Greetings all

Just a quick note to once again document that the old fashioned ways of starting fig trees by just sticking them in good drained soil, and providing proper moisture and warm temperatures, still provide one with a new tree. Backing up a month or two ago, I went to our basement fridge and pulled out some old Hardy Chicago cuttings that I had saved from last autumn's cuttings, and used a few good ones in RR cubes. Many of the rest I just took outside to my garden shed and put them in a pot filled up with enriched mulch, perlite, etc. I fastened a plastic bag around the top and pretty much buried it in my compost bin. Last weekend, as I cleaned out the compost to put in the garden I checked the cuttings, and found a few sprouting buds and leaves. Here's some pix from today's peak into the bag.

Looks good, last Year I did some pruning so for fun I put 3 branches in the ground around april with just barely the tip through the soil watered a couple times and I was 3 for 3 by half june.  I put around a dozen in the hoophouse soil this year to see if it will work, mainly because of laziness and not wanting to deal with fungus gnats.

This method works really well. Following advice from Rafed, I cut my cuttings at an angle; roughed up the nodes, and planted in moist soil. I did not use any rooting hormone, although you could. I keep the pots in the shade and keep them watered. So far, all are leafing out nicely. My only issue was the need for fencing to keep my geese from tasting them to death.

After losing a couple dozen cuttings inside, I have about 15 going outside in pots. They all spent the winter in the fridge, then in March I put them in potting soil laying sideways, then covered with 1in dirt. out of the 15 or so I buried, 12 are sending up shoots now! This is the ONLY way I will do cuttings in the future.

Yes, it sure is a lot easier. Of course in the dead of winter it is fun to start thinking about and starting new trees, but sometimes the many multiple steps, humidity, gnats, mold, etc just take some of the fun out of it. Cuttings placed in pots in mid to late Spring and left to do their thing is nice with the benefits of new trees as well.

I have tromped all over this property to find places to lay my UCD cuttings down.  There must be water and partial shade.  I have found the breeding ground.  Now I have to dig trenches, lay them down, MARK them, and walk away.  No fungus gnats.  Just the truth!  If it's meant to grow, it will.

Suzi

i wish that works for me.. would make my life whole lot easier. last time i did that, they all rotted for me. no roots, barks peeling off.. i guess i watered too much or something.