Propagating the USDA Davis cuttings - a report

11 years ago

I'm pretty satisfied with my results rooting my cuttings from USDA this year, so I thought it worthwhile to give an account of my method. The figs rooted easily with 42 of 43 cuttings successfully rooted and growing despite my mostly neglecting them, except watering every once in a while.

Nothing here that hasn't been done before, but what I did was easy, worked well, and required little maintenance.

I received my cuttings in March and left them in the plastic bag they came in and placed a damp paper towel in the bag. I stored them in my nondefrosting freezer set at 34F until early June. The cuttings were then prepared whole by wrapping parafilm around all but about 4 inches from the base. The cuttings were planted in 1 gallon pots in a mixture of equal parts of perlite, dampened peat moss and coarse sand, placed in indirect but bright light, and guarded from the rain. Other than occasionally watering if the medium felt dry, the cuttings required no care and pretty much took care of themselves. I like that the rooting of the cuttings was an entirely outdoors exercise, keeping all the mess out of the house.

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Comments (13)

joeworm
11 years ago
Hi,

Can you tell me how to get cuttings from USDA?

Do you have a link to the site that offers the cuttings?

Thanks
ediblelandscaping.sc
11 years ago
USDA-ARS - National Clonal Germplasm Repository
University of California Davis
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wisner_gw wisner
11 years ago
What kind of fertilization are you using? Did you add fertilizer and lime to your potting mixture?
creekweb
Original Author
11 years ago
No fertilizer or lime until it was clear that the cuttings had taken, then movement of the pots to full sun and weekly soluble fertilizer - I happened to use miracle grow.
ediblelandscaping.sc
11 years ago
I use lime but just enough to help adjust the ph form the peat. I never use fertilizer when rooting cutting but I've found superthrive works wonders. just 1 cap per gallon of water, a small bottle last me all season. another thing is start them in pot not bags as others may suggest because they had luck with it. As a beginner you'll struggle not to break roots when you pot them up. Trust me the break easy. Use deep pots, the deeper the cuttings are in the pot the better the roots will form. roots form mostly from nodes and they could be spaced 3 inches apart, the more nodes underground the better your chances are. just be sure to face your cuttings upward and leave a node or 2 above ground as well, an upside cutting won't survive.
ediblelandscaping.sc
11 years ago
creekweb do you have any dubs you're willing to trade for figs you don't have or other edibles? if so send me an email
creekweb
Original Author
11 years ago
I've found that there's no need to use baggies to start the Davis cuttings - given their length and caliper and the quality of the wood, their rooting potential is high, and the easy method I outlined above is adequate. But for thinner shorter cuttings from elsewhere, I would recommend starting the cuttings in baggies at 70 - 80F before planting in the outside gallon containers. I'd tweek the medium also, cutting the peat component in half. These will require more care than those using the first method.
fignewbies
11 years ago
Hi,joeworm

Did you place an order to the USDA
after seeing the weblink?

I would like to place an order to USDA
too so I am looking forward to hear
your story!

Fignewbies
joeworm
11 years ago
Fignewbies

yes i did, what would you like to know?
fignewbies
11 years ago
Hi, joeworm:

What fig varieties have you ordered?
Did you have to write an essay explaining
why you want the cuttings (for research or pleasure)?
Could you please tell me the details for the shipping process?
I don't know what is a DHL.

Thanks for your info!

Fignewbies
joeworm
11 years ago
I ordered several, don't remember which ones I ordered. Just write a short sentence to explain what you want the cuttings for. They will send an email explaining the shipping process to you. Don't remember what DHL is either.
fignewbies
11 years ago
Hi, joeworm:

Thanks for the info!
I may order through the USDA next year as
my garden need a lot of work to be done.

Please keep me posted when you get your cuttings!

fignewbies
fignewbies
11 years ago
Hi,

I wonder if anyone here from Canada
has placed an order to the USDA lately.
I would like to do that but I am unsure
if I have to pay for the inspection fee
when sending cuttings from outside of Canada.

fignewbies