It has been informative and "encanting" to learn from those of you who post frequently. I think that for every one of you that posts regularly there must be at least five like me who just read. As of today, my fig life has just changed forever...I hope.

Here's why: In anticipation of receiving cuttings of a handful of varieties from several different sources (thanks to some on this forum and UC Davis), last month I started to practice rooting (of cuttings from the Stallion Range Center at White Sands Missile Range, NM and henceforth called Stallion Unknown) by several different methods: in sphagnum in a bag, in a cup filled with 50:50 perlite:Pro-Mix BX, and in a black trash bag outside by the compost bin.  Today I think I see initials from the sphagnum in a bag method but I'd like to use a lifeline and "Ask the forum".

So are these initials (step 1 success) or imagination?

JD

Look something like the initials I've seen on some of my cuttings.  Within 3-4 days, some were almost 1/2" long.

Thanks Jason!

I have to travel on Monday so I suppose I'll have to move it into a cup or a 1-gallon pot on Sunday.

JD

I know there was a lot of discussion on this over at the other forum, which to move it to.  As a fellow newbie, it just makes more sense for me to move it to a clear cup so I can watch the root growth closely, know whether my cutting is a dud or not.

Maybe when I get it down to an art like some of the other folks around here I'll just go straight to 1gal.

Look where those initials are developing.  Right at the bottom node. 

Someone here posted a link to a book written in 1901 by a Dr. -----, a scandinavian name that I cannot recall instantly.  On pages 135-136 he gave instructions for taking cuttings, how and when.  (Ok, I found it:  Gustav Eisen, THE FIG, ITS CULTURE....")

One of the things he said was that the cuttings should be cut in the node, the only solid place on cuttings.  He said that cutting there would prevent the entry of rot and that the roots developed at the nodes. 

One of the interesting things, I thought, was that he said for outdoor planting the cuttings could be thick and as long as three to four feet. 
Ox

JD, you might want to keep it in a baggie a little longer. I moved some of my cuttings to cups and a soil mix at about that stage last spring. They didn't do nearly as well as the cuttings with more developed roots.

Most of my initials have appeared just below the node, as pictured above. The ones that didn't appears mostly below the node, with some above.  It seems to me that cutting right in the middle of the node (at the widest point in the middle) would actually reduce the potential initials/rootlets that you would get?

I have been taking my cuttings approximately 3/8" below a node.  Whatever is left on the tree hollows out (like bone marrow dissipating) and snaps off, leaving a nicely healed scar.

I'm curious to hear how others take cuttings, and if anyone is practicing Eisen's method of taking cuttings.

Hey JD,

I happened upon this thread again today while looking for the Google Books link in my last post. 

I just wanted to say, I found this rooting thread here today and noticed that Steve also talks about these strange little things which are "fuzzy" and look like root initials, but may be something entirely different.  There seems to be no answer for it.    I've planted several cuttings which look like what you have above because I thought they were initials, and while some grew roots, some did not...and of the ones that grew roots, none of the roots occured in these spots like you pictured above.  The proximity of yours to the node of the cutting (under the node) made me think yours were particularly initials. 

Im going to say, not initials. My roots have never been evenly spaced. My two cents.

I'm with Matt, I would leave it in the baggie a little longer, as long as mold is not an issue.

Sorry y'all, I bumped this thread, it's a little old.  I just remembered it happening, and found a related topic, thought I'd put them together for the sake of continuity of information (link-backing)

Just the way my brain works.

Pretty sure JD got most all of these rooted up and potted some already.

I also noticed in the F4F "basics" section, this picture, which shows some cuttings with no roots but the little white fluffy specks, and others with roots.  Still curious what the specks are!

Jason, the odd thing about that bag of cuttings was the growth of roots only on the cuttings which were upside down. The little white bumps are root initials, but can also be a general, disorganized growth, which ends to be a bit fluffy, and doesn't seem to end up as roots near as often as the little bumps. Some cuttings get their roots at the bottom end, some at nodes, and some just about anywhere - and of course the ones that just don't seem to get roots at all.

I could take a picture of a couple of cuttings I have which resemble the fattest cuttings towards the middle-left in that picture.  They are dark, olive-drab colored wood just the same as pictured, and have the little mocha freckles everywhere, but ... little buggers never rooted.  Some are budding as the two big ones pictured there, with all those little freckles everywhere, but for weeks...not a single root.  With all that energy wasted putting out those initials/freckles, you'd think they would have sent at least one root out, eh?

The other distinct feature I noticed were groups of freckles that clumped together and left a brown and white scar which never formed roots.  I don't think I ever thought about or noticed any of these things before because I didn't root in a way that would allow me to see the patterns.  This year has been very interesting!

I'm going cutting-fetching around my neighborhood this weekend on some of the larger trees to root up some unknowns, if for no other reason than practice before UCD cuttings get here, and to get some cuttings out to a couple of fig friends.  I will be interested to see them through their growth, and watch for this stuff.

Those were not initials...but did root and cup quite nicely!

JD

I wanted to bump this thread because of all cuttings Stallion has grown the most with Hobart (from Jason a.k.a. satellitehead) a close second. Stallion has also led in the number of fruit produced from any cutting, and I have knocked off of all but one figling. Four maybe five in pots and one in the ground.

I hope that at least one fruit will ripen next year and then maybe I can get some help on ID. Meanwhile, I take snapshots when I remember. The photo that follows is the SAME twig from my post dated 12/11/09 and about three weeks ago...before I knocked off the fruit.

JD

Not all initials turn into roots. You will see those form on many different of figs (tropical, etc) but they only continue on to make roots if the environment is right.