Hi, 

First off, call me Wok. I like the feel over here. I have a short history of growing figs. None successful. They were big box grabs, with a dig and pray type effort. I am a new dad and the only income in the house, so my time is often elsewhere. I am prepared and equipped to try again. 

I live in zone 7b in Rio Rancho NM. (Just outside ABQ ) It's a high desert climate. We have a short hot grow season with too much wind in the spring. Our summers average 90 and winters bottom out at or around freezing for a short spell. Very low humidity and a crazy amount of sunshine. My "soil" is mostly sand. 

My ultimate goal in the fig world is to have a half dozen or so well groomed shrub like fig trees of different flavors. I also really like the look of fig trees and would enjoy a few specimens for inside the house to look and and enjoy as well. 

I have built a small greenhouse that I intend to leave unheated. It will serve as a windblock for young trees and a bit of shade. (nothing short of the most solar tolerant things on earth can handle our sometimes 300 days of sunshine a year) Just ask my tomatoes. I bought a small dormant fig tree from a local gentleman who specializes in such things. Right now it is going to be a houseplant overwinter. 

I'd like to get into cuttings. It seems like a fun and cheap way to get some trees.  I see some cuttings are available here. I was going to try my hand over winter and see if I can get some production. Any suggestions for cuttings? I was going to post a "wanted" ad in craigslsit but there are so many flakes. 

Any desert knowlegable fig lovers out there have some suggestions?

Wok, welcome.
Nice introduction, and congratulations on fatherhood.
It changes everything, like they say.
Sounds like you have almost perfect climate and conditions for figs.
If you do a search, you'll find there are several members of the forum growing
figs with their own challenges and successes, in conditions similar to yours.

A strong specimen, FMV free, wil grab hold and take off, I'm sure.
Stay tuned for all the cuttings being given away as people prune before Spring.
Inexpensive cuttings are the way to start, because most of us massacre many cuttings every winter.

Welcome aboard.

Thanks for the welcoming. I wasn't sure about the climate here and soils. 

Is there a particular "cutting season"? I see that some cuttings are here now, but I also see websites that allude to a "pre-spring" cutting season around Jan/Feb. Anything I need to take note of?

Welcome, Wok.  Cuttings will be available from now until spring.  Everyone has a different preference as to when they snip their trees, but it's getting close to prime time.

Hi Wok,
Welcome to our fig board !
Are you sure that you're in Zone7, with only scarce freezing ?
I'm in Zone7 and each Winter we hit -15°c if you've been nice and -25°C if we've been bad boys :( - at night that is of course ... But my figtrees are in ground so those temps are the ones they have to cope with !
We get temps around -15°c between 2 weeks and 6 weeks depending on the winter .

In my Zone7, exposing a wound to the freezing temps is bad -IMO- as freezing may reach the heart of the stems through the wound and tare them apart .
So I do my pruning in May. This is as well to cut Winter killed stems and let grow what survived !

What method have you been using for rooting ?
In your desert, I guess that the lack of water will be the bigger problem for the figtrees.
Do you have underground water flowing at your place ? a source of water ?

Wok,
Welcome to THE forum where it all happens :)
It's not easy being a new father and the only source of income in the house.
You must be a hard working man...fatherhood has it's blessings too :)
Each day , when you come home from work, all you have to do it look at thither innocent eyes who will smile at you and your tiredness and worries are POOF gone.
Welcome to the club.

Welcome, Wok!

Welcome, Wok!
There is at least one member that lives near ABQ.

Thanks for the additional welcoming everyone. Being a father has been the greatest thing that ever happened to me. In answering the question about my climate zone, I am pretty sure that it is correct as a 7b. The problem and I think other people in this region have the same issue, is that it's a 7B with a high wind chill that makes our mild winter more severe. for example, in the spring when we are having so warm weather as compared to winter, it might be 45 degrees but with a 40 to 50 mile per hour wind it's very cold.

anyways, I am looking forward to try in my hand at at getting some cuttings. it looks like fig cutting season is a specially exciting time for everyone around here based on what I've seen in the forum. At this point, since my experience with figs is so very limited I am just simply more interested and grabbing a few different varieties that are hopefully tolerant to my region.

Welcome Wok!  There are many generous and knowledgeable members here, and pruning season has started for many!

By the way, Zone 7b means your typical winter low is 5 to 10 F.  That's the low, meaning it may only be one cold night at 9F (if so, lucky you!).  So you could easily be typically around freezing, but that one cold night puts you in 7b.  I think its also the most recent 10 years, averaged.

You are right Phil. Typically, they really don't get down there for long. My initial post said that they bottom out at freezing and that really isn't true, it's more like they stay around freezing and can drop for a short spell or so. Most nights in the dead of winter here are at or around freezing. That of course makes a huge difference. One that as a summer gardener, I haven't had to consider.... UNTIL NOW!!  :)