Fig Tree, outdoor, Chicago area.

Fig Tree, outdoor, Chicago area.
Late 1960's early 1970's (before we moved to NW 'burbs) we rented in the city. Our last apartment was in a 3-flat near Foster & Western. The landlady would bake bread each week and give us a loaf. They had a fig tree in the back yard that was dug out of the ground each spring and then in late fall the huge hole was dug and the tree was tipped into the hole and then covered with several feet of dirt on top of the tarp that covered the tree. The tree was 10 feet plus in height and the diameter of the top was 10 feet plus also.

As with the bread they would share the figs with us. The figs were outstanding.

Have you or does anyone you know have a fig tree that is buried in winter and dug up in the spring?

It'd be easier just to grow it in the orangery.

I admire your former landlady's fortitude. Figs are tropical trees and, wow, I can't imagine trying to get one through our winter.

Apparently Pete at Seedling farms is growing fig trees in their hoop house...

Actually they had a huge team of people to both dig the tree out of the ground and then back into ground in the fall. Their yard was real small. They might have used a real small bobcat also.

Some of their relatives were construction type guys so it was was easy for them.

How to bury a fig tree:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load ... 25842.html

very interesting!

leek wrote:Apparently Pete at Seedling farms is growing fig trees in their hoop house...

The other figs of which I am aware are all growing under glass, including the Lincoln Park and Garfield Park Conservatories. I guess my obscure point was that a person of normal means (with out bobcat access!) would have to grow such a tree indoors. Many decorative indoor trees are figs but I've never seen one with fruit.

I have decided on two things when I win the lotto:

1. A solarium/greenhouse to grow figs and also year round greens.
http://www.arcadiaglasshouse.com/Greenhouses/

2. An outdoor brick oven.
http://www.fornobravo.com/pompeii_oven/ ... _oven.html

Hi,

I know of two people on this board who have experience with fig trees: LAZ and gp60005 (he does this dig for his Mom).

I like the idea, though not the work.

Regards,

yes..the dreaded fig tree. It wasn't bad when it was small but as it grew it got harder to bury. We would bend it over, weigh it down with old carpeting, put a tarp on it, put dirt all around it, put bricks around it, put in grass clippings.

Braches would snap and it looked bad when it was dug up but it did bounce back. Well, except for this year. The main branch died so 80% of the tree died but moms planted a smaller tree a few years back that is flourishing.

Oh, one year some rodents, maybe squirls got in with the tree and ate away at it. It didn't produce much the following summer so you have to be careful to seal it off. That is the reason for the bricks.

I'd recomend planting one in a 5 gal bucket. Keep it outside in the summer then drag it into the garage in the winter.

Some years it wasnt worth the effort.

gp60004:

Did you live on Artesian?

no

gp60004 wrote:I'd recomend planting one in a 5 gal bucket. Keep it outside in the summer then drag it into the garage in the winter.

I've done exactly this successfully for 3 years in a slightly larger pot. Slightly moisten the soil when it starts to look really dry. Put it outside in March when buds start to break. Put in away after Thanksgiving.

Do you have any idea how cold it gets in the garage?
Do you wrap the tree up in tarp or blankets?

I might try it also.

There is a newish variety called Chicago Hardy - supposedly you don't have to do all the wrapping and burying, just mulch and maybe do a cage with leaves around it. Pruning is required, but it can die back to the ground and still produce figs the next year. I am on this, baby!

Where id you hear about it, if you don't mind sharing?

Chicago Hardy Fig? Is this for real? NYTIMES reported this week that 100's of fig trees are producing figs in BROOKLYN. But these Brooklyn trees are either wrapped, buried or brought into a semi heated garage.
Italy to Brooklyn, Fig by Fig

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/29/dining/in-brooklyn-an-abundance-of-fig-trees.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Found it!
Chicago hardy fig

[url]
http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/Chicago_hardy_fig/[/url]

I had originally read the NY Times article, and then googled a bunch around, including finding the blog just above.

I planted a Chicago Hardy Fig tree this year. It didn't die in the drought. It didn't grow much either. I'll be putting hay on it for the winter. I have a friend who planted her fig tree in a garbage container (with wheels). Not only does it get wheeled into her garage each winter, but it has been moved from the East Coast to Illinois. It's a tree you can take with you!

Figs are desert fruits so a drought will not harm them.

Thanks to my wonderment at this thread lo these many years ago, when I walked into Costco yesterday and saw Chicago fig trees for sale (2 bare root plants in a box for $12.99!), I decided to give them a try. I'm going to plant them in pots until we close on our house in a couple of weeks and I can plant them in the ground. I figured at that price, it was a pretty low-risk endeavor. Wish me luck!