You can grow figs even where they aren't reliably winter-hardy. Grow them in pots and move them to protected winter storage, or grow them in the ground and match your winter-protection method to your climate, property, and appetite for wrapping, bending, dragging, and schlepping.
You don't need a heated greenhouse or sunny winter window. Because fig trees go dormant, cold-climate growers have lots of practical ways to get them through winter and back into growth in spring.
Grow Fig Trees in Cold Climates
By Steven Biggs, horticulturist, Toronto fig grower, author of Grow Figs Where You Think You Can't.
Start with the question you have
| If you want to... | Go here |
|---|---|
| Start from the beginning | Fig Basics |
| Get a fig through winter | Fig Trees in Winter |
| Wake a fig in spring | Figs in Spring |
| Water, feed, prune, and manage summer growth | Fig Tree Care |
| Solve a pest, wildlife, disease, or growing problem | Fig Problems |
| Make more fig plants | Fig Propagation |
| Choose a variety | Fig Varieties for Cold Climates |
| Find a fig tree or cutting | Fig Trees for Sale |
| Ripen and harvest more figs | Fig Ripening and Harvest |
| Use figs, leaves, and even fig wood in the kitchen | Figs in the Kitchen |
| Learn from other growers | Fig Growers and Interviews |
New to cold-climate figs?
Start with three decisions: how you'll grow the plant, how you'll get it through winter, and whether your growing season is long and warm enough to ripen the crop you want. Those decisions affect variety choice, pruning, spring timing, and almost everything that follows.
Start here:
Growing Figs in Cold Climates: Beginner's Guide →
The big picture: how figs grow, fruit, go dormant, and survive cold climates.
Figs and Winter Temperatures →
Understand cold hardiness and what winter protection your fig might need.
Guide to Cold-Climate Fig Varieties →
Choose varieties for early ripening, breba crops, cold tolerance, and your growing conditions.
Choose how you want to learn
Prefer a course, a conversation, a video, or a book? Choose the format that works for you.
Fig Camp & Fig Masterclass →
Learn how to grow figs in pots or in the ground, ripen more fruit, and get your plants through winter.
Fig Culture Podcast →
Listen to conversations with fig growers, collectors, researchers, and cooks.
Fig Culture Newsletter →
Get practical fig-growing tips, seasonal ideas, and stories from the world of figs delivered to your inbox.
Fig Files Videos →
Watch practical fig-growing ideas, interviews, and demonstrations.
Grow Figs Where You Think You Can’t →
My complete guide to growing figs in cold climates and pots, from choosing varieties to conquering winter.
Looking for a fig plant? Find fig nurseries and suppliers in Fig Sources →
