propagating fig trees

14 years ago

hello all. my boyfriend's family is selling their home and in their backyard is a well-loved fig tree that he wants to take a cutting of to grow a new one from. i have been researching this online as i am not too experienced in propagation and it seems like this particular tree is hard to grow from cuttings. i have heard that taking 10-inch cuttings and putting them in the fridge will work (for "winter-izing"), but its a 50% success rate....

does anyone have any suggestions on this?

Comments (6)

novita
14 years ago
I found figs to be easy to root - I always have several "babies" growing. Just cut off a shoot,(10 in sounds good) dip the end in rooting hormone and insert into a sandy soil. Maybe I have an easy variety but have never had any trouble.
JudyWWW
14 years ago
I root the shoots which emerge from around the base with no difficulty. If they have time in this slow real estate market they might also try bending either a shoot or a low flexible branch down, weighting it down and burying it a few inches deep and wide (4" x 4" would be great) while still attached and the branch continuing on the other side of buried section. After about 6 months (depending on time of year) roots will have formed and it can be cut from the mother plant. Side shoots also root easily in water if the move happens too suddenly to prepare. The transition to soil can then be tricky but a bucket full of water rooted cuttings should produce a few which root in soil. I took bucket full of water rooted cutting to a garden club meeting and friends have reported success with them.
BTW there is a very good FIG forum on gardenweb. jwww
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victoriannoire
Original Author
14 years ago
We had been hoping there would be shoots, but to no avail. i have heard that rooting hormone really wouldnt matter with figs...propagating seems complicated to me so thanks very much for the input. as i learn more about the process of propagating it makes me realize even more how amazing plants really are:)

by the by, do these shoots have to be the new ones that come up from the ground or can i use a branch?
novita
14 years ago
I use ends that I have pruned off.
Patrick888
14 years ago
Somewhere on GW (I think) I read that someone has great luck taking branch cuttings, stripping the leaves, wrapping the cuttings in damp paper towels and sticking them in plastic bags. They stick the bagged cuttings under their bed & leave them there ... at least a couple of weeks, as I recall. When the cuttings start to form roots, the person pots them up and away they go.
victoriannoire
Original Author
14 years ago
wow so only a couple of weeks after taking the cutting it will root eh? i think i am going to try a couple of different methods and if i end up with lots of wee fig trees i can just guerrilla garden them somewhere :)