I have a few friends who use grass clippings as their potato beds. They tell me its great. I am tempted to use spare cuttings
as trial -- like burying them under a pile of grass clippings to see how they root. From experience I have picked up some patches
of mulched grass from a ride-on lawn mower and they felt warm after a day in the sun. Anyone ever try this form of rooting something
in spring/summer ?

Grass clippings are great on potatoes because they create an acidic environment (prevents scab) and shut out light. But if you don't mix very thoroughly with soil and have a very healthy earthworm population, the clumps of grass clippings will get slimy & anaerobic which probably won't make the fig cuttings very happy.  A pile of old dry-ish maple leaves, however, might be just the thing - not too wet, heat from composting, excellent soil ... :)