Hi!  This is Suzi, who just checked her cuttings, and some people send 5, and they all root, and you only want one, but then some send one.  OMG!  ONE!  Your only chance!!  YIKES! 

But when that one roots, a big, fat, honking root, with a green shoot above, are you grateful?  Absolutely!

I think 3 cuttings is ideal.  One of the three should take, and you only need one for a tree which will give you cuttings to trade for years.  But If you get 10 cuttings, and they all take, you are stuck shipping rooted cuttings which is not a bad trading thing, but it can get out of hand.

I like the challenge of rooting one or two cuttings.  The onsies are seriously challenging, but the reward of seeing roots is far greater than seeing roots on multiple cuttings of the same variety. 

I speak here about ONE cutting I received from a member.  It's not one I could have gotten from UC Davis.  It has rooted, and JD is amazed at my joy!

Also, I received a branched cutting from a member, and it wouldn't fit into the sphagnum, so I cut the little branch off, and stuck all of them in the sphagnum.  Who rooted first?  Little branch!  Who sprouted first?  Little branch.  So little branch has it's own plastic cup greenhouse, and it's growing leaves.  Can not see a root through the sides of that huge plastic cup, but it's been 2 months, and it's trunk is less than 1/4 inch thick, so I think it's happy!

JMHO!

Suzi

three cuttings are ideal. but sometimes there isn't enough to send 3. then 2. i know with some rare types, even 1 is more than enough.

I think 3 is a good common ground(if available). When gifting cuttings I used to send 1 or 2, until I realized that this Forum is all about generousity, so now, whether it's gifting or trading, I usually do 3 cuttings and sometimes 4 or 5, depending on how many I have on hand.

I do think it probably is how many you have on hand.  Does anyone re-gift cuttings?  Some send more because they just pruned their huge tree, and have gazillions.  So if you get one to start, and the others seem healthy, do you re-gift along with something you are already committed to send, maybe as a bonus?

Suzi

i have seen members sending more than what they promised. it's a very nice surprise. once my trees are old enough, i might be doing that also.

I'm guilty of sending multiple cuttings. When I put them in the package I don't count them, I just stuff as many as I can as long as I have extra. I personally would not be offended if you sold, traded or re-gifted them. Once they are in your possession it becomes yours and it's up to you to do what you wish. If I would get mad at something like that then I shouldn't even be on here. I'm I wrong to feel that way? Just my take on it.;)

Tonycm, I love getting multiple cuttings for sure, but when they all root, it's tough to decide what to do!  I was wondering if anyone re-gifts.  I plan to,  because once there are roots, the cuttings are living baby trees, and I will generously share what extras I have with members and friends.  If someone sends you 10 cuttings, and 5 don't root, but still look like they will root..all healthy and all, Do you re-gift those (the ones that have been in sphagnum for 3 weeks)? 

The problem for me comes when you have some first year one gallon plants that could be pruned, and you could send one growth tip cutting, to one person.  Is one enough?  And is a baby tree like that too young to prune?

It's like Christmas when someone sends bonus cuttings! 

We all really feel bad if those cuttings don't make it.

Suzi

I usually pass along extra cuttings to friends. Even if it is only a single cutting, it gives that particular variety yet another chance to be enjoyed by someone else. Generous forum members have always sent me great cuttings, including extras. If I can get one to root and grow, then that is enough for me. And if I have given all of my extras to others and my one plant fails, well then I know where to get another shot at that variety in a year or so. As for trading, I do my best to send something extra, if I have it to give. It just makes me feel good to do so.

I have one main tree that I use for cuttings at this time.  It is 6yrs. old, and this year I took off about 175 cuttings(could have taken 200).  That's where that flood of Ischia Green cuttings came from back in early November.  Every one is gone now(and a few rooted by me), and if people want to re-gift them, that's perfectly fine with me.  Maybe it spreads the cuttings around to those who don't have that particular variety, or maybe people want to use them to trade....It's all OK.!!

I have re-gifted when sending cuttings (only when theres alot extra) 5 or more because during trades I end up with to many cuttings sometimes there 10 in cuttings that can be cut in half I also almost allways give extra cuttings when trading/giving away maybe its just me but I figure now that person has extras to also trade and so on and so on I like to trade 5 for 5 straight up anything extra is a bonus they stay in the fridge for a long time so you dont have to root right away you have time ...

Depending on availability UCDavis sends 0(nada), 1, 2, or 3 (typ/max) fig cuttings per variety.

The number 3 seems to be the the magic number.

As has been said before;

In USA baseball:
3 strikes; and you are (bad) out...

In our fig kingdom:
1 strike; and you are (good) in...

I have been able to join the fig trading this year and it has been great finding a package in the mail box!!  The one suggestion I have and will do myself is label the cutting somehow!  I received a few cuttings that weren't labeled and didn't remember what variety I was receiving from that member - oops!!  It took a little digging through the pm's and forum, so I did figure it out, but then, in my haste and excitement of starting them in the boxes, cups and or bags, I think I might have mixed 2 up - BIGGER OOPS!!

AS a result of this I purchase a couple of paint pens and will mark the cuttings themselves - hopefully I can help those who receive my cuttings from the mistake I made ;)

As a relativel newbee to the whole rooting process, I have yet to figure out how to reliably get them to root.  So far, I am batting less that .500.  I prefer to get 4-5 cuttings so that I can try 2 or 3 different methods.  Lately, I have been using the damp spagham moss in the gallon ziplock.  I place this near the return air register to maintain a constant 70 degree temperature.  When I get more than 2 of a particular variety, I plan on passing them along to family members.  I have several that live much nearer the west coast of Florida where the temperature is more moderate than my location, so my plan is that if for some reason mine get damaged by the cold, I have backup source for furture cuttings.

Alan,
   I had an average result with rooting, until I tried that "scoring" technique that was posted about two weeks ago. Since then, everything I touch turns to roots, it's absolutely amazing.  A little score, a little dip in the rooting hormone, and then roots all over the place !!!.....give it a try on some of your cuttings. I think you will be suprised at the results.....Good Luck.

I usually ship more than the norm. I figure the person receiving my cuttings can pass some on or root them all. With my extras I plan on giving to another friend/member and give a bunch away to the locals from the Old Country.

It seems that the members of this forum are becoming much more adept at rooting cuttings since the topic is basically what to do with excess rooted ones. I think this is a great problem to have! And the answer is whatever the heck you want to do with them. Plant an orchard, give as gifts, sell, trade, whatever works for you. I try to send 3 or 4 pieces if I have enough, 2 if I am trying to spread them out to more people or if I only have a few and one if it's all I can spare. And on rare occassion I have sent maybe a half dozen or so. 

I still haven't had success rooting cuttings......but I am still trying.  If by next winter I still am not capable of starting a cutting then I am going to have to trade for cuttings with roots and leaves.  I have success with air layering so I can trade for plants with roots and leaves too.

Barry, Good response!  Planting an orchard is not on JD's wish list, so that's out.  I'll send my extras in order of requests, but I'm not telling what they are until after they get root-bound!  I found 6 new rooted cuttings today, and potted them up!  Every day!  Something roots!  Many have gone to the one gallon containers, but duplicates are still in cups.

I've got about 60 varieties either in the rooting stage, or in double cups with roots and leaves.  Members have sent me 1-5 cuttings of different varieties, and some have ALL rooted!  They are in that gray area at the moment.  Little fig plant says, "I have roots!!  And sort of an emerging shoot, but I need more roots!!"  "Please don't drown me with moisture, or I'll get all moldy on you and my trunk will rot, but don't ignore me, or my pretty green leaves will die..."  Dicey little game!  Survivors (minus one for me) will be the extras!

I can't name varieties yet because I don't know which ones will survive.  I only want one of each kind, and those that survive will be distributed to those to whom I have previously arranged trades, and the leftovers will come to those who have PM'd me, in the order they did it.  You may only get one, but it will be a rooted, growing plant or some clearly alive, but not yet rooted cuttings.

Barry, that was a great answer, and I'm still waiting for that rare cutting x 2 you sent me to root!!

Happy New Year 2013 to Everyone!

Suzi

Good luck Suzi, Please do let me know how they do for you. I am always happy to hear that cuttings I sent out are growing somewhere for a fig friend.

I do not mind receiving ONE..that makes it more special. I have a few of those "lonely ones", and I am like a momma haulk watching them.. of course they cannot fail or I am devastated.

Many forum members are very generous to send out 3 or more cuttings.  I usually share extra cuttings or rooted cuttings with local forum members, friends or neighbors to try it for our unique weather.  Since people don't know what variety is good for our area (only a handful of varieties are known to be reliable), it is great to have the different varieties to be tried by different people in the same region.  I have a dream that there are many productive fig trees in different neighborhood in our area, and people will have a lot of figs (like apples and pears) on the tree to share with others. 

Adding insult to injury;
some of the hard-to-get fig twigs may also happen to be hard-to-root too!

Gorgi, how can you say such a thing?  LOL!  I suppose that is true.  Wonder which ones are the hardest.  I think Black Madeira is one.  I have two Tacoma Violets that have been in sphagnum for about 6 weeks.  They are loaded with root initials, and both have side shoots, but no roots.  I finally removed them from sphagnum, and am hoping that they root in their perlite/peat greenhouses.  Is Tacoma Violet a tough rooter?

Suzi

I am still struggling to root one Noire de Caromb ....