Figs from cuttings

Farway

FreeBear said:

In the past, I've done air layering to propagate figs. Thought I'd give this "cutting in a jam jar"  method a go. Put a cutting in a jar of water and watched the leaves wilt and fall off. Yet two weeks later, there is a bunch of white roots forming, so I guess it is going to live. Quite surprised at the speed and ease.

Thanks for the tip.

Happy it helped, i was surprised at the ease of it which was one reason for my initial posting

Just to update, here they are this morning, I've had one failure which never grew once moved into soil, however five out of six without much bother is a good result IMO

PS the tomatoes are not attached

mad_spaniel

Random thought. Roses are supposed to root if stuck into a potato. Has anyone ever tried this with a fig cutting? Just wondering....

Farway

mad_spaniel said:

Random thought. Roses are supposed to root if stuck into a potato. Has anyone ever tried this with a fig cutting? Just wondering....

I've seen it on YT but from reading it seems hit & miss and a bit gimmicky.

They are also supposed to root in water but I've not succeeded with that method either

I did read it very variety dependant, some do & some don't

RAS

When Farway first posted, I was really disappointed because I knew both of the large figs locally had been severely pruned in the previous year or so. Then I spotted one that been smothered with a climber. When I went to see if I could get a cutting or two, it had also been severely pruned.

The resurrection of this thread encouraged me to check out the trees. Severe pruning was not enough however to stop the nearest producing prodigious growth this summer, and the older part falling over in the wind. I saw its owner a few days later and asked if I could take some of the growth off it? Please!

This is the result after about 2 and a half weeks in a jam jar in a south facing window.




I did cut all the leaves off before putting them in water and have just changed it. I'll leave them in the window for a week and them move them outside to stop the leaf burst and harden the growth. I'll try and pot up the faster rooted ones whilst there is still some warmth around.

Mojisola

RAS said:

I did cut all the leaves off before putting them in water

Why did you do that?

RAS

Mojisola said:

RAS said:

I did cut all the leaves off before putting them in water

Why did you do that?

Partly to reduce transpiration as they were going in a very warm room (Sepp Holzer was at the back of my mind) and partly so I could get them all in the jam jar. I'd have needed three otherwise.

Farway

Very happy to read it worked for you as well RAS

RAS

So am I. I did wonder if doing it when it was warm would help.

Although the decision to prune the bush now was largely taken to remove enough weight out off the branches that had keeled over to allow the lower of huge number of fruit to lift off the ground.

I planned to pot up and put them in the plant swap or plant library next year but have already got some takers when I mentioned it in passing. Given the amount of potential graft wood, I might get another lot growing for the plant swap and pass this lot on via the library.

Farway

RAS said:

So am I. I did wonder if doing it when it was warm would help.

Although the decision to prune the bush now was largely taken to remove enough weight out off the branches that had keeled over to allow the lower of huge number of fruit to lift off the ground.

I planned to pot up and put them in the plant swap or plant library next year but have already got some takers when I mentioned it in passing. Given the amount of potential graft wood, I might get another lot growing for the plant swap and pass this lot on via the library.

If only mine were in need of such action.

I tried pruning this year using a You Tube method, but it failed to produce fruit, maybe it works fine In Oregon or somewhere but not Hampshire. I do have fruit coming but they will never ripen now, lesson is not everything on YT works, some you win, some you don't

Mojisola

Farway said:

I tried pruning this year using a You Tube method, but it failed to produce fruit, maybe it works fine In Oregon or somewhere but not Hampshire. I do have fruit coming but they will never ripen now, lesson is not everything on YT works, some you win, some you don't

With advice from the USA, it's best to check which hardiness zone they are in to see if it's compatible with our climate.