush, OR, the tree will push another flush and greet spring totally depleted of any reserves, which essentially stops development in it's tracks until the tree is able to recover.

It's hard to say if your trees would have been better off in the basement. My last frost date is (supposed to be) May 15. Rolling my eyes because we had frost in Jun this year. All my deciduous trees are leafing out in late Apr (probably 50 of them), but I have them on a hay wagon & I move them into the sun & under cover as temperatures allow.

I'm just sharing what I know to be best from a physiologic and energy management perspective, complimented by almost 20 years of experience growing deciduous trees in containers of all sizes. There are lots of suggestions to utilize many different strategies, but all that are worthy of being called good involve extended periods of chill to get the trees as far into spring as possible w/o the onset of budbreak. At least that's the view from here. ;o)

Al

I bought an Italian everbearing online this spring. I had read various websites and wished I found this one first. At the first sign of cold, I moved the tree inside where it has been for about 2 weeks. Now I realize that I made a mistake. It's been steadily dropping its remaining leaves, but it still has green tips at the ends of the branches as if its going to resprout. Should I leave it where it is? Can I try to get it to go dormant?

I guess I should have waited until it was dormant and then moved it into the garage by an interior wall.

Looking forward to your suggestions.
ali-b