OK, i've read enough about this "cutting to cup" deals... not to offend any one out there but you guys are treating these cuttings like they are orchids, have in mind that these are trees and have to be treated like one. they need real sun and all the elements that nature provides... unless it's freezing temp  (meaning snowing for days...).
As soon as you see some roots poking the skin of the cuttings plan planting them, you can plant them as soon as 1/4 inch of root stage. USE MIRACLE-GROW!!! LOL in a court size nursery plastic pots and no covers. water lightly because the Miracle-Grow is already moist when you open the bag.Introduce to sun the planted cuttings by starting to put them in a partial sunny corner or under a tree of your property, then few days later move them to more warmer sunny corner and leave them there..If you are in a zone where there is a freeze or snow then keep those cuttings dormant in the fridge, don't wake them up until spring time when they have better starting chance. Don't look for miracles plan better. 
Good luck ;)

Aaron,
I agree with you and that is what I do as well, very little loss. The cuttings like outdoors and the sun but ... we are in a fig paradise called Los Angeles (even Armando is not that lucky !).
I think most of the people in colder climates have no choice but to treat the cuttings differently.

Aaron is right....will send all my stuff down to Los Angeles...LOL   Part of the thinking I guess, is that we paid a lot for the cuttings and we really want some good quality figs.
On the ones I can get from my backyard or neighborhood, I am less protective. Think I lost an exotic cutting last night...its OK  Some nurseries in our area I believe have bundles of cuttings and root them differently some may put them in the shade.  A local nursery started off with about 50 in 5 gall pots and is down to about 20 she had them out in our bright hot summer with no shade.  July and August gets around 100 sometimes over.

Arron said: If you are in a zone where there is a freeze or snow then keep those cuttings dormant in the fridge, don't wake them up until spring time when they have better starting chance. Don't look for miracles plan better.


Arron, so what you are saying is, we folks, who have cold weather and have a real Winter,should not start Cuttings and grow them and enjoy the challenge,  until spring?? Ever heard of Grow Lights?? Every situation is a little different, according to where you live. You can't have just one set of rules like you are stressing..

Your Post did not try to  help Armando with his problem,that is what this forum is all about!

Aaron is OK....He is my new friend, Didn't see anything negative.  Frank, I have learned so much...the biggest mistake it appears is that I didn't place a plastic bag over them to keep the humidity up.  Also maybe the Heater turning on and off is stressing them a little, I have the away from vents.

Is there any problem transplanting out of these cups? 
Does it help to soak them just before transplanting so they hold together and slide out of the cup?

I have been growing figs since 1992 in my current place sine 1996.  Some of my trees are fully grown.
So I have lots of cuttings. 

Can't answer the transplanting, most times I do well transplanting them, I wait until a little dry.......what my current plan is to skip the cup and go straight to 1 gallon or half gallon cup from a Smart n Final store. 

Well, Armando, eveybody has different ideas about the best way to root cuttings. I have lost plenty after they appear to be well rooted and I have heard it refered to as sudden fig death. The humidity is important and I use plastic totes like a lot of people. I use 85 or 90 percent perlite and the rest a peat based seed starting mix. I also use a very dilute solution of Hormex when I water. I have learned that they do not like temp. changes when they are young and I wait until they are growing really well before I put them outside. I lost almost all my cuttings the year that I tried to use a little compost in my starting mix and it was explained to me that the bacteria in the compost produce co2 which destroys the roots. I feel like plant food tends to do the same so I don't use it until the cuttings are older. Don't give up - you will figure out what works for you. So many people warn not to overwater and then I found that I tended to underwater. If you use a lot of perlite the weight of the pot will help you figure that out. Even when I pot my cuttings into larger pots I use a lot of perlite - maybe 50 percent. Once they are a year old or so I will start feeding them and maybe put a little compost on the top of the soil.

Armando, are you in the frost country? If not, you can try rooting inside (a beggie will do) and then continue inside in cups or whatever and outside in the 1 gal pots with porous soil, the cuttings covered with plastic cups until starting to grow.
The diversity is a key to survival. Putting all your eggs in one basket is always a bad idea.

Yes we are having frost, so I am using the baggie method, and changing my potting mixture with a hint of soil, and keeping up the humidity up with a plastic bag.  In the future I will be ready to do a lot of bidding on Ebay for cuttings. Still on the Hunt for the Black Madiera cuttings, maybe I will just ask for a Black Madiera tree instead....LOL