As promised and possible, I started some air layers for fig friends. Almost all have of the air layers have figs that will ripen this season. Thus if all goes well, I will deliver the layer and a treat. Since I haven't tasted a main crop from any of them, I'll sample a few of the first to make sure they measure up.

Note: All of these layers have two girdles - one complete and one partial as detailed by Rafed and specified by Paully. On all except one, I used a two-step K.I.S.S. method as prescribed by Jim (b.k.a. daygrower) that he learned 40 years ago in south Florida while propagating croutons: 1) Girdle and 2) Cover the girdles with moist sphagnum and wrap with foil. No plastic, no bottles, and shaped by only hand and foil. For me, no fuss.

I will report back in a several weeks about the air layers and hopefully share some observations about the ease (very), roots, time to roots, etc. of Jim's direct to foil method of air layering.

Looks good JD.

I need to get off my duff and clean up about half a dozen off my trees.

JD they look good I hope they all take root and make really good new plants for your fig friends especially the one near the middle :)

The direct to foil method is practiced by a local guy on his Muscadine grapes He is a grapenut with 35 varieties growing in his yard. Works great for him.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Jim,
It has roots and they look good. I believe it needs more time to develop a better root mass for its size. Last weekend when I checked it, I chose to remove the bottle, and double the potential volume for roots. Direct to foil (DTF) was the best option. The most difficult part the process was removing the plastic bottle, and that usually is the most difficult part of the process for me. Well, I think I would say trying to fill the bottle/cut plastic bag with mix or moss slows my air layer mojo most often.

Here are a few images of older air layers that I need to 'refresh' to DTF because I forgot about them and they have dry roots.

Dan,
The atreano in the middle photo is a cutting you gave me almost 20 months ago.

Looking good JD,  great minds think alike.... I did a few on my exploding 'lsu purple' fig  in Gainesville on August 1st,  not sure how well rooted they are by now as am in South Florida... Will send number 1 Son for a recon mission. I used the ziplock baggie method and I then I covered them with aluminum foil. I think it will work well, I kinda rushed through them, but this system is forgiving of less than perfect layering.

Jimmie, it's a good thing you don't have pets. Be truthful, after finishing off all those fig layers wasn't it difficult to stop cold turkey? Wouldn't  a  nice transitional dog tail have hit the spot perfectly? LOL.

I, too have taken Jim's advice and did several DTF layers on the Petit Negri and the Beall. I will also do some on the NJ Red. All will be shared with my North Florida fig compatriots, if interested in these mundane but fine tasting figs.

We can also work on grafting multiple fig varieties on the vigorous rootstock we discussed recently.

Frank