These cuttings were collected in Vancouver BC by a couple of fig ninjas. 

First tree growing in cup after rooting in bag of SM.


Roots growing around bottom of cup.


Removed from cup and standing in 1 gallon pot on about 1 1/2 inches of soil mix. very easy to transplant this way with no handling of roots. Just add soil mix around root ball.


Potted up and growing nicely.


Second tree growing in cup.


Roots on bottom of cup.

Beautiful Baby Fig:-)

Those are some nice baby trees there. May I ask why you decided to grow them in the cup upside down?

Lookin good Gene!

Thanks all.

Americanfigboy, the reason I decided to grow them in the upside down cups were numerous. By putting them upside down, they are bottom heavy instead of top heavy, so they don't tip over. Also there is more soil mix at the bottom for the roots to grow and spread in. As you can see in the photo of the cutting sitting in the 1 gallon pot before I added the soil mix, it is easy to just gently add soil to the inverted shape of the cup. If it was right side up. the space between the pot and the root ball would be smaller and it would be more involved to get the soil mix against the roots. So to cover all bases, it's just easier on me and on the plants. I use foil for the new bottom but it's simpler if you can get a hold to the lids for the cups.
"gene"

Gene--the upside-down cups look lie a great way to go.

Gene, I noticed you punched holes in the sides of the cup for root pruning, drainage and aeration, and I am a big fan of that concept!  Good job!
Suzi

I like the idea that it is easier to remove.

Gene, you got the midas touch in rooting.

You guys and gals are making me blush. Everything I've learned about figs I've learned here, except eating them. Of course I did use my God given Cajun ingenuity a little. Thanks for the comments.
"gene"

How did you get the cup off the second one?  Did you cut it?  Did the leaves fit through the opening where you cut the "bottom" off?

That all makes sense, I will have to try it.[B][/B]

Coincidentally I drove through the parking lot of our local old Greek Orthodox Church looking for fig trees. They had lots of olive trees and some citrus, but alas, no figs.

Not that far away, there is one of the original California Missions. One of these days I'd love to go looking for fig trees there too. :)

More than likely you'll be able to read about my adventures in the Sheriff's Blotter.  :)

I have seen what I believe to be a seedling fig near a horse stall near the road. It's not that old a tree, but it's not near anyplace where anyone has lived, nor planted anything. If it is a seedling, it probably grew from a commercially dried fig someone tossed away.  

I was talking to my closest friend yesterday and she said her mom grew an Osborn prolific in their yard and it was a really good fig here. Their family home is very close and I remembered their fig trees, so I went past it today hoping it was still there and I could start one for my friend and her family. Alas the figs were gone.

Gina, if you want OP cuttings PM me in Oct.  :)

rcantor, I moved hundreds of trees from upside down cups to pots and have yet to have one that I've had to cut the cup to get it out. Before removing from the cup I wet it heavily to hold the soil mix together. I then roll the cup in my hands and pinch the cup to get the roots to release for the sides (another tip I got from the forum, thanks bud). I'm not worried about the extra water at this point as I put barely damp soil mix around the root ball and it draws out any extra water without a problem. "gene"

Thanks, I'd love to get some. UCDavis offers some, but that would mean waiting much longer. I just wrote myself a note. :)

It's already happened to me once... I was raking up some leaves in green area for my compost heaps, and someone called the cops about 'unusual behavior'. They were nice and thought what I was doing was funny. They don't handle too many 'mulch calls'. That was before the city started giving away their free stuff. 

One thing I do do when I am out and about on weird garden tasks is wear a nice piece of jewelry. If you have to deal with any authorities, they know you aren't a vagrant that way - especially if you are wearing grubbies. :)

Eccentricity rules!

Great tip about watering first. I'll try that next time I transplant a rooted cutting. Thanks.

whenever i drive around, i look for some fig trees.. this place must be full of fig haters. i haven't seen even a BT tree around here.

pete

I just tried this - really wetting the rootball of a rooted cutting before transplanting into gallon pots. My rooting mix is half perlite, half potting mix, and I want to disturb the roots as little as possible. The well-rooted cutting had already been 'living' in full sun for a couple weeks or so.

This works really well - when wet and 'worked' a bit, the rootball easily was tapped out of the band and held together nicely. I'm going to use this technique from now on. After transplanting, I always water the new pot and soil anyway, so why not water the plant before too?

Thanks for the tip. :)

Gene,  thanks for sharing your info. I like the upside down cup method. It makes sense to do it that way, with added benefits mentioned in previous replies.  I bet you don't have many losses due to transplant shock. I'm definitely going with your method next time. It certainly beats smacking the bottom of the cup trying to get the rootball to come out all intact. No broken roots.  The only thing I want to know is "Why didn't I think of that?"  lol