Jaimie,
Do you graft the scion onto new growth from the current year or onto last year wood? And the same question for chip budding. Thanks!
I do both Stan.
In February, March and sometimes in April, i graft the dormant cuttings (scions and chips) to last year wood, because it’s the only one available (i select branches with just one year that have the right diameter for the scions and these smaller diameter branches are also good for chips). I usually prune adult fig trees the year before and graft the new growth the following year.
But i also graft the new growth in May, June, July, August and sometimes September, with left over dormant cuttings or if i get new freshly obtained green cuttings. With these later grafts, whenever possible, i try to graft near the base of the new branch (that’s valid for chips and scions) where the new growth has already hardened a bit. These are usually the best, but the flow of sap can drown the graft, so i do several skin deep cuts near the base of the branch to let the excess sap flow out of the branch. It also helps to remove some leaves to clear space, because the base of the removed leaves also let the excess flow of sap escape.
Example - Whip and Tongue Graft in one year wood with dormant cutting. Grafted in March - photo in April
Example - Whip and Tongue Graft in one year wood with dormant cutting. Grafted in April - photo in May
Example - Chip Grafts. Removed from dormant left over cutting and grafted in new semi hardened growth. Grafted in May, photo in June - the chips are protected with aluminium foil usually until bud break.
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Kadota is also a very productive variety. Often Kadota produces 2 figs on the same node. Pretty cool! And only a handful of varieties do this. I definitely would recommend it to any grower in zone 8 and up. It’s a late one.
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Jaimie,
What do you do with the successful grafts. Do you keep them
as permanent reserves or do you air layer them into stand alone plants or
do you use them as fresh scion wood from the mother tree.
In reality i do all that you mentioned.
A.They are permanent backup reserves if something goes wrong with a potted variety. Also they produce much faster, many only 1! or 2 years after being grafted compared to 2-3-4 years with the potted one’s, allowing me to sample a variety and decide their fate much faster.
B.When i have to prune them, they provide lots of cuttings to make more copies or to send friends 
C. They are excellent to airlayer difficult varieties to root.
D. Some grafted varieties grow much stronger and faster than in their own roots.
I am so confident in grafting figs now that, sometimes, when i receive a single punny cutting of a rare variety (it happened twice, this year), i decide to graft it, instead of trying to root it. I use the bottom bud to graft a chip, then do a whip and tongue with the rest and presto! 2 growing plants instead of a possibly failed rooting.
Example - Received this single Black Bursa thin cutting and i had promised one to a friend. I decided to cut it in 2 and keep the smallest and greener tip (usually much more difficult to root because of smaller reserves).
Grafted in March - Whip and tongue in a potted plant (which i think is much safer as grafts in adult trees can sometimes find themselves without sap as the bigger tree reroutes it to other branches) - photo in May
The same graft in June
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I would love to watch you work sometime. It’s too bad we’re
separated by a big pond.
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It would be nice to be able to exchange experiences in person.
Oh well. Fortunately, we still have photos, videos and this wonderful forum.
I usually don’t take photos during grafting (bad idea, as exposing cambium layers to air should be the briefest possible), but i can always try capturing a few grafts on video. That is, when i get a good video camera, as my actual one does the most irritating and loud noises when focusing which ruins any attempt to capture sound.
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I rooted vdb this year. Your picture gives me high hopes. I can’t wait!
Well my cuttings continue to grow at a record pace. Here are some of the larger first leaf rooted cuttings.
My 2nd leafs had to wait to grow being dormant. The first leafs were started very eraly, and were leafed out before the 2nd leaf figs even started growing. A 2nd leaf in the middle of two first leafs,
My 2nd leaf VDB is producing well
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Great looking figs!
Drew how are you getting such great growth for 1st year figs. What type of fert are you feeding them?
I was mowing the lawn yesterday and while mowing near my only in-ground fig tree (CH) I noticed the lone breba growing amongst the main crop had ripened to the point I could not believe it was still hanging on. I stopped the mower, plucked off the fig even though it was over ripe broke it in half and tasted it. It was really good and sweat. Very jammy and so far the best fig I’ve eaten from the tree. I had forgotten all about it, very surprised it hung on there that long.
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Drew,
Beautiful fig trees. All your figs grow so well. What’s the secret?
Speed - I am glad you like CH, too. I think people often mention it as a cold hardy fig. I don’t have a lot of fig experience but I think CH should be mentioned for its good taste, too.
I’m not sure? I guess experience growing tropicals and sub tropicals has paid off.
Fairly easy plants to grow compared to everything else we grow. Lady luck finally turned my way, about time!
Well not always the same stuff! In general An organic and a time release at about 1/2 strength.
I used Garden-Tone, and Dynamite slow release, not on all of them though. I ran out and used some generic organic on some.
Something to note if you look at them closely at about 3/4 up the trunk, the diameter is almost as thick as the base! This is not weak growth, it’s strong steady growth.
Also notice all the different pots, those were all obtained from dumpster diving. Every time I go around the neighborhood garbage day i score! Some were never even used.
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Here’s my newly rooted figs. I use 1/3 composted cow manure, one third peat, and one third pine bark. I just added 12/0/12 granular about too weeks ago and have been feeding regularly with MG and a vegetable fertilizer too. 0
Hardy Chicago
Black Madeira
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Hardy Chicago 2nd cutting.
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Smaller ones are Verte, Montrose, Secrotte, VDB, and Panache.
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This is my Panache. I didn’t think this one was going to grow roots. It had green leaves and the cutting was starting to dry up. I stuck it in a pot anyway and it grew. It’s growing weird though. Do you think it’s because it had a hard time when rooting or is this diseased?
The whole lower branch is growing different shaped leaves. They are narrow and spindly.
Probably related to rooting, my figs that were slow to root took a long time to take off. Panache was one. I had 2 plants and lost one to cold! I put them out, and it got cold. A Hardy Chicago froze as a newly rooted cutting. 6 weeks later it sprouted leaves again, maybe the Panache would have too? I threw it out. Here is the one I have. Much smaller than my other first leaf plants. All my hard to root plants are small.
Looking at your photos I see you do have little rust, not a big deal, leave it alone. When those leaves look really bad, remove them. They seem to outgrow the rust. I don’t see a reason to treat unless it gets worse.
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