New "Hardy Chicago" Figs – Page 8 – Other Plants of Interest – PalmsNorth.com

Cameron_z6a_N.S. · 2011-06-04T13:42:13Z

These fig trees arrived earlier this week. "Hardy Chicago" is one of (if not the) hardiest varieties you can get. Most fig trees produce figs on 2 year-old wood, so their branches need to survive the winter intact. "Hardy Chicago" is different, because it produces figs on 1st year wood. This means that you can cut the trees down to the ground in the fall, protect them more easily, and new wood will grow during that season, producing figs by the end of the summer! I'm planning on siting them well, and simply mulching them during the winter. In case you're wondering where the name "Hardy Chicago" comes from, it's thought that the original figs were collected around 3000 feet in elevation on Mount Etna, in Sicily. They were brought over to Chicago, where they grew for many years, before being discovered and brought into the nursery trade :lol: In the box:Unpacked:Closer up:Cameron.

Topic starter

Jim, I think the wood on "Hardy Chicago" figs is slightly hardier than on regular figs. I remember seeing pics from someone on the HPS board in Pennsylvania, and he didn't cut back his fig in a zone 6b. However, for people growing figs in zone 5b or colder, they would likely have to either protect the entire plant, or cut it down entirely.

Out of my five plants that survived last winter, I left one still standing as a test. I'll keep cutting the rest down until one season's growth is fast and strong enough to definitely survive a zone 6b winter here with just mulching.

Posted : 07/01/2013 6:08 pm