Ontario Fruit Explorers

[John Barbowski <jbarbowski@hotmail.com>]

Hi Bert,
 
I found this sprouting was normal if the temp did not get cold enough. Last year, my figs started to sprout in late Jan. They were in my cold room in my cellar where the temp hovered around 50 F - not nearly cold enough. There has to be some internal clock in the plant that wakes it up after a short duration of cool (but not cold enough) temps.
 
This past fall, I built a chamber in my unheated attached garage, insulated with about 2" of styrofoam (R10?). The garage temp has dropped to -10C on a couple of nights - the chamber - because it is in a corner with two interior house walls - hopefully was somewhat higher. (my son lost the temp transmitter when he was stacking firewood in the garage and I didn't find it till I had all the plants inside - so I still had my garage temp) I haven't opened the chamber yet and will be waiting till mid-march to move the figs directly into the garage, and probably onto my patio sometime in early Apr.
 
The figs did harden off before they were housed, so I would anticipate that they could withstand short term freezing - we will see.
 
jmb

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From: helbert@idirect.com
To: labruscagrape@lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:14:00 -0500
Subject: [OFEX] figs

Hi figophiles

Are you getting green growth on your plants? Mine, in cold garage with little light, one has 1" of green leaf, the rest have green tips. How tell?

Cheers           Bert

 

Bert Dunn  Box 352   Schomberg   L0G 1T0    zone 4b/5a 
www.littlefatwino.com/bertslist.html
Think Blending  Not Varietals

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