I bought two fig plants last year off of kijiji. I was excited by the idea of having fresh figs of my own but had not fully contemplated the maintenance required. I don't really have the room nor want to make the room to keep large fig trees indoors, so it was my intent to have them as regular outdoor trees or somehow keep them in the greenhouse. I have, of course, realized that my greenhouse is just as cold as outside in the winter time.
They certainly cannot survive an Ontario winter and need to be wrapped for protection and moved inside to avoid the bitter cold.
This year wasn't so challenging as they are still small. I took two approaches: one was kept in the living room and maintained just like any indoor plant. Looking pretty good, eh?
The second was covered with a black plastic bag and kept in the cold room for the winter. I just pulled it out about two weeks ago. It already had new sprouts growing, but looking pretty bare (pathetic, really ... Charlie Brown Christmas Tree pathetic, in fact):
And within 10 days, large leaves had already formed.
And new sprouts are coming out at the base ...
Although it's still awfully bare compared to the one kept upstairs all winter.
The one mistake I made was to hide it in the cold room before the leaves had fallen off. I did not know that would even happen, but obviously the leaves just fell off anyway and are certainly coming back.
So the overwintering indoors works both ways. I'll see what to do when they get bigger. I won't be able to lug them up and down my basement stairs to the cold room and I wonder if my detached garage is too cold? I don't think so ... it's not heated but it certainly is never as cold as outside.
If anyone has suggestions, let me know before next October. :)
