I was just curious if anyone has ever tried this. My trees don't generate the cuttings needed to try this yet, but was considering experimenting someday.

I was thinking about laying cuttings in a shoe box or similar style tub horizontally on top of 2-4 inches of starting medium, then covering with another inch of medium. The cuttings could be as long as the container. At some point in time after multiple shoots erupt from the surface and roots can be seen from below growing in multiple areas that will be able to support the nearest shoots; a person could then brush the medium away between the growing shoots and sever. Resulting in many now independant little trees just waiting to be potted seperately.

I'm sure somebody has tried this, how did it go? Or is it just easier to use cups?

Hi Calvin,
I saw that somebody on here does horizontal propagation of cuttings (bury under an inch or so of soil)... I think it's Suzi  (desertdance), but I don't remember for sure.  I've done something similar just "accidentally"... when I bury trees for the winter, there have been years when I was slow to exhume them in the spring, and I'd get shoots forming from the buried stems/trunks.  It worked OK to cut them up, though usually I'd just do the small suckers that way.  There are lots of ways to root cuttings... most fig varieties have good vitality and are easy to root, though some are pickier (and for those you need to look at the chemistry of what they need for rooting... there are lots of postings on these forums about how to deal with the hard-to-root cultivars).

Mike   central NY state, zone 5

p.s.  What's a propigaton?  Sounds kind of like a heavy hog that plays pro football or something  :-), or maybe a new kind of an amusement park ride shaped like a collider/cyclotron device or something, but one where you ride on pigs driven by an electromagnetic field.  :-)      (please don't take offense... I mean it in fun... if you want to edit the title, I think there's a way to do that).

I haven't read them recently, but here are a couple older threads that might interest you.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/horizontal-rooting-5107126

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Horizontal-rooting-of-cuttings-4346058

This is the only method I use.  I use plastic shoeboxes or plastic salad boxes when I can get them.  I use 2" layer of DAMP, CHOPPED Sphag moss in the bottom and cover the cuttings with 1 ".

I cover the boxes and place them in a semi dark place and leave them alone for 10-12 days.  If the cuttings are covered with the moss, the chances of mold are greatly reduced due to the natural Iodine in the moss.  This works for me.

Calvin,
I see you edited the title... thanks.  Please forgive my joking about the spellllllling.  :-)  

Mike

I do this sometimes but I usually get 1 set of roots and 1 or more shoots.

None taken, it was funny. You know, I always proof read my posts to look for typo's and such, I didn't even look at the title.
Thanks for the input and the links.

Noss:  yeah, I guess so!  I've been looking at clouds a lot and trying to paint them... some of them are stranger than all getout.  I have to say that I like your interpretation (sounds like you're basically saying "creativity") rather than the alternative that I'm turning senile or something.  Of course, it could be creativity in you and senility in me... not sure if I'd be able to tell!  :-)

Keep lookin' at those clouds... 

Mike