Growing Figs in Cold Climates: A Complete Guide - Paperback

by Lee Reich (Author)

Grow sweet, fresh figs in climates previously considered impossible using proven protection and variety selection techniques. Complete guide to extending fig cultivation into zones 6-8 through winter protection, container growing, and cold-hardy variety selection.

Why Cold-Climate Fig Growing Is Now Possible:

New varieties and protection techniques enable fig cultivation far beyond traditional Mediterranean climates. These methods have been tested in locations with winter temperatures down to -10 F.

What You'll Master:

• Variety selection for maximum cold tolerance without sacrificing fruit quality


• Winter protection techniques that ensure survival in harsh climates


• Container growing systems for mobility and climate control


• Seasonal care including pruning, fertilizing, and harvest optimization


• Propagation methods for expanding collections and sharing with other growers

Cold-Climate Success Stories:

Growers in zones 6-7 report successful harvests of 20-50 pounds per tree annually using these protection methods, with fruit quality matching warm-climate production.

Enjoy Mediterranean flavors in northern gardens. Essential for fruit enthusiasts wanting to expand growing possibilities beyond traditional climate limitations.

Back Jacket

From Minnesota to Moscow -- how to grow fresh figs in cold climates

Growing Figs in Cold Climates is a complete, full-color, illustrated guide to organic methods for growing delicious figs in cold climates, well outside the traditional hot, arid home of this ancient fruiting tree. Coverage includes:

• Five methods for growing figs in cold climates including overwintering
• Cultivar selection for cool and cold climates
• Pruning techniques for a variety of methods
• Pest problems and solutions
• Harvesting, including ways to speed ripening, identify ripe fruit, and manage an overabundance
• New directions and the potential of small-scale commercial fig production in cold climates.

Fresh figs are juicy, full-bodied, and filled with a honey-sweet flavor, and because truly ripe figs are highly perishable, they are only available to those who grow their own.

By choosing the right cultivars and techniques, figs can be grown across cool and cold growing zones of North America, Europe, and beyond, putting them within reach of almost every gardener. Easy and delicious -- if you can grow a houseplant, you can grow a fig.

Lee Reich has a PhD in Horticulture from the University of Maryland, an MS in Soil Science, and a BA in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. A syndicated gardening columnist, Lee is the author of The Ever Curious Gardener and numerous other books. He blogs from his "farmden" in New Paltz, NY.

Author Biography

Lee Reich, PhD, dove into gardening decades ago, initially with one foot in academia as an agricultural scientist with the USDA and then Cornell University, and one foot in the field, the organic field. He eventually expanded his field to a "farmden" (more than a garden, less than a farm) and left academia to lecture, consult, and write. He is author of many books, including The Ever Curious Gardener, Weedless Gardening, The Pruning Book, and Landscaping with Fruit, as well as a syndicated column for Associated Press. Lee has a PhD in Horticulture from the University of Maryland, and an MS in Soil Science and a BA in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. He blogs at leereich.com from his farmden in New Paltz, NY.