Hardy fig zone 5a safe to -20F

Question

Hi, I got a fig at the grocery store garden centre with a tag that just says “Hardy fig, zone 5a, -20F”. I do not know anymore than that but the tag has a photo of a black fig. I live on Hamilton Mountain on the west shore of Lake Ontario in Canada. I am wondering since I have black walnut trees and since I know little about the figs I bought, if it is okay to plant and protect or put in large pots and wheel in the garage for winter. Perplexed in Hamilton

Answer 1

You are very far outside of its natural growing zone. The best thing I could suggest to do is to keep it indoors in the winter, and make sure that the temperature will not get below its tolerance. Although they are hardy, they will not survive below those temperatures. As long as you can use a big enough container that you can still move, then there should be no problem wintering it where it will stay within its temperature range.