Step 1: Prune off all top growth leaving a gigantic stump.
Step 2: dig up stump and put it in a pot. Bam! giant rooted cutting.
I root several thousand a year and haven’t seen the smaller ones die. Smaller than pencil are mostly a waste of time. But anything bigger has worked well for me. If I can get a growing top with 3-4 leaves I lose very few after that no matter how thin the cutting.
I don’t like rooting over 3/4 inch. One inch will work. But it takes a bigger media container that the 3x8 inch I normally root in. So for a few that’s OK but for hundreds it takes a lot of resources to start the big ones.
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Here is another vid that shows the entire process… her method of storing the figs in very wet newspaper does not seem to match up with what others recommend… but she does get good results.
She is doing exactly what I will be doing too…
Collecting the cuttings after fig Is done for the year… storing cuttings until late winter… then rooting, repotting, etc…
@fruitnut … thanks for the details…
Even the tips of my CH Fig tree cuttings are quite large… bigger than a sharpie for sure.
I will save some of those and try them too.
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So… are these better ?
They average half inch some a bit more where cut off.
Should I leave that top bud or cut that off ?
Those are the tips of my chfig shoots.
Thanks
@ TNHunter
Our goal here is to propagate a “new” plant. The easiest and quickest the better. There is absolutely no need for the “extreme” propagation. It is just for the “show”. And to make himself a social media sensation. So people can quote his video and get media exposure…
After folks 2-3 years into growing figs, they will feel fig is too easy to grow. If you stick a cutting in the ground, almost everything grows. Then we started to throw away stuff and those small fig plants become suckers to pull away.
There are so many easy methods to get new fig plants. No need to go the extra distance…
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No I don’t think those are better than the thicker ones above. And they look a little green to store for months. I’d root those right now and store the bigger ones until spring.
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@fruitnut… don’t think I am prepared for rooting figs now… I would probably have buds, leaves mid winter and I think I would rather have that happening in spring where I could put them out on warm sunny days… and perhaps keep them under grow lights when too cool.
Like that person did in the vid (I think that was from China)… They started rooting them in Feb… and up potted them in early spring when they have good shoots and leaves established. I noticed they took two shoots from their fig tree 3-5 ft long, and they made cuttings from all of that even the tips…
They rooted some in pots, some in bags and some in water. Looked like all the ones they tried to root in water died near the end. Most of the ones in bags and pots were successful. And most of the ones that looked really good looked to be from the larger cuttings (but their cuttings were much smaller diameter wise than mine are).
That is more of what I am hoping to accomplish.
I am just not setup for… and not wanting to have to deal with figs that are leafed out mid winter.
So I guess I will just toss those shoot tips… unless one of you folks wants them to start rooting now.
I would be glad to package and mail them to someone that wants them. Just PM me if that is the case.
I will keep some of those larger cuttings, and may take a few more from the middle section of the shoots this evening and prep them for storing until Feb.
Thanks
TNHunter
Just for curiosity, I decided to bury the 4 large base branch cuttings.
I think they will grow. But I have no idea how long it takes. I’ll give them one full season. Maybe by next fall, they can grow large enough to be given away. Just a 15 minute exercise to loosen the soil.
Good luck @RedSun …
I collected more cuttings from the mid section of my shoots after work today.
These shoots were 9 10 11 ft tall.
Hopefully some of these will work.
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Those cuttings look much better. Almost the best shape.
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Those look perfect. The previous picture look a little long, but still perfect for success. You are on your way to a yard full of figs. You already got a bunch stuff growing.
@aap … hope for some success.
I really only need one CH Fig… but will be moving to new location in the next year or two… and I sure want to take much of my fav things with me thru propagation.
If I do end up with extras… I have family and friends to share with.
Those shoot tip cuttings (pic above) just mailed those to someone here that asked for them… and included 3 of those nicer mid shoot cuttings too.
Hope he has success to.
TNHunter
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Started to put the rest of my fig prunings in the compost pile… and noticed this nice spot that just recently had carrots harvested from it. Lots of compost in that bed.
Cut the rest of my fig shoot tip pieces up and poked them down deep in this bed. Like 4 nodes burried… 1 up top.
Probably slim to no chance… but will be interesting to see what they do.
So would you cover those tops with 6 inches of pine bark mulch ? Or hay. ? I have both…
Perhaps until March and then see what happened?
I could also cover with some floating row cover material too.
Hey if only one made it… I would be thrilled.
What would you do ?
Thanks
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It is better to cover with garden soil or mulch. But you have to get rodents out with mulch or hay. Or the top branches will be killed over winter.
It is better to store them in fridge over winter and plant them out in spring. You get better chance that way.
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@RedSun — I will cover those with mulch until early spring then check them out. We got a little rain this evening so they have been watered good.
I have one of our garage fridge crisper drawers full of those other fig cuttings already.
My CH Fig had 10 shoots this year and most were 9 10 11 ft long. Lots of cuttings.
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My HC only grew about 2’ this season. Still just 4’ tall. But it gave me like 250 figs.
How did you fertilize your HC?
Early spring… when buds were first starting… 50 lbs compost… and a half handful of balanced organic fertilizer… then mid summer another half handful of the same fertilizer… had it mulched with pine bark mulch and black flat river rock.
We had lots of rain this year… so I had to water very little… 4 or 5 times maby.
This is the last pic I took of my CH Fig this year. Early October one of those shoots had 38 figs on it. It was 3 yr old this year.
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Covered for winter… brick stack retaining wall 3 high… filled with pine bark mulch.
A slim chance of success ??? I will take that. Will reveal the results in March.
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Very impressive. That can be good to protect in-ground trees.
For the people who train fig low cordons, that system will work. But it is just a lot of work to get that system up.
Make sure rodents do not get in there. Some put in some poison and some do not want to spread deadly chemicals.
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