Your question can be better answered in the fig forum. They will be able you suggest cold hardy fig vatieties.

My experience tells me there is no such thing called cold hardy. Even Chicago hardy gets killed by the cold weather. I live in zone 7. My figs are very healthy. I have Brown Turky, Black Jack, Chicago Hardy, Italian ever-bearing and Celestia. I planted every thing in Pots. The Pots are buried in the garden in summer and pulled out in December and stored in the safe heaven (My Garage) until Early April. I put pieces of wood under the pots and I have small heater to turn on if it gets very cold like last year.

I saved my crop this season by throwing a tarp over the tree after driving in 3 tall stakes so tarp was just above foliage. Saved them from a frost that knocked off most of my peaches. Guess I need more tarps.

I am on the east coast in the mid-atlantic region. I see a lot of fig trees, big and small, in my neighborhood. So I think it is not impossible to over winter them safely here. I will definitely be very careful for the first few years. I have wire cages that I can put around the tree and fill with leaves if the weather gets too cold.

I am leaning toward celeste. It seems like many people like the flavor and the small eye is a bonus.

Check out our buddy Bass' website - Trees of Joy - he's 'pushing the envelope', growing figs, pomegranates, and other fruits that most folks wouldn't think would survive, much less produce, in PA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trees of Joy

I was thinking about a tarp. But when you have 50 miles an hour wind in snow storm. I don't know where the tarp will be, may be in the neighbors yard.

The tarp is for a convection type frost after trees had budded out. I've tried to save arctic kiwis with a tarp during the other frost type (the word escapes me) but with lots of wind and it did no good. It doesn't insulate, only traps heat from the ground.

I can name 10 figs that you can grow in ground in your location, but I would plant on the south of the house protected from the north wind by the house. All my in ground trees are planted this way and I havent covered them since 1993. Sals, osborne prolific, latarulla , latarolla, hardy chicago, atreano, marseilles vs, even black mission, and last and least in my opinion brown turkey and celeste. The last 2 are worthless cultivars in my opinion. I am on the coast zone 7 in nyc.

I saw huge fig trees in large pots in Madison, WI last weekend. I think they have a greenhouse they keep them in though. They were covered in fruit, some of it ripe.

In Z7 they're easy to protect. A piano box (very large cardboard box) covered with a tarp will easily get them through winter- no insulation required. LSU purple and some others like Chicago hardy can freeze to the ground and still have plenty of time to bear figs in 7 as well.

ejp3,

I am new to growing figs, but love them fresh.

I only have one Brown Turkey fig tree and want to plant more.

I have so much to learn and would really appreciate it if you would elaborate on your above post.

What are your reasons for saying Brown Turkey and Celest are worthless?

I don't want to waste my money buying them if there are better tasting/producing varieties that are hardy here in my zone 7 Cen Va area.

Also, I don't have the space to grow many, so if you could list your favorite(s) that would live in-ground here.

Thanks,
Betty

A lot of fig people don't care for Brown Turkey. They say it just doesn't have much flavor.

Celeste is good for humid climates because it has a closed eye. ejp is the first poster I've seen that doesn't care for Celeste, but since it is a fig good for the south, it might not do as well in NY. It just might be that you can raise a better tasting fig, or a fig better suited to your weather. Some figs need heat to ripen properly.

I haven't tasted or grown either fig. I'm just getting started in figs. In my zone, they are container plants.

Hardy Chicago always gets a lot of votes. The best place to discuss varieties would be on the fig forum here on Garden Web.

I also live in zone 7 and have a few varieties to recommend: Violet de Bordeaux, Celeste, Peter's Honey, and Black Jack. My personal favorite is Violet de Bordeaux -- dark, rich, sweet, and holds up well in hot summer/cold winter. I posted a few pics of some of my figs on my blog.

Here is a link that might be useful: .09 Acres

I really dont have that much against brown turkey and celeste, but oregon hit it on the head. There are so many better figs to grow in my opinion. BT has an open eye which allows the fig to sour in humid climates and even split during rain. Celeste dosen't have either of these negative features but every strain of celeste I have tried-around 5-10- drops the fruit when stressed or for no apparent reason. The only celestes I have grown that don't do that have been grown in the ground and the fruit was way too small for my liking. VDB, latarulla, latarolla, sals, verte, marseilles vs, are all better figs in my opinion and at least as cold hardy

vaplantman, I would love to talk further with you about your figs...writing an article now for the magazine I write for, on figs hardy to zone 7. Could you email me ? I don't see where to contact you.

I have a Brown Turkey next to my house(6'-7' away)..It was here when we moved in 5 years ago. I LOVE figs. However since it is next to the house/foundation I am a little concerned as this tree is growing huge!!

If I trim it hard I get no breba crop cuz that grows on last years growth..the second crop usually never has a chance to ripen. I could pull all the breba crop but what with trimming this is becoming too much work. Allowed to grow it would be over 25'..the figs however ARE delicious!! Even if they are the breba crop. I harvested all the crop when we had a good breba..no splits.. did well.

I live in Willamette Valley and have had no problems with this fig. It is in a heat sink being next to the house though. I am probably going to pull it down..UGH I hate killing plants :( I am going build a 8' corner wall away from the house and plant another....I do love figs! There probably are better tasting figs..but I take what I can get!! I won't replant the Turkey..probably a Violetta. I think a heat sink helps ripening in this region. Zone 6-7. As far as I can tell roots can be a problem..I know our Mission fig in San Diego had huge roots all over the place. Some people say no and many say yes..not worth the risk.

I have no problem ripening figs in Zone 5b : Atreano, Alma, Bifara, Brown Turkey, Serbian giant,

Yours must be in pots yovan taken inside a building for winter

I agree Kevin. Fruit needs full sun and time on tree to develop sweetness and rich flavor. Same with Avocados Oranges etc.

I've haven't had much luck in Zone 7 with the second crop at all. Maybe a few but never the full flavor of the breba crop or what I expect from a fig.

I did plant the Violette and took out my Turkey..so we shall see how she fairs even though she in a less protected area she can grow to full height width with out heavy pruning! Yes! Looking forward to next years crop..The Violette I got was already a fairly large size..with fruit on it.

Deborah, if you are located in the Willamette Valley you are a firm zone 8.........maybe even as high as a 9 if close to Portland. The 6 or 7 relates to a Sunset gardening zone which most have little experience with (and few plants are categorized under).

Figs of all types are able to grow into good sized trees pretty much anywhere in the Pacific Northwest (except the Cascade foothills) with almost no concerns about winter cold damage. The issue is warm enough summers for the fruit to ripen properly. Because we do not have sufficient summer heat, the main crop is pretty much a wasted effort and we have to focus on the brebas. Siting the tree where it can receive reflected heat in summer helps (south facing wall, surrounded by paving, etc.) but not enough to make a summer crop reliable.

Negronne/Violette is a good choice for this area. Also Desert King and Olympian.

ETA: Summer temps in the valley are likely warmer than up here in the Puget Sound area. But still not really as hot as figs would prefer :-)

I haven't used Sunset zones in decades...Silverton Oregon is a 7b..but we are much higher than Silverton itself so get more cold..usually 3-5 degrees than actual temps in Silverton. Lowest recorded temp is -9. Silverton is 252 ft and we are over 500ft. Not willing to take chances on plants..well sometimes..

My Turkey was in a heat sink exactly as you describe...but to close for comfort to foundation of home.

I'd suggest you recheck. Every source I can find lists Silverton as an 8b.