Conadria Fig in Raleigh NC ?

[Preston Sturges]

I have a Conadria that gotten very large in a 22" pot that I kept in the garage last winter. Would it get much frost damage planted in the ground in zone 7B/8 ? We get down to 10 degrees briefly some winters. Brown Turkey survived these record low temps without damage on the back porch wrapped in a trash bag.

It's tough to keep the Conadria adequately watered in that pot when temps are above 95 degrees. It does well, but skip a day and it's going to drop its leaves. That's my motivation for wanting to plant it.

[Preston Sturges]

I planted the Conadria out in the yard and it was putting out new growth by March 1, so I expected frost damage.

We had a 28 degree frost in late March. I covered the Conadria pretty well, but most of it's new growth was damaged. It's now recovering nicely.

My LSU Purple is smaller and was easier to cover with a trash bag, and it got a little damage.

I also have a Celeste that I purchased locally, and it's just been an ugly plant that I left unprotected in the yard in a pot to see if it would die. The new growth on the Celeste was undamaged by the frost.

I have also noticed that the Celeste was the easiest fig to propagate, with lots and lots of roots from air-layered cuttings. I can see that the Celeste has some good qualities for people that don't have a green thumb.

I also have a Brown Turkey on the north side of the house in the shade. It was still dormant at the time of the frost because it is in the shade until April 1, so it got no damage. Sometimes the north side is a good location for frost sensitive plants.

[Edible Landscaping]

It fruits for us in the ground here, planted on south side of the greenhouse.

"I also have a Brown Turkey on the north side of the house in the shade. It was still dormant at the time of the frost because it is in the shade until April 1, so it got no damage. Sometimes the north side is a good location for frost sensitive plants." Good advise.

[Preston Sturges]

I planted the Conadria out in the yard and it is now on a rampage. I bent down the low branches and buried them, so it's grown a dozen new shoots from the branches. By 2012 I'll be pruning with a machete. It survived some 11 degree nights with no trouble, started some breba figs in march, got knocked back by a hard frost in April, but had only slight damage. The flavor is very mild or even bland, but the plant is very productive and I could see using it for preserves

The LSU purple fruited nicely in a 10 or 12 gallon pot and is about 3 feet tall. I checked the root ball the other day, and it is not root bound even after 3 years. The Conadria became root bound almost immediately.

My Brown Turkey, Celest, LSU Purple and Conadria all came through some 11 degree temps without damage (Although the LSU and Conadria spent their first winter in the garage)

The Conadria had minor damage from a late frost, the LSU purple had just a touch of damage, the Celeste and Brown Turkey were fine.

We have a couple Black Mission that I'm testing for frost resistance this year.

[Preston Sturges]

Just a follow up on the Black Mission Figs, which were 2 ft tall potted plants last fall. They came through the winter without damage although it never got below 20 degrees this winter.

The LSU Purple is still in the pot. I put the Brown Turkey in the ground although it was doing nicely in a pot. The Conadria is growing fast in the ground. The Celeste is doing well in a pot, and I'll plant that.

[Preston Sturges]

The Conadria had a good year and is doing great. In its 4th season the fruit has improved quite a bit and the flesh is much redder this year. In previous years it was brownish.