A fig tree, one that is grown for edible fig fruit, is best grown outdoors in full sun conditions. It should be protected in the winter by covering it with insulating material or brought indoors to a cold area, like a garage, where it is able to become dormant but not fall below freezing. If you don't allow the tree to have a period of dormancy, it will exhaust itself and become progressively weaker.

Water your fig tree sparingly once a month during winter while in your garage. Do not soak. The tree is dormant and requires only that its roots don't dry out completely.

The tree can be planted outdoors in a sunny but protected position in the spring, while it is still dormant but the ground is no longer frozen.

Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information