Dormant or Dying?

[DBJohnson]

I have pretty much left my figs to just do their in this season and now the season is getting ready to wrap up. What I've noticed recently is that most of he trees have started shedding some/most of their leaves while others have not. I've not kept good notes on watering and have typically used the drooping leaf as a watering reminder since we've not had any rain since the hurricane six weeks ago. I have several small trees (newly rooted last winter/spring) that have dropped all their leaves but the tree is not dried out and is still pliable.

I know that most trees go through their dormant cycles largely due to the amount of light they get, so are these likely trees that are more sensitive to the shorter days? We've had a couple nights get down to 39F but no frost yet. Thoughts?

[COGardener]

Most of trees go into dormancy at different times. Some are stubborn while others go quickly, with the unusually warm weather here, some are waking back up in the dark in the garage.

[DBJohnson]

I figured something like that. I have a Hardy Chicago figling that had shed all but one leaf but the warm afternoon the past two days has it pushing new leaves now.

[cis4elk]

It's easy to tell by looking if they are dying. If the terminal stem(s) is still plump and smooth all is good, if it's reddish colored and shrunken/withered then it toast or on it's way to being toast. I have 2 trees that dropped their leaves just like all the others and I see they are now dead/dying. I'm not really sure why, but it's okay because they were both trees that haven't earned their keep and the only reason they were still around is because I'm patient and apparently have a bleeding heart for my fig trees.