Here are two rooted cuttings of Ischia Black from this spring. Cuttings from Jon. (The two plants in the foreground - pots 12 inches in diameter). The one on the right I pinched and I think it's beginning to form tiny figlets.  The plant on the left's stem was slightly damaged somehow. Accident or animal chew, or? So I decided to try an air-layer.

I did not roughen up or cut into the stem any further than the slight damage that was there. The wood is green, so there would be no cambium layer formed yet anyway. And no wood has formed yet either. I put some moist mix in a small water bottle, 8 oz, that had been cut in half, then taped/tied it all up, wrapped it in plastic then foil, then tied it to a bamboo stick. It seems very physically stable.

There were two lovely leaves on the stem that I did not want to remove, so I worked around them and they are sticking out. We'll see if they survive.

Nice job Gina, they both look good and you can never have too many of this variety, always good for trade.

Gina
Just like to say i think you do a terrific job with your figs, rooting etc.

Thanks Barry and Martin. I've worked with a lot of plants in my life, but figs may be the most rewarding and fun thus far.

Martin, after reading in a couple places that you don't cut the stems when you make air layers, I decided to try it that way. I figured following your example -especially since IB is a dark fig- the air layer should survive. ;)

Hi Gina,
When did you do it?  How long do you expect it to be ready?  I am thinking about doing the same thing for my leggy Ischia Black. 

Nice pics. Gina
They are looking very healthy and fresh.

salam

Those look like very healthy plants.

Nice job Gina they are looking very healthy no sign of FMV.
Thanks for sharing.

BTW, if any of you want homes for your excess Ichia Black, let me know...   :)

Thank you guys. I'm very pleased these are doing well. After rooting (which was a very low % success rate), they were the most difficult to move on. Even though well-rooted and growing, they kept wilting in the same circumstances that others took with no problem. I continually had to bring them back inside and put them back into the fig-ICU. They seem to have moved past that stage however and are fully acclimated to the sun and breezes.

Gina,
Thanks for the information.  I will try it and see how it goes. 

It's almost a month later. I looked beneath the foil earlier today, and sure enough, there are roots showing through the clear plastic of the bottle. No rush to remove the air layer from the plant yet however.

Too bad my IBs seem to be turning into a Violette de Bordeaux type.

Alla Joni Mitchell, don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you got till it's grown....

Well great job anyway.  And VdB is a great fig so you still will benefit from your labors.

Seem like Negronne

gina,

what's your secret? your trees look for healthy and shiny.. lot of sun? good fertilizer? my trees don't look half as good as your.. :)

Nice Joni Mitchell reference and word transposition.

Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.