Fig Cordons in Cold Climates: Craig Boyer’s Japanese Espalier Trials
Growing Low Fig Cordons with Craig Boyer
What if you could protect an entire row of fig trees without digging them up, burying them, or heating a greenhouse?
Craig Boyer of Coastal Fig Company joins me to talk about a Japanese-inspired espalier system he’s trialling for commercial fig production in Pennsylvania.
He is also one of the innovative cold-climate fig growers featured in my book, Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t.
Craig trains the permanent framework of each tree horizontally, close to the ground. Upright fruiting shoots grow from this low cordon during the season. Because the framework remains low, he can protect it beneath row cover or a low tunnel inside an unheated high tunnel.
This layered system captures warmth from the soil and reduces heat loss around the branches. It also gives Craig earlier budbreak and a longer season for ripening figs—all without paying to heat the high tunnel.
In our conversation, Craig explains how the system works, what he’s learning about pruning and spacing, and why managing the covers involves what he calls “the row-cover dance.”
In This Episode
How the Japanese-inspired low-cordon system works
Training a permanent horizontal framework with upright fruiting shoots
Combining high tunnels and low tunnels for two layers of winter protection
Using soil warmth and passive solar heat instead of heating the structure
Getting earlier budbreak and extending the fig-ripening season
Spacing and pruning strategies for commercial production
Removing leaves to improve light and airflow
Managing “the row-cover dance” without overheating the trees
Fig varieties that performed well in Craig’s trials
What Craig has learned from testing and adapting the system
Craig Boyer’s Fig-Cordon Project
Craig’s trials received support from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), which funds practical research and education for more sustainable farming in the northeastern United States.
Learn more about Craig’s project here: Coastal Fig Company project profile
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number FNE22-003-AWD00000495.
Why Low Cordons Matter in Cold Climates
Craig’s system is designed for commercial production, but the underlying principle also applies in a home garden: keep the permanent fig framework low enough that it’s easy to protect.
A low horizontal cordon has several advantages:
There’s less permanent wood to protect through winter
The framework sits close to warmth stored in the soil
Row cover, plastic, mulch, or another insulating layer can fit over it easily
Upright fruiting shoots can be renewed through pruning
Earlier spring growth gives main-crop figs more time to ripen
This approach has a tradeoff. Removing the upright shoots each year means giving up the breba crop that would form on them the following season. The system instead relies on an early start and enough summer heat to ripen main-crop figs on new growth.
Home growers don’t need a commercial high tunnel to experiment with the idea. A low cordon paired with suitable winter insulation or a temporary spring cover uses the same basic principle: keep the tree compact, protect the permanent framework, and create a longer ripening season.
More About Growing Fig Cordons
Keep Growing Figs
Looking for more cold-climate fig-growing ideas? Visit the fig home page to browse articles about varieties, pruning, propagation, ripening, winter protection, and more.
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t
My revised and expanded fig book is a practical guide to growing figs in pots and cold climates—from choosing varieties and pruning to ripening fruit and conquering winter. Craig and his work with low fig cordons are featured in the book.
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