Seems like all my cuttings just stop growing out of now where.  Still looking overall healthy, but they seem to go from always pushing out one new leaf, to a complete hault.  In the pictures below are 3 Italian Honey's that stopped new growth about 2 months ago.  No change since other than the leaves looking a little less green.  The Hardy Chicago in the back, which i started much later, stopped about 2 weeks ago.  I uppotted all four 2 days ago, hoping that helps.  What I'm wondering now is, is this normal, or should I be doing something additional?  Fertilizer?  Maybe bone meal or worm castings?  More sun?  Less sun?

They were all started this winter, get about 3 hours of direct sunlight a day (although the IH's stopped new growth when they were still under grow lights for 15 hours a day), no fertilizer, watered only when the pots are feeling light...

I was giving the more sun but a couple leave started getting burned on one so I stopped.

Also included a pic of how the roots looked when I uppotted the other day.  Went from 1 gal to 4 gal pots.

I thought this is the time where I'd get rapid growth.  I know all cuttings can act different, but I have about 15 that are different varaties from different sources that are all doing same thing.

Any ideas?  Should I just leave it as is and wait it out?

What is your fertilizer routine? Lime?

Have never fertalized.  I know the potting soil I'm using is pretty rich (chicken manuer, bat guano, etc), but I'm assuming that doesn't count.

Has the taller darker green plan in the background been under the
same environment or is it a newer plant?

Looks like the others are missing some nutrients. If you want to stay
completely organic, I would get something like Espoma Plant or Tree Tone.
If not, a weekly regimen of Mircalegrow or Foliage Pro

The one in the back is a Hardy Chicago.  I was under the same conditions, but I started that cutting about 2 months after the 3 italian honey's in the front.  It just happend to grow pretty tall before it stopped.  The 5 other HC's it came with didn't grow that tall.

I would like to stay organic.  So no bone meal or worm castings?  Seems like that's been commonly used.  I'll check out what you suggested, thanks.

Sometimes increasing the soil aeration can help with this kind of issue.  Rich soils sometimes hold too much water, choking the roots.

In addition to the bone meal and worm castings but at  half strength with would be about 1/2 tblsp per gal

chrome360,

I have seen similar behavior.  My prediction is that with the move to a larger pot you will see a big spurt in growth again. 

Up pot with a little slow release fertilizer and lime. Once up potted pour a quart of half strength miracle grow around the plant. It should turn darker green within 1-2 weeks and resume growth.

I have two negonne trees that stopped also. I gave them bone meal, blood meal, worm castings, fish emulsion, and love. Still now new growth. I will try some of the things daid here.

CHOME, I recently had the same issue. I thought a little lime and a little fish emulsion in a 1 gallon pot
would hold my cuttings over for the first year. No no no!
There were roots coming out of the bottoms of the pots!
I got 18 food grade 5 gallon buckets at Lowes, a couple of bags of composted manure, a couple
of bags of potting soil, the "prevents over and under watering" type, mixed in lime, bone meal, some
water soluble high P fertilizer (fruit tree stuff).
I felt like I was making a giant cake for a Guiness record.
Every plant I pulled from its pot had circling roots.
It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I spent a lot of winter evenings, did
a lot of spring fig shuffles to have my babies suffer in the growing season.

It's been about two weeks. They're all growing again, three or more new leaves.
I don't know which of these things made them happy again.
I'm definitely happy that in bigger pots (5 gallon buckets) they don't need daily watering.
My two cents (and $100 in material)

Great info everyone. Thank you very much.

I would go with potting up, as Steve suggested.

Sunburn? In Seattle? Really?

I had the exact same issue but not all the roots were circling. I thought all the stuff I put in when I planted would last a little longer. It didn't. I up potted to 5 gallon buckets and added bone meal, iron out (something like that) lime pellets, Mykos 30, bug killer and Indonesian bat guano. I added guano to the bigger trees that were already in huge pots and I literally saw growth over night. I bought 20 pounds of the stuff and they will be getting it every 2 weeks from now on. I am also watering every day the sun is out and finding I was probably under watering.
I'm also convinced the overwatering that is killing fig trees isn't happening in Texas in the summer.

Repot, un tangle roots and start giving fertilizer is my opinion, they are lacking nitrogen and are root bound.

Maybe I should drill a few more hole in my pots. Is that bad? I will try to add some Iron as I don't think that's one of the things in my plants that they are getting. 

So now the million dollar question...what should I get, Plant Tone or Tree Tone?  I picture myself at the store in 30 minutes staring at both unable to decide...

If it makes a difference, this is the current soil I'm using.  Gardner & Bloome Potting Soil

http://www.kellogggarden.com/products?brand=gardnerbloome&category=gardnerbloome-soils#7

I wouldnt do anything and wait.
they are not dying so dont worry about it.

maybe if still slow growth after few months -try the ideas here one by one on few plants so you make a sufficient diagnosis.
be carfull of giving them too much  love -aka fetilizer

later

My two cents, get them back into the sun also. Those leaves developed under the lights are going to get some damage, but once the real sun loving leaves develop..that's when the crazy growth starts.

I agree.  I wasn't going to use it today, but I figure I'll need it soon anyways so might as well know which one to get.

btw your pots are black in full sun you will cook some roots ...
maybe shade them or change pot color is a good idea too. or put them in the cold side of the house wher sun exposure is there but not so many hours.

chome360,
Your potting mix seems to already have fertilizer included, but I did not see any analysis (NPK numbers). It is most likely insoluble. and you may need a boost to get the plants going again. I prefer Miracle grow General purpose to boost growth, for your situation (my mix for cuttings and plants under 1 gallon), 1 teaspoon per gallon of water, and spray the leaves (both sides) with the same mix. You should see results in days (yes days).

If you are looking to go 100% organic any balanced Organic liquid fertilizer with a 9-3-6 (NPK) ratio should work fine.

BTW I use Plant-tone or Garden-tone for figs, and you only need a small amount (1/2 cup) to inoculate the potting mix to get the microbes growing initially. The microbes do most of the work, breaking down nutrients and Limestone to make it available to the roots. You should then start to fertilize based on the recommended schedule after the potting mix fertilizer has been exhausted (in a month or two).  I would also add at least 1/2 cup of Dolemite Lime stone per 4  gallon container if none has been previously added.

Good luck.

<Edit>
 
As a visual of the technique that I have been advocating, here is a current picture of a cutting that was taken from the mother tree on April 12, 2013. It is currently outside in full Sunlight and Rain, growing in a 5-1-1-1 potting mix, with Garden-tone and weekly feedings of Miracle Grow General purpose plant food (@1teaspoon per gallon). It has been bare rooted twice so that it could be up potted. Its approximately 30 inches tall from the soil line and starting to produce multiple branches, it has only been outside one month.

my older trees have stopped growing. i'm sure it's mainly due to too much roots and water, air and nutrients are not getting to them. i'll be doing major root pruning and top pruning this winter. did emergency root pruning this spring, but i'm sure that's not helping too much. i'll be cutting 2" all round and taking 1/4 wedge of root ball out. the top will be cut down to match the reduction on the root. 

few things to try for new fig that has stopped growing, and has not filled out the container with root. 

1) aerate. 
2) dolomite lime.
3) fertilizer. 

i would poke around the soil with screwdriver or something to aerate the soil (go gentle with poking.. don't want to rip off roots). then add dolomite lime. then few days later add fertilizer. i have noticed that some container will get.. not sure what the word is.. it will get "compacted" or what not really quick. not due to soil break down, but it seems the soil just blocks the water flow when i'm watering. once i poke around with screwdriver, the water flows better and the plants look happier. 

dolomite lime is always a good idea. helps roots pick up nutrients. fertilizer to follow up with dolomite lime treatment to provide nutrient. 

Sorry for the dumb question, but do I put the lime pellets in the wholes?  Or sprink on top of the soil?  My understanding was its best to mix into the potting soil, but since I'm already potted up, what's the next best thing?  Going to water today so I want to make sure I get it right.

If you are using pelletized lime, you can dissolve each individual application in the water, and water the plants individually. It just depends on the type of limestone that you use. Pulverized can be sprinkled on top and watered in.

<edit> with the Espoma Garden Lime, I would follow the instruction, but apply it like the pelletized lime, in the water and evenly water the entire planter surface.