Find warm spot to protect fig tree from winter weather

Tag : fig

I have a small fig tree that I rooted from a larger one fromLynchburg. The tree in Lynchburg is protected from winter cold bythe house, but my plant is out in the open. Last winter, I coveredit with mulch, but the plant died back to the root. How can Iprotect it this winter? I'd like to save this year's growth so itwon't have to start over again.
 Maxine Odle, Wartrace, Tenn.
The edible fig (Ficus carica is the botanical name) is a popularornamental plant in many gardens in the South. But in our climateduring a cold winter, it's not unusual for a fig tree to die backto the ground.
If you want a tree that doesn't have to start from the ground eachyear, your best bet is to grow a variety that is more cold-hardy(two popular choices for Middle Tennessee are 'Brown Turkey' and'Celeste'). If you can learn the variety of the plant you have,you'll be better able to know how to keep it growing.
In this area, it's also best to plant any fig tree where it issomewhat protected in winter, near a south-facing wall, forinstance, where it can benefit from reflected heat.
Another option is to plant it in a pot that you can move into anunheated garage or other protected area to keep it from freezing,but over time it may get too large and cumbersome. Nashvillegardener Margaret Boyd told me that she has a potted 'Brown Turkey'fig that she moves into a greenhouse each winter, but this yearwill try putting it in the ground in a protected spot.
If moving the tree or growing it in a pot are not good options,here is one other thing you can try: If the tree is short enough,you may be able to protect the branches from freezing bysurrounding the tree with a poultry wire cage and stuffing the cagewith straw or some other insulating material.
A group called the North American Fruit Explorers, at its Web site( www.nafex.org ), mentions a North Carolina grower who has built a winter fighousearound the tree, using pressure-treated posts and plywood to formwalls and a roof.
Additionally, he places several water-filled 55-gallon drums in thefighouse. According to NAFEX, the water releases heat energy astemperatures fall below freezing, and moderates temperatures in thefighouse. They caution that this will not work in the coldestclimates, but only where there are alternate warm and cold spellsand average temperatures above 32 degrees.
This limb is from a shrub. Can you tell me what it is?
 Jean Cothran
This shrub is called beautyberry (Callicarpa is the botanicalname). This one most likely is C. Americana, American beautyberry.The description in the Southern Living Garden Book notes that "Small lilac or pink flowers in summer are followed bytight clusters of little, round violet to purple fruits that lastinto winter."
Author Felder Rushing notes, in his book Tough Plants for Southern Gardens , that beautyberry is a good plant for butterflies and berry-eatingbirds.
It's native to Southern woodlands, so it needs very little care tosurvive and thrive. He writes, "The edible berries, thoughextremely bland, were once used as filler for Native American'pemmican,' a combination of dried meat, berries, nuts and meltedfat."
If you want to propagate the plant, Rushing says seedlings aroundolder plants are easy to transplant, and cuttings root well. Garden events
The Tennessee Gesneriad Society will meet at 2 p.m. Sunday atCheekwood, in Botanic Hall. Jonathan Ertelt will speak on growinggesneriads outdoors. The meeting is open to all, and visitorsattending the meeting will not be charged a gate fee.
Have a question about gardening? Write to: The Garden Club, The Tennessean , 1100 Broadway, Nashville 37203. E-mail life@tennessean.com . Fax: 259-8057.