Hi, I got into the habit of opening the bag everyday to exchange air for a couple of minutes. If you think the paper towels are drying out a little bit I would just spray it a couple of times with a spray bottle. With the shoe box and sphagnum I would fan it with the lid a couple of time and put the lid back on to exchange some air.
Thank you for this video. A couple of years ago I took some cuttings from a Brown Turkey fig in February. We put those 6" cuttings put them in some soil under a misting system and within 3 weeks we had plants. I planted mine directly into the ground and by August my plants were 5 feet tall with figs. It was unbelievable! I live in north Alabama. My luck with fig trees has been great.
Can can do this with any variety. Its just that some are more difficult to root successfully than others. I have heard of some people starting from seed but I think it would be a Smyrna type fig with true seeds and that mature fig tree will require the fig wasp to produce figs. Then there is the matter of how long your willing to wait for a fig.
I was just looking at some cuttings I've had in the fridge for a year. Although some are starting to get moldy, some are still looking healthy. Ideally you want dormant cuttings and start them in the spring. I've only started cuttings at the end of March. I've never tried late in the fall or early winter. It can't hurt to try a couple and see what happens. You can store cuttings in damp towels in the produce drawer in the fridge. Just check on them occasionally to check for mold.
Hi I am in London and just watched your fabulous video. I have been taking figs off the tree with permission , and now thanks to you I should be able to grow my own in my polytunnel. Thank you for taking the time to show a novice like myself try to experience this.
You have to keep the cuttings from drying out until it gets the plumbing working from the roots to the leaves. As soon as the last frost has past I'll be able to transition them outside from partial shade to full sun. Check out the new videos where I transition from the moss directly into a soil and pine bark mix. Its seem to be working and I won't have to transition until I want to up pot the fig tree.
Hi, That's great that your having some success. Yes, as soon as you see root initials or the 1/4 inch roots you have on the one cutting transfer that one to the mix. If you go to the fig4fun website there is more information under propagation there. If you look at my newer video I transfered directly into a light soil mix with a lot of perlite and I am having great results with a variety that was difficult to root the last time I tried. I put all the fig videos in a playlist on my channel.
Hi, Figs need at least 100 chill hours below 42 to 32 Degree Fahrenheit. They need this period of dormancy to grow and leaf out and set fruit normally. When I order cuttings I usually get them last week of Feb and from it could be from 4 to 6 weeks and longer to get roots and have them growing in perlite. This last winter I did have a couple of fig trees in a southern window and they set fruit that ripened in the summer. But its best to keep them dormant until spring to maintain a strong tree
I know some people have success doing that with some varieties but not here in the northeast. I wish it was that easy. I'm really liking the airlayering technique.
@trentontrading Hi, I personally haven't tried rooting cuttings this early. I'm not sure what you mean about getting the cuttings off the ground? Are they fresh pruned cuttings? You can store them in the produce drawer of your frig. Keep them dry though and watch out for mold. Try to keep them cold and dry. I start my cuttings in late February.
That's a hard question to answer. It depends on if you want to grow it in the ground or in pots and how much effort you want to put into them. Hardy Chicago, Marseilles vs Blk, Desert King, Negronne, Violet de Bordeaux, Atreano, are some cold hardy figs but still need protection from cold winds. If you have a shed or garage to store them for the winter there are more varieties you can grow.
NEgardening...I have plenty of my cuttings with root growth now and ready to transplant to the next stage. I can't tell you how exciting I am and thankful to you for making those videos. None of the other techniques I've tried the past few years (suggested from other internet posts or other people) have even gotten me this far. Thank you...
@stufado1 Hi, I use miracle grow organic choice garden soil. Not to be confused with their potting mix. Its in a green and white colored bag. I can't find it right now locally. I think I have to wait until spring. I have used the organic choice potting mix which is in an orange and white bag but thats because I can't find the other stuff. The potting mix has too much peat in it. I also add perlite to lighten it up, but you'll then have to water more often depending on how much you add.
Thank you so very very much for this great video I followed all your suggestions in you video and now I have so many beautiful fig trees for all my family and friends thank you so much 😊
It will depend on you area but since you keep the cover on it,you might only have to spray it a couple of times a month to keep it damp. You can tell when the moss gets a little stiffer to the touch but you really don't get much evaporation with the lids on. You don't want any standing water visible on the bottom of the box either.
Not sure what zone your in or what micro climate you might have but I think there are some cold hardy varieties you can plant against a wall with a southern exposure and some good winter protection by wrapping the tree in the winter. You could always plant it in a pot and bring it into a shed in the winter.
Thank You NewEnglander.....I made a lot of mistakes last year....got frustrated and stopped trying to grow cuttings.....my mistake I believe is that I didn't keep up the humidity...just left it out in my apartment bedroom.....how long do you keep up the humidity...a year...years....Thanks, I am trying again.....Love the Videos...You have helped a lot of people....God Bless..
Hi Jeanette, I tried the shoe box method and all three cuttings became moldy. Don't know what I did incorrectly, but I'm not going to quit trying. When I figure it out, I'll be sure and glad to let you know. :) How are you? enjoying this nice weather? Have a great day, Alicai
I've only tried rooting dormant cuttings. I have read about people successfully rooting green cuttings by just putting them in water. Rooting woody or lignified cuttings is best done with dormant cuttings. You could try air layering. I just noticed today the roots coming out of the top of the container on my first air layer so it is making progress. I have a couple of videos on how to do the air layering technique. Hope this helps.
@PUMPKINDUDE26 Hi, Thanks Pumpkindude26. I actually have pumpkins growing this year from one I threw on the compost last year. Won't have to buy any this Halloween. Keep in mind that you can experiment and improve these techniques or find even a better method. People are always trying to improve the success rate with rooting these figs. Some varieties are easier to root than others.
This video is AMAZING!! I started my cutting at the beginning of this video, and it had fully established roots and fruit by the time the video ended!!
I have wanted to try to root fig cuttings for years, but just haven't felt confident enough, this was a very informative video - full of practical information... and I will be experimenting with my fig varieties this fall. Appreciate your efforts.
Thanks for your video. I am moving house and would like to bring my fig tree with me, but it's too big. So now I know I can take a cutting in the winter, store it in the fridge and pot it in Spring ready to grow in my new garden.
Hi, The only problem I see is that any crushed areas and the dead bark can be places for mold to start. Once you got them home I'd clean them up with a nice sharp pair of shears to get a clean cut. I wouldn't be surprised though if they still rooted without making cleaner cuts. With fig cuttings though, I'd want to do everything possible to give them a better change of success.
wow - spectacular video! central NC here & we are in our second year with our fig tree and i'm very excited to eat a few more this year than last year. we planted it pretty late last year so we only got a few (and my kids ate most of those) so this year i'm going to guard it more closely! thanks for taking the time to make this video!
I have not tried grafting fig trees yet but if you go to the figs4fun forum website you can find pictures of techniques being used by some members to graft fig trees. Someone recently posted pictures showing grafting onto another fig tree root stock.
@NewEnglandgardening I have air layered mine that was a gift from my great grandmother since I was 8. I am now over 55. Just search you tube and there are plenty of examples. I cut the sides of a sandwich bag. I take a hand full of dirt. Any dirt will do. I remove about an inch of the bark. I wrap the plastic around the limb with dirt inside and tie both ends. I wait 4 to 6 weeks or until I see roots and cut below the bag. I remove the plastic and plant.
I'd leave it in the moss. Now that it has no leaves I think more energy will go into producing roots. I was just thinking about that today. I have some cuttings in moss with leaves and roots but I haven't had time to put them in cups. I have had cuttings lose leaves to rot both at the moss stage and when they were in cups in the bin. If it is too humid you run the risk of that happening. Allow for an exchange of some fresh air by removing the lid for a couple of minutes everyday.
Did you take the lids off and let it air out every day. I take the lids off every day fluff up the moss and spray if it is on the dry side. This year I used a bag of moss that I opened last year. I dampened the moss and put my cuttings in. The next day there was white fuzz all over the top of the moss. I sprayed it with tap water and moved the moss around and it was gone the next day and hasn't come back. The mold spores are in the air so it depends on where you live and the weather.
@NewEnglandgardening - beautiful, you made my day :) I have tried many techniques without success and I really want to propagate the tree because it has sentimental value to the previous owners of my house. there is something about fig trees that connect people to their roots. now, they laugh at me because i'm an irishmen with a fig tree, but i get the connection for them. thanks again!
@6mccarth Hi, Two weeks isn't long. I've had cuttings that have taken 2 months for roots to form. There are many variables. The variety of cutting, the vigor of the cuttings, the temperature, humidity and some luck. Cuttings of the same variety will often root at different times just because they are from different areas of the branch. If you see those little white dots forming roots will follow
I've switched over to using a sifted pinebark mix with some organic garden soil mixed in. There is a newer video showing the mix consistency I used this time.
I've never tried that technique although I have read about people having success by just putting the cutting in water. It will depend on the variety of fig tree also. It would be great if Black Maderia and Ischia Black were that easy to propagate.
Nice video, I found it helpful. Just bought my first little fig tree, a Celeste, about 2 feet high. Looking forward to learning more about it, and how to propagate it.
Hi, The biggest mistake you can make it over watering. The vermiculite and perlite will hold water for a long time and since the cuttings have no leaves there is not evaporation from them. Just look thru the clear cups at the soil. If you see dew or moisture against the inside of the cup and the soil there is plenty of moisture. I still find myself over watering and killing cuttings from rot. Since they are in a container you might not need to water for a month.
That depends on where you are. All figs do better with warmer temps. If you're in the north and want to try growing them in the ground being up against a wall will give them a better chance of surviving the winter and warmer temps in the summer to help ripen the figs. If you have critters around that might eat a young fig tree you might want to plant it in a larger container that you can protect better to give the young fig some time to get larger before you put it in the ground.
It really depends on the variety of fig. The quality of the cutting and where you live. I have had cuttings take as long as a month or even longer to start to root. Other varieties can root in as little as two weeks. You can have cuttings from the same branch and some will be more vigorous growers than others for some reason. As long as the cutting is not moldy or rotting just give it time, it just might be a slow grower.
nice video, I recently have purchased fig cuttings from Ebay , I have put them direct in comost. its been about a month but there is not sign of roots but there are leaves coming on. yesterday i have taken 2 cuttings out of the compost and there was only tiny tiny root coming on , I have wrapped them in wet news paper and left in electric propagator. I am worried in newspaper will the root not get damages as they would not have space to grow
Finally! I see roots on one of my fig tree cuttings! It took about a week and 2 days for the roots to pop up. The other 3 cuttings have no signs of roots yet. Should I transfer my cutting with 1/4 inch roots in vermiculite and perlite yet?
I have started some cuttings in pots out in my yard (Arizona desert valley) with compost/mulch/soil mix and have 4 of them putting out buds after only 2-3 months. I keep them moist and hopefully will have good trees before it gets too hot this summer.
Hi mate, Many thanks for uploading this video clip. I lodge with a friend on the outskirts of a town in the north of England, have been working in his neglected garden for a year and would like to raise more fig trees by taking cuttings. Earlier today I bought some moss and intend to take cuttings soon using the methods you describe. There are a number of fig trees I know of around here both in the wild and cultivated in gardens.
Sometimes even before the cuttings root they start to try to form figs but you want to bread those off. The first year you want the fig to put all its energy into growing a healthy tree. The second year if you can't wait you might let one or two figs mature on the young tree but the less energy it puts into figs the more energy it has for growth. A five year old Violet de Bordeaux with give you dozens of figs.
Keep it in a dark spot away from direct sun. Put it in a warm place like the top of your refrigerator. Do not put it near or on top of a radiator. Just find a warm place out of the way. Open the bag every day to let fresh air in. Don't let the newspaper dry out.
I hear yah. I wondered about that too. I've seen home improvement shows where they remove the old vermiculite insulation in the attic. I guess its used a lot in horticulture and soil mixes which seems strange. If its a hazard how are they still allowed to sell it?
@mackdog85diesel2 I have read that opinions that rooting hormone promotes rot in a fig cutting. I did have a tough Black Maderia cuttings that had no roots after a couple of months so I used rooting hormone. I did get roots but its hard to say if the rooting hormone had anything to do with it. I really don't use it. The warning label on that stuff is pretty scary too so I would be a little wary of using it constantly. I'm sure its safe with proper handling but I just don't use it.
+NewEnglandgardening, Thank you so much for your videos. They have been super helpful. Have you ever tried using rooting hormone to help stimulate root growth? I just picked some up at my local Home Depot and was wondering if you had any pointers.
+Rob Van Sciver I don't think it helps with fig cuttings. Some people have even suggested that it can promote rot. I think for the most part with some exceptions fig cuttings are easy to root once you get the technique perfected for your location.
I am in North Carolina and have a black mission fig I'd like to propagate. Can I use your technique with fresh cuttings right now or is it better to wait until winter when I can get dormant cuttings? Great videos!
We didn't have very good summer this year, but my brown turkey doing ok for it's second year. I will try to get other verity, I wasn't aware that there were so many!! I have downloaded a video of the fig tree Cheers
I'd start them around the end of March. You can remove them now and store them in the refrigerator but you have to deal with the chance of mold developing so might as well just cut them off in March when you start them.
Hello, When you put the cuttings in the peat moss in the shoe box, how often should I water? Should it always be moist? We live in north Texas and still in the low 70's and it's beginning of December. Thank you kindly, Alicia
what is your opinion on using the paper towel/spagnum with an azalea/rhododendron cutting? it seems you can control the moisture better. i've tried for the last probably.. year and a half or 2 years to root a new growth cutting and it's just not working. i've tried green growth, semi-lignified, last season wood, various mixtures of soil medium.. various mixture of light.. temp.. time of year.. just has been an utter waste so far.
do you know if i could just place some cuttings in glass with some water to get them to root? , i do tomato plants this way and they root great ,i have a fig cutting half of it soaking in a glass of water to see if i could get it to root ,but i wanna know if you have tried this method ,i have 2 trees ready to get cuttings from,one is a black jack ,wow its so good like jelly
Great! I really appreciate your feedback. I'll wait, see what happens to the cuttings because figs seem very tough and hardy. If they don't succeed, I'll just go back and get more cuttings, this time with a sharp pair of shears or pruners. I'll even try selling fig cuttings on Ebay. Thanks again.
@johanssonstudio I had a green branch break off of a fig this summer and I tried putting it into water too and it sprouted roots in a couple of weeks. I have seen other videos where people made their own willow water for growth hormone. Some people say that the powder rooting hormone promotes rotting of cuttings. Have you ever read the warning label on rooting hormone? Yikes, It sounds like it will make you grow another head if you get it on your skin. I used it once for a difficult Madeira
hi...I have about 20 cuttings going for two weeks now, some in paper & some in moss like you have, but not seeing the results yet. Some of the buds are clearly growing, but I don't see any root growth yet. I have the paper and moss damp but not wet, and give the fresh air everyday. I'm going to keep at it, but suspect I should have seen some action on root growth by now. any words of advice? txs
I took cuttings from a wild fig tree and the knife I used to cut it was dull. My cutting were really hard to cut off. The ends were squeezed pretty hard and caused them to bleed. Will this hurt the cutting or cause them not to root?
Hello, I live in North Texas and just took the cuttings off a wild fig 'bramble' that is under a bunch of trees and never gets enough sun to develop properly. The cuttings have little buds (signs of new growth) already. Should I leave those on the tip or cut them off? Thanks, Jeanette
I had the opportunity to get some cuttings yesterday (9-09) and I know it's not the optimal time to root a cutting, but I figure what the heck. I have wrapped them all in damp paper towels and placed them in a zip lock bag, but I want to try and root half of them in a plastic shoebox with sphagnum moss. Do you think I have a chance of rooting any of these and keeping them alive until next spring? I live in southern VA. Thank you for any suggestions.
i left a cutting in water for a month and only 5mm roots formed but it formed a small leaf already should i go on to the 2nd stage with the perlite mixture or let it form longer roots?
I have planted a"sprout" that I found below the Fig tree while mowing the lawn. I have just pulled it out and planted it and it seems to be surviving after 2 days. Is this a fig or something else? It seemed to be connected to the fig tree trunk (only a cm away and some other spouts are touching the trunk). Cheers
Hi thanks for the video it was great. I have a fig tree thats ten years old - in a pot. I'ts rather big but gives as most one fruit a year. We live in sweden so it's no idea to plant it outside. Is it possible to get much fruit from a fig tre in north sweden?
Some people think that cuttings a little larger than the diameter of a pencil is good but I have also rooted cuttings larger than 1.5 inches in diameter this year.
Thanks for the intro to figs. I know they grow here in NE Oklahoma, and I've sampled a couple for fresh eating off the tree. Delicious treat.....and I want to try growing from a cutting. Your video helped show me the steps. So thanks again.....
the cutting leaves seems to stay greenish for months, but after awhile the slightest touch will break them off the stem. i'm assuming it's over moisture or something. even so, after 4 or 5 weeks still not even the smallest hint of a rootlet. i've also tried just sticking them in water. i've also tried w&w/o rooting hormone. these are the only plants i've not been able to root. if i'd known it was going to be this bad i'd have just done an air layer like my original intention.
The first thing you need is mold and fungus spores and then the right growing conditions for it. One year a lot of my cuttings had mold problems even in moss and then the next year I had no problems. What works best for me might not be best for your area.
hey I have a great fig tree in my yard that fruits like crazy during summer and is just about finished fruiting now in October however I have a greenhouse like space in my recording studio in a warehouse it gets very cold in there at night though but during the day the sun keeps it warm year round would I be able to take a cutting off my tree now and grow figs through out winter ?
Hey, we have a fig tree at a rental we own. It's probably around 12' tall. It's huge. the bottom is pruned so we can make sure there's no animals hanging out. It's in full bloom almost. Can i cut off "live" branches to do this? I'd love to plant it at my current home.
Hi, I really don't have any experience propagating them but a just did a search and found azalea.org which is the azalea society of america. They had information on how to propagate them. You might want to try air layering. I know I have seen videos that were in a greenhouse setting and it was important to have automatic misters to mist the cuttings and they were stuck in pumice if I remember correctly.
Went with the peat moss in plastic shoe boxes and have 5 different kinds of figs putting out roots and leaves. Going to pick up perelite and vermiculite along with plastic cups today. Thanks for a great video.
How can you tell what type of variety of fig you have? I have tried looking it up but I cannot find a full list. I have two different types of trees and would love to know what they are.
Thank u for your video here. Mind me asking, about u using peat moss in a shoe box, did u make any hole on the shoes box for aeration? How do u manage to prevent mold growths because whenever I covered all my cuttings in a box & even in the ziplock bag by using paper towel method, somehow molds like whitish lookalike cotton molds would grow on them.. Please advise, & thank u !
I have a 2 year old fig tree with lots of green figs on it. It's getting cold here in the UK and not sure if they will ripe soon?? Or will the figs and leaves fall off?? Turkey Brown Thanks
Hello Alicia, I also am in North Texas (Frisco) and trying to do this from some very old, wild fig bushes growing on our property. Did you have any success? Jeanette
Fig do require at least 100 chill ours to be productive. Temperatures between 32 - 45 F. I can see California and Florida get that cold but I don't know about Hawaii. I know they do grow figs in Hawaii though. I had a Baltimore Oriole that loved my figs last year. That was the first time I had a problem with anything. It depends on where you are. In the South there are fig beetles and the critters are more familiar with what figs are. For the most part they have not been discovered yet.
@Megahs2010 Hi, Its still warm here but the nights are getting cooler. If its already getting in the 40'2 there I don't think your figs will ripen. The leaves and the figs will fall off. Do you know about Reads Nursery in the UK? They might be able to tell you if there is another variety that is good for your area if you can't get figs off of your brown turkey.
My brother just inherited a fig tree, but has no idea of propagation. WHen should I get him to give me cuttings from the tree, and when should I start the process? I live in CT, so we are probably close to the same zone.
Not from what I read. If you google the topic they say it can be propagated from seed or root cuttings. If the stump is still in the ground try to find a root sucker. If they left the stump in it will probably put up some shoots this spring that you can remove.
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Hi, I got into the habit of opening the bag everyday to exchange air for a couple of minutes. If you think the paper towels are drying out a little bit I would just spray it a couple of times with a spray bottle. With the shoe box and sphagnum I would fan it with the lid a couple of time and put the lid back on to exchange some air.
Time can't go by fast enough when your waiting for your fig cuttings to grow. Good luck with your figs. I just started some cuttings.
Thank you for this video. A couple of years ago I took some cuttings from a Brown Turkey fig in February. We put those 6" cuttings put them in some soil under a misting system and within 3 weeks we had plants. I planted mine directly into the ground and by August my plants were 5 feet tall with figs. It was unbelievable! I live in north Alabama. My luck with fig trees has been great.
Can can do this with any variety. Its just that some are more difficult to root successfully than others. I have heard of some people starting from seed but I think it would be a Smyrna type fig with true seeds and that mature fig tree will require the fig wasp to produce figs. Then there is the matter of how long your willing to wait for a fig.
I was just looking at some cuttings I've had in the fridge for a year. Although some are starting to get moldy, some are still looking healthy. Ideally you want dormant cuttings and start them in the spring. I've only started cuttings at the end of March. I've never tried late in the fall or early winter. It can't hurt to try a couple and see what happens. You can store cuttings in damp towels in the produce drawer in the fridge. Just check on them occasionally to check for mold.
Hi I am in London and just watched your fabulous video. I have been taking figs off the tree with permission , and now thanks to you I should be able to grow my own in my polytunnel. Thank you for taking the time to show a novice like myself try to experience this.
You have to keep the cuttings from drying out until it gets the plumbing working from the roots to the leaves. As soon as the last frost has past I'll be able to transition them outside from partial shade to full sun. Check out the new videos where I transition from the moss directly into a soil and pine bark mix. Its seem to be working and I won't have to transition until I want to up pot the fig tree.
Hi, That's great that your having some success. Yes, as soon as you see root initials or the 1/4 inch roots you have on the one cutting transfer that one to the mix. If you go to the fig4fun website there is more information under propagation there. If you look at my newer video I transfered directly into a light soil mix with a lot of perlite and I am having great results with a variety that was difficult to root the last time I tried. I put all the fig videos in a playlist on my channel.
Good Info. Nice talk. Thank You.
I'm glad to hear that you are making great progress with your cuttings and that the videos have helped.
I already started and it's showing good progress. Thanks.
Hi, Figs need at least 100 chill hours below 42 to 32 Degree Fahrenheit. They need this period of dormancy to grow and leaf out and set fruit normally. When I order cuttings I usually get them last week of Feb and from it could be from 4 to 6 weeks and longer to get roots and have them growing in perlite. This last winter I did have a couple of fig trees in a southern window and they set fruit that ripened in the summer. But its best to keep them dormant until spring to maintain a strong tree
I know some people have success doing that with some varieties but not here in the northeast. I wish it was that easy. I'm really liking the airlayering technique.
@trentontrading Hi, I personally haven't tried rooting cuttings this early. I'm not sure what you mean about getting the cuttings off the ground? Are they fresh pruned cuttings? You can store them in the produce drawer of your frig. Keep them dry though and watch out for mold. Try to keep them cold and dry. I start my cuttings in late February.
That's a hard question to answer. It depends on if you want to grow it in the ground or in pots and how much effort you want to put into them. Hardy Chicago, Marseilles vs Blk, Desert King, Negronne, Violet de Bordeaux, Atreano, are some cold hardy figs but still need protection from cold winds. If you have a shed or garage to store them for the winter there are more varieties you can grow.
NEgardening...I have plenty of my cuttings with root growth now and ready to transplant to the next stage. I can't tell you how exciting I am and thankful to you for making those videos. None of the other techniques I've tried the past few years (suggested from other internet posts or other people) have even gotten me this far. Thank you...
@stufado1 Hi, I use miracle grow organic choice garden soil. Not to be confused with their potting mix. Its in a green and white colored bag. I can't find it right now locally. I think I have to wait until spring. I have used the organic choice potting mix which is in an orange and white bag but thats because I can't find the other stuff. The potting mix has too much peat in it. I also add perlite to lighten it up, but you'll then have to water more often depending on how much you add.
Thank you so very very much for this great video I followed all your suggestions in you video and now I have so many beautiful fig trees for all my family and friends thank you so much 😊
It will depend on you area but since you keep the cover on it,you might only have to spray it a couple of times a month to keep it damp. You can tell when the moss gets a little stiffer to the touch but you really don't get much evaporation with the lids on. You don't want any standing water visible on the bottom of the box either.
Not sure what zone your in or what micro climate you might have but I think there are some cold hardy varieties you can plant against a wall with a southern exposure and some good winter protection by wrapping the tree in the winter. You could always plant it in a pot and bring it into a shed in the winter.
Thank You NewEnglander.....I made a lot of mistakes last year....got frustrated and stopped trying to grow cuttings.....my mistake I believe is that I didn't keep up the humidity...just left it out in my apartment bedroom.....how long do you keep up the humidity...a year...years....Thanks, I am trying again.....Love the Videos...You have helped a lot of people....God Bless..
You can store tap water in a container and the chlorine being a gas will evaporate from the water.
Hi Jeanette,
I tried the shoe box method and all three cuttings became moldy. Don't know what I did incorrectly, but I'm not going to quit trying. When I figure it out, I'll be sure and glad to let you know. :) How are you? enjoying this nice weather?
Have a great day,
Alicai
This is the best fig-cutting tutorial currently on youtube. Thanks, ready to make my own now.
I've only tried rooting dormant cuttings. I have read about people successfully rooting green cuttings by just putting them in water. Rooting woody or lignified cuttings is best done with dormant cuttings. You could try air layering. I just noticed today the roots coming out of the top of the container on my first air layer so it is making progress. I have a couple of videos on how to do the air layering technique. Hope this helps.
@PUMPKINDUDE26 Hi, Thanks Pumpkindude26. I actually have pumpkins growing this year from one I threw on the compost last year. Won't have to buy any this Halloween. Keep in mind that you can experiment and improve these techniques or find even a better method. People are always trying to improve the success rate with rooting these figs. Some varieties are easier to root than others.
This video is AMAZING!! I started my cutting at the beginning of this video, and it had fully established roots and fruit by the time the video ended!!
I have wanted to try to root fig cuttings for years, but just haven't felt confident enough, this was a very informative video - full of practical information... and I will be experimenting with my fig varieties this fall.
Appreciate your efforts.
Thanks for your video. I am moving house and would like to bring my fig tree with me, but it's too big. So now I know I can take a cutting in the winter, store it in the fridge and pot it in Spring ready to grow in my new garden.
Peter Vautier You can prune it?
Hi, The only problem I see is that any crushed areas and the dead bark can be places for mold to start. Once you got them home I'd clean them up with a nice sharp pair of shears to get a clean cut. I wouldn't be surprised though if they still rooted without making cleaner cuts. With fig cuttings though, I'd want to do everything possible to give them a better change of success.
wow - spectacular video! central NC here & we are in our second year with our fig tree and i'm very excited to eat a few more this year than last year.
we planted it pretty late last year so we only got a few (and my kids ate most of those) so this year i'm going to guard it more closely!
thanks for taking the time to make this video!
I have not tried grafting fig trees yet but if you go to the figs4fun forum website you can find pictures of techniques being used by some members to graft fig trees. Someone recently posted pictures showing grafting onto another fig tree root stock.
@NewEnglandgardening I have air layered mine that was a gift from my great grandmother since I was 8. I am now over 55. Just search you tube and there are plenty of examples. I cut the sides of a sandwich bag. I take a hand full of dirt. Any dirt will do. I remove about an inch of the bark. I wrap the plastic around the limb with dirt inside and tie both ends. I wait 4 to 6 weeks or until I see roots and cut below the bag. I remove the plastic and plant.
I'd leave it in the moss. Now that it has no leaves I think more energy will go into producing roots. I was just thinking about that today. I have some cuttings in moss with leaves and roots but I haven't had time to put them in cups. I have had cuttings lose leaves to rot both at the moss stage and when they were in cups in the bin. If it is too humid you run the risk of that happening. Allow for an exchange of some fresh air by removing the lid for a couple of minutes everyday.
Did you take the lids off and let it air out every day. I take the lids off every day fluff up the moss and spray if it is on the dry side. This year I used a bag of moss that I opened last year. I dampened the moss and put my cuttings in. The next day there was white fuzz all over the top of the moss. I sprayed it with tap water and moved the moss around and it was gone the next day and hasn't come back. The mold spores are in the air so it depends on where you live and the weather.
@NewEnglandgardening - beautiful, you made my day :) I have tried many techniques without success and I really want to propagate the tree because it has sentimental value to the previous owners of my house. there is something about fig trees that connect people to their roots. now, they laugh at me because i'm an irishmen with a fig tree, but i get the connection for them. thanks again!
@6mccarth Hi, Two weeks isn't long. I've had cuttings that have taken 2 months for roots to form. There are many variables. The variety of cutting, the vigor of the cuttings, the temperature, humidity and some luck. Cuttings of the same variety will often root at different times just because they are from different areas of the branch. If you see those little white dots forming roots will follow
I've switched over to using a sifted pinebark mix with some organic garden soil mixed in. There is a newer video showing the mix consistency I used this time.
I've never tried that technique although I have read about people having success by just putting the cutting in water. It will depend on the variety of fig tree also. It would be great if Black Maderia and Ischia Black were that easy to propagate.
Nice video, I found it helpful. Just bought my first little fig tree, a Celeste, about 2 feet high. Looking forward to learning more about it, and how to propagate it.
Hi, The biggest mistake you can make it over watering. The vermiculite and perlite will hold water for a long time and since the cuttings have no leaves there is not evaporation from them. Just look thru the clear cups at the soil. If you see dew or moisture against the inside of the cup and the soil there is plenty of moisture. I still find myself over watering and killing cuttings from rot. Since they are in a container you might not need to water for a month.
That depends on where you are. All figs do better with warmer temps. If you're in the north and want to try growing them in the ground being up against a wall will give them a better chance of surviving the winter and warmer temps in the summer to help ripen the figs. If you have critters around that might eat a young fig tree you might want to plant it in a larger container that you can protect better to give the young fig some time to get larger before you put it in the ground.
It really depends on the variety of fig. The quality of the cutting and where you live. I have had cuttings take as long as a month or even longer to start to root. Other varieties can root in as little as two weeks. You can have cuttings from the same branch and some will be more vigorous growers than others for some reason. As long as the cutting is not moldy or rotting just give it time, it just might be a slow grower.
nice video,
I recently have purchased fig cuttings from Ebay , I have put them direct in comost. its been about a month but there is not sign of roots but there are leaves coming on.
yesterday i have taken 2 cuttings out of the compost and there was only tiny tiny root coming on , I have wrapped them in wet news paper and left in electric propagator. I am worried in newspaper will the root not get damages as they would not have space to grow
Finally! I see roots on one of my fig tree cuttings! It took about a week and 2 days for the roots to pop up. The other 3 cuttings have no signs of roots yet. Should I transfer my cutting with 1/4 inch roots in vermiculite and perlite yet?
Really informative video. Perchance you could give your opinion on how/when to propagate pomegranates?
I have started some cuttings in pots out in my yard (Arizona desert valley) with compost/mulch/soil mix and have 4 of them putting out buds after only 2-3 months. I keep them moist and hopefully will have good trees before it gets too hot this summer.
Hi mate,
Many thanks for uploading this video clip. I lodge with a friend on the outskirts of a town in the north of England, have been working in his neglected garden for a year and would like to raise more fig trees by taking cuttings. Earlier today I bought some moss and intend to take cuttings soon using the methods you describe. There are a number of fig trees I know of around here both in the wild and cultivated in gardens.
Sometimes even before the cuttings root they start to try to form figs but you want to bread those off. The first year you want the fig to put all its energy into growing a healthy tree. The second year if you can't wait you might let one or two figs mature on the young tree but the less energy it puts into figs the more energy it has for growth. A five year old Violet de Bordeaux with give you dozens of figs.
Keep it in a dark spot away from direct sun. Put it in a warm place like the top of your refrigerator. Do not put it near or on top of a radiator. Just find a warm place out of the way. Open the bag every day to let fresh air in. Don't let the newspaper dry out.
I hear yah. I wondered about that too. I've seen home improvement shows where they remove the old vermiculite insulation in the attic. I guess its used a lot in horticulture and soil mixes which seems strange. If its a hazard how are they still allowed to sell it?
@mackdog85diesel2 I have read that opinions that rooting hormone promotes rot in a fig cutting. I did have a tough Black Maderia cuttings that had no roots after a couple of months so I used rooting hormone. I did get roots but its hard to say if the rooting hormone had anything to do with it. I really don't use it. The warning label on that stuff is pretty scary too so I would be a little wary of using it constantly. I'm sure its safe with proper handling but I just don't use it.
+NewEnglandgardening, Thank you so much for your videos. They have been super helpful. Have you ever tried using rooting hormone to help stimulate root growth? I just picked some up at my local Home Depot and was wondering if you had any pointers.
+Rob Van Sciver I don't think it helps with fig cuttings. Some people have even suggested that it can promote rot. I think for the most part with some exceptions fig cuttings are easy to root once you get the technique perfected for your location.
I am in North Carolina and have a black mission fig I'd like to propagate.
Can I use your technique with fresh cuttings right now or is it better to wait
until winter when I can get dormant cuttings?
Great videos!
We didn't have very good summer this year, but my brown turkey doing ok for it's second year.
I will try to get other verity, I wasn't aware that there were so many!!
I have downloaded a video of the fig tree
Cheers
I'd start them around the end of March. You can remove them now and store them in the refrigerator but you have to deal with the chance of mold developing so might as well just cut them off in March when you start them.
Hello,
When you put the cuttings in the peat moss in the shoe box, how often should I water? Should it always be moist? We live in north Texas and still in the low 70's and it's beginning of December.
Thank you kindly,
Alicia
what is your opinion on using the paper towel/spagnum with an azalea/rhododendron cutting? it seems you can control the moisture better. i've tried for the last probably.. year and a half or 2 years to root a new growth cutting and it's just not working. i've tried green growth, semi-lignified, last season wood, various mixtures of soil medium.. various mixture of light.. temp.. time of year.. just has been an utter waste so far.
do you know if i could just place some cuttings in glass with some water to get them to root? , i do tomato plants this way and they root great ,i have a fig cutting half of it soaking in a glass of water to see if i could get it to root ,but i wanna know if you have tried this method ,i have 2 trees ready to get cuttings from,one is a black jack ,wow its so good like jelly
Will the fig cuttings that have been potted in the perlite mixture, placed in the container with top. Require any more added water? Thank you
Great! I really appreciate your feedback. I'll wait, see what happens to the cuttings because figs seem very tough and hardy. If they don't succeed, I'll just go back and get more cuttings, this time with a sharp pair of shears or pruners. I'll even try selling fig cuttings on Ebay. Thanks again.
@johanssonstudio I had a green branch break off of a fig this summer and I tried putting it into water too and it sprouted roots in a couple of weeks. I have seen other videos where people made their own willow water for growth hormone. Some people say that the powder rooting hormone promotes rotting of cuttings. Have you ever read the warning label on rooting hormone? Yikes, It sounds like it will make you grow another head if you get it on your skin. I used it once for a difficult Madeira
Once cutting are in clear bag should I open the bag at anytime to get fresh air in?
Wonderful Video, very informative and helpful. Thank you for posting it
hi...I have about 20 cuttings going for two weeks now, some in paper & some in moss like you have, but not seeing the results yet. Some of the buds are clearly growing, but I don't see any root growth yet. I have the paper and moss damp but not wet, and give the fresh air everyday. I'm going to keep at it, but suspect I should have seen some action on root growth by now. any words of advice? txs
I took cuttings from a wild fig tree and the knife I used to cut it was dull. My cutting were really hard to cut off. The ends were squeezed pretty hard and caused them to bleed. Will this hurt the cutting or cause them not to root?
Hello, I live in North Texas and just took the cuttings off a wild fig 'bramble' that is under a bunch of trees and never gets enough sun to develop properly. The cuttings have little buds (signs of new growth) already. Should I leave those on the tip or cut them off?
Thanks, Jeanette
@maynardp12 Great to hear it. Now the hard work begins to get them through to the soil mix and spring. Best of luck.
I had the opportunity to get some cuttings yesterday (9-09) and I know it's not the optimal time to root a cutting, but I figure what the heck. I have wrapped them all in damp paper towels and placed them in a zip lock bag, but I want to try and root half of them in a plastic shoebox with sphagnum moss. Do you think I have a chance of rooting any of these and keeping them alive until next spring? I live in southern VA. Thank you for any suggestions.
i left a cutting in water for a month and only 5mm roots formed but it formed a small leaf already
should i go on to the 2nd stage with the perlite mixture or let it form longer roots?
I have planted a"sprout" that I found below the Fig tree while mowing the lawn. I have just pulled it out and planted it and it seems to be surviving after 2 days. Is this a fig or something else? It seemed to be connected to the fig tree trunk (only a cm away and some other spouts are touching the trunk). Cheers
I found four baby fig trees growing in a large pot. Did I grow these trees from a fresh fig that was tossed in the pot?
Hi thanks for the video it was great.
I have a fig tree thats ten years old - in a pot. I'ts rather big but gives as most one fruit a year. We live in sweden so it's no idea to plant it outside.
Is it possible to get much fruit from a fig tre in north sweden?
Some people think that cuttings a little larger than the diameter of a pencil is good but I have also rooted cuttings larger than 1.5 inches in diameter this year.
Thanks for the intro to figs. I know they grow here in NE Oklahoma, and I've sampled a couple for fresh eating off the tree. Delicious treat.....and I want to try growing from a cutting. Your video helped show me the steps. So thanks again.....
Excellent lesson, I have brown turkey & celest figs and was looking for instructions on producing more plants. You make it look easy. Thanks
the cutting leaves seems to stay greenish for months, but after awhile the slightest touch will break them off the stem. i'm assuming it's over moisture or something. even so, after 4 or 5 weeks still not even the smallest hint of a rootlet. i've also tried just sticking them in water. i've also tried w&w/o rooting hormone. these are the only plants i've not been able to root. if i'd known it was going to be this bad i'd have just done an air layer like my original intention.
@mikracken Hi, I haven't tried air layering yet. I plan on trying it this summer.
The first thing you need is mold and fungus spores and then the right growing conditions for it. One year a lot of my cuttings had mold problems even in moss and then the next year I had no problems. What works best for me might not be best for your area.
hey I have a great fig tree in my yard that fruits like crazy during summer and is just about finished fruiting now in October however I have a greenhouse like space in my recording studio in a warehouse it gets very cold in there at night though but during the day the sun keeps it warm year round would I be able to take a cutting off my tree now and grow figs through out winter ?
Hey, we have a fig tree at a rental we own. It's probably around 12' tall. It's huge. the bottom is pruned so we can make sure there's no animals hanging out. It's in full bloom almost. Can i cut off "live" branches to do this? I'd love to plant it at my current home.
Hi, I really don't have any experience propagating them but a just did a search and found azalea.org which is the azalea society of america. They had information on how to propagate them. You might want to try air layering. I know I have seen videos that were in a greenhouse setting and it was important to have automatic misters to mist the cuttings and they were stuck in pumice if I remember correctly.
Went with the peat moss in plastic shoe boxes and have 5 different kinds of figs putting out roots and leaves. Going to pick up perelite and vermiculite along with plastic cups today. Thanks for a great video.
How can you tell what type of variety of fig you have? I have tried looking it up but I cannot find a full list. I have two different types of trees and would love to know what they are.
Hi---great video : )
Can I do this now or should I wait this the tree isn't producing fruit?
Thank u for your video here. Mind me asking, about u using peat moss in a shoe box, did u make any hole on the shoes box for aeration?
How do u manage to prevent mold growths because whenever I covered all my cuttings in a box & even in the ziplock bag by using paper towel method, somehow molds like whitish lookalike cotton molds would grow on them..
Please advise, & thank u !
I have a 2 year old fig tree with lots of green figs on it. It's getting cold here in the UK and not sure if they will ripe soon??
Or will the figs and leaves fall off??
Turkey Brown
Thanks
Can I do the same for a Chinaberry tree? Our fell over during a hurricane, then my neighbor cut hers down and gave me a 3 ft cutting. Any suggestions?
Hello Alicia, I also am in North Texas (Frisco) and trying to do this from some very old, wild fig bushes growing on our property. Did you have any success?
Jeanette
Can this potentially be done with any kind of tree's branch, or are only a few species able to do so?
Fig do require at least 100 chill ours to be productive. Temperatures between 32 - 45 F. I can see California and Florida get that cold but I don't know about Hawaii. I know they do grow figs in Hawaii though. I had a Baltimore Oriole that loved my figs last year. That was the first time I had a problem with anything. It depends on where you are. In the South there are fig beetles and the critters are more familiar with what figs are. For the most part they have not been discovered yet.
I am thinking on planting a fig tree, does it grow big thank you?
@Megahs2010 Hi, Its still warm here but the nights are getting cooler. If its already getting in the 40'2 there I don't think your figs will ripen. The leaves and the figs will fall off. Do you know about Reads Nursery in the UK? They might be able to tell you if there is another variety that is good for your area if you can't get figs off of your brown turkey.
Do Celeste Figs work with this technique? And could you grow a fig from seed?
Thank you for sharing with us!
My brother just inherited a fig tree, but has no idea of propagation. WHen should I get him to give me cuttings from the tree, and when should I start the process? I live in CT, so we are probably close to the same zone.
Not from what I read. If you google the topic they say it can be propagated from seed or root cuttings. If the stump is still in the ground try to find a root sucker. If they left the stump in it will probably put up some shoots this spring that you can remove.