Pruning Our Fig Tree...and how global warming causes cold snaps & snow
We chose Winter Solstice to prune our fig tree, because the temps are plummeting in the coming days. Which, yes, is a feature of climate change...
Early last week, I told Steve that we should prune our fig tree on the Solstice.
“Why is that?” he asked.
“Because it’s now fully dormant…and because the temperature is dropping below 10 degrees on Sunday (the day after Solstice).”
We wanted to make sure we got some viable cuttings from this beautiful baby we raised this year. This is a Bensonhurst Purple Fig, similar to the Chicago Hardy variety. But this one comes from the Brooklyn, NY, area and before that, it originated in Italy. Its fruit is delicious and we may plant another tree on our property come spring.
But that meant getting some cuttings before the branches dried out too much, or worse, fell off. A lot of hardy fig trees will die off to the ground if they’re not protected, and we didn’t want that to happen.
So we bundled up and braved the cold. Of course, our normally placid wind also decided to kick up, making it even chillier. My hands felt like ice cubes!
But we did it!
Following is our process in videos and pictures.
Pruning our fig tree
Prior to coming outside at all, we watched several YouTube videos on how and when to prune fig trees and how to take cuttings.
This was our first year and we were nervous. But after watching several experts, and hearing how resilient these trees can be, we felt more confident.
So first, let me show you what we were starting with:
The first step was removing the branches we didn’t want — mostly because they were angling off in undesirable directions — and cutting back others to make the figs easier to get to next year.
Before we made any cuts — actually, before we even started filming — we talked about which branches we were going to remove or trim down and we used marker to indicate where to cut.
Here’s the result:
All wrapped up to survive the winter
After pruning, we decided to wrap the tree to help it survive the winter. This year has already been colder and snowier than our last two winters here (we’ve only been in south central PA since August 2021).
And this is our first year with this fig tree, so we don’t know how it handles this weather.
We started by pulling the remaining branches in a bit closer, for easier wrapping.
Then we were going to use burlap, but Steve remembered watching a video where they recommended using tar paper instead…and he happened to find some that the last homeowners had left in the shed .
Once we had that secured, we took a double layer of heavy plastic sheeting and wrapped it around and over the top of the tree.
Steve explains the reasoning for each choice in this next video.
Whoops! I think the video got cut off!
What I started to talk about next was the mis/disinformation idea that global warming must be a myth if it’s this cold out. Remember the senator from Oklahoma who brought a snowball onto the Senate floor to disprove climate change? Yeah… about that…
“It’s so cold; where’s global warming when you need it?”
Have you heard anyone use that line?
Well, let me explain how climate change actually brings more cold weather to some places.
You know the polar vortex? It's this huge mass of cold air that usually stays trapped around the North Pole. But here's what's happening — the Arctic is warming up faster than everywhere else, which weakens the polar vortex, allowing that freezing Arctic air to escape down south.
And there's more to it — climate change is also messing with the jet stream, which is basically like a river of air that keeps our weather patterns in check. When the Arctic warms up, the jet stream gets weaker and more wobbly. So when that cold Arctic air comes down, it can get stuck in place for longer.
Plus, warmer air holds more moisture, which means when we do get hit with cold weather, we can end up with these massive snowstorms.
So Many Cuttings!
So anyway, now we have about 20 cuttings that I washed and dipped in a hydrogen peroxide solution to help keep mold from developing.
Then I wrapped them in damp paper towels and sealed them up in gallon-size Ziploc-style bags. Now they’re sitting in a crisper drawer in our extra fridge in the basement, where they’ll rest until mid-March.
I don’t love using plastic in the garden, but I will reuse these bags dozens of times. Next year, though, I’ll look for a more sustainable way to keep our cuttings in the fridge.
So, there you have it! I’ll post again when we get ready to start rooting out these cuttings…along with an update a month after that to see if my efforts were successful.
For now, Steve and I wish you a warm and wonderful holiday season!