I have the same problem and I was advised not to give the trees too much water. I rarely water them.

You guys fuss too much! ;o) Mother Nature has been putting her trees to sleep for the winter for quite a while. Just leave the trees outdoors on the ground until leaves fall & temperatures drop to around 25*. Don't worry, if the trees are on the GROUND, the moderating influence of the ground temperature will keep roots above freezing until the ground freezes. After leaves fall, move the trees to a spot where the soil/root temperature will remain somewhere in the high 20s to 42*. In zone 6, you should be able to bury the pots against the foundation on the north side of a heated building.

Al

Thanks Al, I just didn't want to lose my babies, I noticed that one or two leaves are curled up a little like the frost or cold touched them...will leave them alone for now until the leaves yellow up and drop.. thank you again

Hi Big Al
those first year cuttings you mentioned outdoors.
If they were mine i would bring them in garage .
Personally i believe such young plants can be harmed quicker than a more mature plant with thicker limbs and larger root system and soil volume that chills faster.
My 1- 3 gallon pots get babied as they have much less soil mass than my 20-30 gallon pots .
Thats just me though.
Martin

Martin, would put them in the garage even if they still had green leaves???

Tapla words are right.
I suppose that cold convince leaves to go down.
To improve the ability of mature leaves and the wood is essential to limit the nitrogen manure (always) and excessive watering.
The fig tree is an ugly beast and does not suffer for so little!
As with humans where are the young people, who have more enthusiasm are likely to be caught pants down, so the young figs are always at risk for being found with the green leaves, grass and wood. No problem, they will learn.
The important thing is that the roots do not freeze, the pot can be buried (in winter) in a sheltered corner, also if not bright; light in winter is not necessary. On the ground rarely roots are damaged,, with a bit of mulching.

Hi Big Al,
yes i dont go by leaf drop but watch weather about week in advance. These have been in garage for a while as posted on other forum and now leaves are turning yellow little by little.
First season plants, some such as col de dame will go in attic soon its to small to risk in garage for me.
{{gwi:836559}}
Martin

Hi everyone. Here at the Homestead in the North Georgia Piedmont (Zone 7b) all our figs are in ground, even the new ones. We even start our cuttings in ground.

We mulch the base of all figs (they were mulched in the summer too), and this year for the first time (because we have so many new figs) I am going to use some plastic tubing to cover the youngest whips when the leaves drop for some extra cold protection.

But mostly, it's tough-love out here in the country: If a plant isn't tough enough to make it on it's own, we plant something else the next year.

We have looked for mostly proven cold-hardy figs, and so far they are making it through the cold, snow, and ice just fine. It can get down into the upper teens ocassionally, but usually normal winter lows are upper 20s and lower 30s.

The new ones freeze back to the ground the first year or two, but once they get a solid hardwood base they really take off.

Best wishes to all.

John

If the leaves aren't freezing or showing frost damage, it is not too cold for the trees.

If they are in pots that aren't too heavy, you could always move them inside if the weather is predicted to go below freezing and then move them back outside for the light during the day.

My winter plants have already been inside for a few weeks. None are dormant. They go under lights. It's too much work to move them out and bring them in. I do it for a couple of weeks, but as it gets colder, they just stay inside and seem happy enough.

Both Al and Martin are correct. If you have newly rooted cutting that are growing well, then I would not let them take the hard freeze outside. I would place them inside a garage and let them go dormant there. If you have a 1 yr or 2 yr tree then these guys can stay outside until all their leaves fall off, then move them inside with the youngesters.

Here in the Carolinas, the temps started dropping to 32 and 27 this weekend. Most of my container trees are dropping leaves now and getting ready to go dormant. I cheat in winter and place a heater inside my greenhouse keeping the temps no lower than 25. cheers, Dennis

You guys might wish to file this info away somewhere:

I have LOTS of trees in containers that are on growing benches - like 2-sided bleachers. I try to leave my trees on the benches as long as possible, so my garage is overcrowded with trees for as short a time as possible. I've found that as winter approaches, the difference in morning soil temperatures between trees on the benches and trees I've set on the ground to be as much as 15-20*. So, while the earth is still cooling, your trees will easily tolerate 25* air temperatures IF they are on the ground or the garage floor - even fresh starts. Not so, though, if they are isolated from the warmth of the ground by placing them on a deck, railing, ......

Al