Ok, like I have said in a few other posts. i am trying a few different methods for rooting figs since I was given so many cuttings. Right now the papertowel plastic bag method is winning big time. Second, I have just some cuttings in water. They have lots of leave growth and even a fig growing, but the roots are stll only white bumps and maybe one cutting has a single root or maybe two. I also see alot of these white nodules floating in the water. I do peridocally change out the water. It has been maybe a month or so. Should I plant them? Is there something else I can do? Should I pull the fig off the cutting to let it get back to trying to make root?

maybe they need more air to stimulate root growth....if you had an airstone from a fish tank you might can use that in introduce oxygen into the water.

I do have an airstone and pump. I an give that a try.

It sounds like you are describing my situation to a T. I have them upstairs in an extra bedroom with two windows too. Although we just replaced the 90 year old windows with new ones last week, so it is warmer now. I felt like the water was cold, but things were growing so I didn't think it was a problem. So, I can just transfer these cuttings into a bag and get the roots going that way? Will the gorth on the cuttings live? Can I cut down the cuttings a bit? Some are to long to fit in a bag.

Thanks. I will plant them tomorrow. Do I need to cover them with plastic to keep humidity in? I know I needed to do that the other way but the leaves on these are not schriveling up or anything and they are exposed. Does that change when they are pplanted?

well its seems like from you picture at least one of your cuttings started growing roots. If you don't cover them the leaves will lose water faster without roots to replace it.

Cuttings in water for most of us is not the best way to root. Typically the type of root growth in water is not the same found in a good potting soil. So, after the cuttings is moved from water to soil it still has to re-grow the root to accommodate the new medium.

 Make sure you have good root mass before moving them out from the water container as the tendency for the roots to break
is very high. I prefer rooting them in a container of spaghnum moss & for the reasons loslunasfarms cited.

Thanks guys, That seems to be the issue with these cuttings in water. They get the bumps going and they get a little big, but they seem to fall off. I never only one or two actually grew a root. I have so many of the other cutting that seem to be working, Knock on wood. That I am willing to wait and see with these in the water, but it has been a while. Also, today I potted more of my cuttins from the bag method. I am running out of supplys around the house and I thought it was a good idea, but do you think it is ok to use a cardboard box to make a little green house sort of? I just took all the pots put them in a box i had laying around, made a frame wrapped it in plastic. Today the leaves looked a little wilted. I am not sure if I need to water more or what. I was thinking though Do you think the cardboard would absorb the moister in the ther? I through in some wet towels this morning and when I get home from work I will water everything, but I would like to try to make this work.

I don't think what you are seeing is "bumps", I think it is the "white fluff" that secretes from the cutting where root initials sometimes form.  Please see this post and the thread I linked inside for a rather exhaustive researh project done by one of our forum members which explains:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/show_single_post?pid=38255663&postcount=8

I personally feel like it is very important that folks don't confuse this white fluff for root initials.  In water, I think it is harder to tell.  This is why I always wait until my root initials are a good 1/4" - 1/2" long before transplanting, at that size, there is no mistaking whether you are dealing with "fluff" or "initials"

Hi Jason,
was there ever any consensus or ideas about what the "white fluff" was/is?

grant
z5a

I believe that Al (tapla) indicated it was a secretion that "inspires" root initials to grow.  Or something to this effect.  I'm sorry, but I cannot remember.

does the "white fluff" have anything to do with the latex in the plant?

I was inclined to speculate "yes", but like Elmer's glue, it's my experience that the latex comes out white but dries clear. To change state from sap to powder would require a chemical reaction, so.... I guess it could be possible, but what would cause that reaction spontaneously, and why wouldn't it happen normally in nature?

I will try to go to gardenweb and search for threads on white fluff / white powder where Al responded, but it'll take me a few days to get to it.

Nevermind, I managed to find the thread pretty quickly on my Blackberry with a Google search! Man, I surprise myself sometimes ;) ....

Here: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fig/msg0219043917735.html

That thread will tell you everything you want to know about white fluff. And if it doesn't, post your question over there and Al "tapla" will no doubt answer eventually.

thanks Jason