What can you say about a 60 day old fig cutting that died? That she was beautiful. And figgy. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And the Beatles. And me....

♫  Where do I begin? ♫ 

Boy meets Black Madeira cutting from UC Davis.

Boy finally roots "Maddy" after a long and and tempestuous courtship.

During the honeymoon period, both are giddy with happiness. Maddy blossoms while he beams with pride.

They make all sorts of extravagant plans for the future...maybe have a couple of offspring, maybe make some scrumptious jam together...

Then out of nowhere, a dark cloud casts a shadow on the relationship. Maddy becomes ill. FMV? She starts losing her leaves. Her roots darken. 

What can the boy do to  save Maddy?

Seriously.

i play bagpipes for them. i think they like more manly music. pump water through their pipes and want to kick FMV and take names.

maybe too much water? not enough heat and fresh air? soil too compacted?

one of my Black Madeira was drawing water to the top of the cutting. i noticed what seems like possible mold forming. that's right before i took all the cuttings in cups outdoor since night temp was getting over 50.

now they are all happy. since then the water has dried up, it's showing root to the side of the cup, and growing nicely.. so far. i mist them when the leaves look droopy. when the cup feels light, i water them. since they are outdoor, i don't worry too much about mold or rotting.

out of 3 cuttings i made from 1 long cutting UCD sent, one is in full leaf. other one is putting out leaf now. one is still sort of hanging in there, but has root. that last one is terminal bud. the terminal bud is not opening, but the bud right next/below it is starting to do something.

when the soil looks compacted after few watering, and leaves are looking droopy even after watering, i usually stick tooth pick into the soil and move it around. hoping that will get some aeration going. do this at your own risk.. it might break root or two.. i do this on top of the soil and bottome drain hole.

pete

Yes ,Black Madeira,Ischia Black,Calvert,Barnisotte,and Many other,cuttings of rare cultivars from UC Davis,are very difficult to grow outside California.
One true statement:Do not plan to make Fig Jam out of those cultivars,you will have to wait,more than a life time!!!.

Sorry to hear about your heart break.

My story is same as yours but I had to lovers at the same time.
Col De Dame Noire and Noire De Carombe. What can I say? Never satisfied?

All was looking great! They knew about each other because I had them placed right next to each other. They were happy with that and they were looking good.

Had them started in the garage and when things started to get too humid I moved them outside.
The very next day things went downhill. They would wilt and never recover.
Did everything I can to revive them but all failed.

I wondered at that moment if whether or not figs like to be moved around at the early stage of rooting process?
Could there be a connection?

Reason why I say this is because I had several other rare figs rooting outside right next to my backyard shed and they were looking good till I moved them across the yard. They too went downhill right away. 

This is why I have not had my recent cuttings not moved from their place. I was thinking of moving them when I start noticing the new geen growth hardening.

I have a few more cuttings at home and I plan on starting them in the garage and just leave them there and not mess with them.

I had one that put out these wimpy little roots in the smoss box, I waited to pot up, then they died and she just sat there for 3 months... I cut her up to try grafting, I just could not take the teasing anymore! Crime of passion.

Gentlemen,

This calls for large quantity of fermented malt beverage, and night of senseless singing at local Irish pub.

Pete

And the women will weep...

Sorry about your lost figs.

Black Madeira has broken many hearts and still we yearn for her.

But rather than some disease, it sounds as though maybe Maddy never actually made enough roots.  The new green growth can happen without sufficient rooting (and thus be unsustainable).

Air layers tend to be more successful on the BM correct?

Maddy is in the ICU on life-support and desperately hanging on. 

She still has one large leaf and what appears to be a new white root starting to form. 

Hope springs eternal.

Something about these fig trees FMD that capture us .
Wishing you luck with your cutting.
Let us know what the outcome eventually is.

FMD,

BM is for summer romance only. At the first sign of Winter she will leave you.

They are hard to root, and slow to make progress, and half seem to die in the first winter. I have had 100% with air-layers, but they take longer than most air-layers to root. Then they spend the Winter in the greenhouse, and still it is Spring before they really get going. Just a fickle lover.

I think that this is all another reason why we all love the Black Madiera so much. It is the white whale of the fig world.

Here are a couple pics of my beloved BM.
She was started from a cutting about three years ago. Or four?

Mine got set back (hit by frost and lost all 3 brebas) but it grew a single stem from last years rooted cutting, it's about 3 feet tall and has about 12 branches or more coming off the whole length.  Has anyone had a strong growing maderia that just gave out later?

introducing mindy, molly, and... matilda. may they live long and fruitful life. mindy and molly are shy. they are late bloomers. just broke bud few day ago.



pete

Very jealous gentlemen

How cute. The Dixie Cup Chicks.  ;)

BLB,

nothing to be jealous about. who knows what will happen to my BM this winter..

pete

 Best wishes FMD.

 At my age, the cheap thrill of the unpretentious BT works for me. They are easy and we quickly get to the point of it all, hot buttered biscuits and whole fig preserves. Yeah, I still look at those pictures of extra large BM...when I'm alone... in the greenhouse.

Sounds like fig porno

Lol.
I hope Erich Segal is not offended.

Chivas, that sounds like it should be good to go.

Rafed,if you have bad luck with your cuttings,i may have a small plant of Noire de Caromb for you.  Marius