fig propagation

Can someone tell me, if I get a cutting from my aunt's fig bush tomorrow and put rootone on it and put it in soil, will it root?

If not, what's the best thing to do? I'm traveling there tomorrow, and she has a huge fig bush I want a piece of...

Thanks!

Yes, take several cuttings, use powder rooting hormone and trim-back the leaves to last 2 leaves and take tips off. Tip cuttings work but I found stem cuttings, etc don't.

Thanks, growin! That's --exactly-- what I need to know.

Do you all know about the National Clonal Germplasm Repository at UC Davis? You can request unrooted cuttings, and they will send them to you for free. It is a USDA program, funded in such a way that they do not even accept donations. They have dozens of fig varieties available, plus other fruits.

http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/site_main.htm?modecode=53-06-20-00

They are backed up, however. I put in a request for a dozen different varieties back in March or April. They were supposed to be shipped in June, but have been delayed. Apparently they plan now to ship them as dormant cuttings this winter. That's OK with me, as my reading leads me to understand that dormant cuttings root better than others. Several people I know who made ficus cutting requests from NCGR/UCD were also told that their cuttings would not be shipped until winter.

Anyway, it might be worth checking out.

SB

Hello Olivebranch--I really did this all the wrong way, but it partly worked, so here goes. I moved from a home last spring that had a huge fig tree to which I was very attached (don't laugh..!). I took all kinds of cuttings, both of older wood and greener shoots. I put some in damp soil, some in water. Did use rooting hormone. All the ones in the soil rotted. I had two left in the water all these months later. One has grown two tiny roots, the other nothing, but I potted both into soil yesterday. My advice, try it both ways, and take alot of cuttings. I suspect they root much better when dormant, so if you can wait until then, I would. I didn't have the choice since I moved, and did not have great success. Hoping at least one grows...Good Luck!

PS Stressbaby--very, very great tip about UC Davis. I'm going to do that, no matter how long it takes them. Thanks!

What I do is take cuttings (tip cuttings) in September. By then you have the new growth (green stems) at a point where they are well on their way to being firm but yet not considered "old growth".

Make the tip cuttings about 6 inches or so long and cut them so there is a tad bit of brown stem on the cut end. Cutting at an angle will really help.

Using a rooting hormone, whether powder or liquid will help as will cinnamon if you can't find commercial rooting hormone.

I've had best luck using Metromix potting soil but I suppose other brands will work as long as there is good drainage but yet moisture retention.

I put quite a few cuttings in a gallon nursery pot. If the leaves are very big, cut them in half with scissors to slow down transpiration. It's really helpful to also put the pot(s) in a plastic grocery bag and lightly close the top up to hold in moisture. However, remember to open it up each day (or every other day) to allow excess moisture to evaporate a bit and allow the plants to breathe.

Of course it goes w/out saying to keep the cuttings out of direct sun and in a heated area.

Maybe this year I'll take some pics for a step by step post.

Hope this is helpful!

Shoe.

Hey yotedog, You don't have to explain your love for any kind of plant at DG... we're all in love with our stuff. :) I'll be moving sometime in the next year or so, and I'm already having separation anxiety - no kidding!

"they root much better when dormant" That's what my uncle told me. I believe both of you... however, I took five cuttings. They are partially woody/soft. I put RootTone on them and put them in potting soil about three hours ago. The good thing is, if they don't root, I still have a resource.

And, thanks to stressbaby (thanks, stressbaby!) I can order some more from somewhere else, too.

Thanks, guys. I'm looking forward to this experiment.

Horseshoe..can you explain the cinnamon to me, please. It will do what a rooting hormone will do??

Thanks :)

Piggypoo...

It acts more as an antibacterial and anti-fungal aid rather than as a rooting stimulator. Most causes of lack of rooting is due to bacterial rotting/fungus, etc.

I heard about it on a gardening show quite a few years ago and have had excellent results using it. (Then again, I've also had great results not using anything at all!) I will use a rooting hormone or the like for air-laying certain plants but for rooting plants in soil I often just use what is readily available, and that is sometimes cinnamon.

Shoe.

Thanks for the info :)

You're welcome!

Happy Growing, in all your Gardens of Life!

Shoe.

How are your fig tree cuttings doing? I just cut some branches off a tree in a house that had a Big fig tree, . I am going to try and root them. Can u tell me how yours are doing?
I only have a few. Thanks hope u get back with your results. I hope they are good.

I'm sorry to report that it didn't work... Boo hoo!

Try again with branches without leaves. That's how I do it. Give them some bottom heat. Try again.

Growin, you live in a beautiful part of the world. I was blessed a few years ago to spend a few days in Victoria, Vancouver Island. I went to a couple of nurseries and brought some seeds home. It was in March, and it was beautiful there. Went from Seattle, drove up to the tip of Washington and took a "fast" boat to the island. It's one of my good memories. I have a picture of the harbor on my desk at work.

Wow, your trip certainly did make an impression. I'm glad you enjoyed your trip here and I'm kinda surprised the weather cooperated with you at that time of the year.

Today I went for a drive towards Whistler to get some rocks for the neighbours garden. I stopped and noticed the Arbutus (Madronas) growing up the mountain behind me, close to straightup. Living in the city I sometimes forget to stop and smell the fresh sea air.

The best cuttings of fig were done with mostly perlite mix and powder rooting hormone. Let me know how it goes.

I just came upon this thread about propagating fig trees and thought I had to share my experience.

Although I have a tiny town garden I have a very healthy and big fig tree and one of my neighbours has been begging me (for years now) to get a rooted cutting from it.
I tried many times, but didn't succeed in getting the cuttings rooted.
I gave up about it.
To my big surprise in the late spring I suddenly noticed several fresh growths of young fig plants popping up from the soil in a shaded part of my garden.
The mystery was unveiled when I discovered that the young plants were sprouting from branches of the fig tree that I had been using to keep the soil in place of an up leveled part of my garden.
They had been there for at least one and a half years after my brother had been trimming the fig tree. The branches were quite thick ranging from 10 to 15 cm diameter.

Very interesting, bonatin! I know sometimes you can push a branch down on the soil and put a brick on it, and the part in the soil will grow roots. Then you can cut it from the mother plant because it has roots of its own.

I have two types of figs growing. The smaller green ones and the larger black ones. I recently had to trim some branches from the green one and I just applied rooting hormone and stuck them in a pot w/potting soil. I've kept them in my green house and they show signs of growth. No special thing done to them. Just lucky I guess

Anaid, great for you! Some of us have green thumbs... yours must be ;)

Make a compost pile and root your cuttings easily. The cuttings and seeds love the heat and nutrients generated by the decomposing materials and root in a fast manner. A compost pile can yield many plants from chopped pieces of plant material and seeds of rotting fruit. Cover it with screen wire to keep the critters out. Turn it often and keep it moist and you have a wonderful 'rooting/growing' area!

I copied from above web-site
Propagation: Fig plants are usual propagated by cuttings. Select foot-long pieces of dormant wood, less than 1 inch diameter, with two-year-old wood at base. One-year twigs with a heel of two-year branch at the base may also be used. Dip the cuttings in a rooting hormone and allow them to callus one week in a moist place at 50-60° F. Summer cuttings may also be made, but they do best if defoliated and winterized in a refrigeration for 2-3 weeks before potting. Leafy shoots require a mist bed. Particularly rare cultivars may be propagated on rootstocks, or older trees, topworked by whip, cleft or crown grafting, or chip or patch budding. Rooted cuttings should be planted in 22 to 30 feet squares, depending upon the capacity of the soil and the ultimate size of the tree. Keep roots moist until planted. Never transplant or disturb a young tree while it is starting new growth in spring, as this is likely to to kill it. Cut the tree back to 2 ft high upon planting and whitewash the trunk.