Rooting fig cuttings

This year I used a mix of promix hp and added some extra vermiculite to that.

It has worked well… think I will add some DE to my mix next year. That root and shoot growth is spectacular.

1 Like

I’m trying my hand at rooting some fig cuttings in the greenhouse this spring, Takoma Violet and Ronde de Bordeaux I got from a generous forum member in a cutting trade:

Do most people wrap cuttings with terminal buds, too? I only did the cut ends but could still rewrap them if that would be advisable.

3 Likes

Agree on grainger pricing. Fastenal has it at a similar price to O’Reilly, and Napa is similar to grainger for the “medium chip” size, which is definitely still reasonable for this purpose.

1 Like

Fair deal on ebay… if you factor in gas to drive to brick and mortar. $15 shipped.

Grainger is like 4 miles away from me so it is ideal for me. About 1/4 gallon of gas or less.

I wanted to add that DE doesn’t work for everybody. One must find what works for you. Like I tried to do fig pops and it didn’t work well for me. Some had very good luck with that method though.

1 Like

Yes I wrap the buds in parafilm, but I twist it so that the bud can push through when it’s ready. Some people really do not like branch tip cuttings, but I have a few that are producing roots and leaves.

I do not use humidity domes, so I wrap the entire cutting that is poking out of the rooting medium.

Here’s my setup. I started about three waves of cuttings and have another dozen or so outside in pots using a more direct rooting method.

2 Likes

My figs are sort of stair stepped in their development…

I am thinking perhaps the 2 largest ones, perhaps 3 largest ones are ready for up potting.
They have had no fertilizer to this point.

How do you all recommend the transition from well established top growth and roots running out the bottom of the pot… to up potting, fertilization…

When I up pot, I could just put them into a nice mix of garden dirt and compost… plenty fertile.

Any tips on this transition would be appreciated.

PS… it will be another 20 days or so before I would consider planting them outside but if I up pot them I could put them out on nice days, and bring them in on bad days (to this sunny window location).

Thanks
TNHunter

1 Like

Not ready IMO. They can go another month maybe two. Don’t up pot until the top is solid roots. There is no growth advantage to up potting at that stage. If successful at that stage you could water less but mine in those pots get much bigger.

Also if you start fertilizing growth will increase significantly.

4 Likes

Free shipping for orders 75+ makes that a very competitive price. Actually, it’s cheaper than grainger.

1 Like

Don’t be me! Listen to those that say wait. I potted mine up and lost most. I have maybe 2 left? But, there were a number of things I did wrong :disappointed:

1 Like

Here’s an update on my extra reservoir fig cutting that I plopped into my philodendron houseplant.

Should I try to move it out of the philodendron pot now? It looks like it needs more light. I can put it in a gallon nursery pot, would that be a good size?

At what temperature should I move it outside?

1 Like

A gallon pot would be good. I would though put it out first. Acclimate it slowly in full shade first couple of days. Then slowly expose to more sun. You can put it out now. If it drops below 40 bring it back in. It can survive lower temps but best bring it in.

2 Likes

I would root several philodendron cuttings for later and leave the fig in place until it is larger. Start putting it outside for light. When I had those houseplants they were easy to root or buy, the fig variety isn’t.

1 Like

Thanks @fruitnut … I will take your advice…

Just a fyi… I started my fig cuttings (rooting) Feb 13… and after 31 days moved to my sunny basement window. They are getting close to two months now into the process of rooting and now shooting.

Looking good but with some lagging behind the leaders quite a bit.

Patience required.

In another 20 days our risk of frost should be over.

Question… one of my cuttings has a second shoot that emerged from below the soil line.

Good to have the extra growth like that ?

It’s all what you like. One shoot or more. It’s your choice.

Your cuttings do look good. Nice strong growth.

A newbie fig rooter question if I may. How old is a rooted cutting when the risk of death from over watering has more or less passed?


A few cuttings growing nicely in a South facing window

Looking good @Dave8abond

I am not sure of that myself… but you would think once they have developed a good set of roots and leaves and were getting some sunshine… there would be less chance of (more than enough) water hurting them that bad…

I have had my cuttings going since Feb 13 and I have watered them 4 times.
Mine are on a heat mat and the dirt in the root zone stays between 75-78 degrees.

When I did water mine, I watered them good… but not enough to run out the bottom of the pots.

1 Like

The big three in your picture are at the stage where risk of rot is greatly reduced. If they stall out at that stage it’s usually lack of water. You can top water at that stage. Don’t stand them in water but step it up.

4 Likes

Great, thanks for the replies

1 Like

Some of you all will remember my attempt to root fig cuttings by simply poking 10 cuttings in my garden bed last December… and protecting them over winter.

I un covered them a month or so ago and some had green buds.

Well after getting full sun for a month not much happened. Today April 23 this is what they looked like.

I have to break this part of my garden now… so it was time to do something with these or trash them.

Some looked better… had more green a little green shoot… and I took out 4 of them (root balland all… assuming they had roots) and potted them in 2 gal pots.

Here is what the best 4 looked like.

Well after I potted those up… I dug out the rest to see if they had roots…

Not one single root.

Not sure if those others have roots or not… but going to baby them a month or two and see how it goes.