Why do I have time to blog about my mistakes now, yet I wasn’t paying close attention when I made them? Ach!
In this post, I’ll focus on two of the eight raised beds in my garden. One contains a single fig tree—an unknown variety that I’ve labeled “Unknown Prolific.” The other holds three fig trees: two Red Lebanese of Beqaa Valley and one Violette de Bordeaux.
When I winterized these figgies, I followed a multi-step process. First, I pruned them. Then, I protected the base with a generous layer of wood chips and hay. To safeguard the branches, I wrapped them with pipe insulation, and finally, I covered the entire bed with a tarp for added protection.
Because we get plenty of snow, rain, and strong winds, simply draping a tarp over each raised bed wouldn’t provide enough protection. So, I came up with a simple yet effective solution: I extended two separate 1″ PVC pipes diagonally across each bed, forming an X. To keep them securely in place, I fastened each end with a metal clip. This simple structure added an extra layer of protection to the raised bed by creating an insulating air pocket, helping to shield the fig trees from harsh winter conditions.
However, these criss crossing water pipes weren’t tied together with string and they partially collapsed on the weight of the snow. Ach!
So, this will be corrected in the 2025 winterization process—all in good health, of course!
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Stay tuned, keep on rootin’ and happy growing!
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