Dear Celestial cutting(s),

Thank you for being such a vigorous rooter. You look very healthy, filling your cups with roots and sprouting leaves. Your vigor for life is a wonderful thing.

However, I would appreciate it if you would quit trying to jump ship. I can't help but notice your roots going rogue. I'm beginning to wonder if you think soil is optional? Is the grass greener on the other side? All the other varieties seem happy and content in their cups keeping their roots beneath the soil. You, on the other hand, seem determined to not only peak above the soil, but grow so vigorously above the soil I'm questioning if your intent is to take over the fig castle, the city of Seattle, and then maybe the world?

Your humble caretaker, 
Nichole

magical!

time for a 1 gallon pot.....

Something about these cuttings has them going above soil regardless of how much room is below the soil. I have many more with hardly any showing in the cup. They all immediately gravitate upward and peak out. Maybe they are curious and want to see the world. 

Funny!  Most of my cuttings have roots that do this too, but yours look a bit more ambitious.

you will need to soak them in warm water to repot, as those roots will 'stick' to the plastic and break up when you repot. I learn to pour the warm water on the edge of the cup with the cup in incline position, so water mostly stays around the plastic and give it a gentle squease to loose the roots from the plastic. By doing this you already gave it water, so, when repoting, you may not water for a day or so (here in Seattle). The extra water in the cup is good for the transition. They look fantastic, Nichole!

I'm trying to hold off repotting till I get the greenhouse but that won't be for another 3 weeks... may need to improvise a little until then.

I am struggling with humidity a little, too. I've had some drop leaves because I tried to transition too quickly. The roots still look good so I'm sure they will bounce back. Such picky little beasts.

Have you placed that fig to close to the television?
Maybe it has watched Lord of the rings or Prince Caspian.
Television is a powerful influence you know!

Keep talking to it... It's growing on you

A letter to my recently departed fig cutting

dear dead fig cuttings,
$%#@M *&(^%, #$#@!, &#*&*(*$, $#@%^$# 
And your horse to!!!

Your usta be guardian.

It comes in stages Nichole...first we write them letters...then we play them nice music...then we start to have conversations with them...then they start answering us...(by the way, those roots and little trees are doing just fine)...All the best, and tell them I said hello.

Wow. Vigorous to say the least. Maybe the soil doesn't have enough air for them.

The soil is nice and fluffy and they have plenty of holes (at least I think there are plenty). All of the cuttings of celestial are doing this. I have many other cuttings with the same treatment and they are content. Celestial has gone rogue.

Or maybe celestial has higher O2 requirements.
In the moss, Celestial was easy to root but didn't exactly explode with enthusiasm. But once they were transferred to cups I was very surprised at the rate their roots exploded. Much faster and more vigorous than my other varieties. They are filling the cups quickly.

Does the cover/top cup have any holes in it? I don't see any on the one in the background.

  I melt 12-16 vent holes in my top and bottom cups. I do this to prevent mold because I don't want to use any chemicals. The air here in Colorado is very dry and I have never had any condensation in the cups above the soil line(those roots are growing above the soil because they can).  Once the leaves start to push against the cup I slide it to the side about 1-2 centimeters and tape it in place again. After a few days like this I am able to remove the top cup entirely with no further hardening off to the dry air  required.  

Calvin thanks for the hardening off tip. I will give that a try. I have several I can attempt this with right now.
Yes the cups above have holes too. I will try drilling more in the future.

maybe you planted the cuttings upside down and the roots are growing upward ;-)
Just kidding...it must be nice and humid for them to want to do that...
Jim