Last Nov, a generous Garden Web member invited me down to scoop up cuttings while he trimmed his tree.  I had a bucket of water in the car, and they were immediately put into it.

They were planted immediately and put on the drip system.  Two were planted in gopher wire baskets to protect any roots that came. 

In February/March, most had some buds, and some never got them.  One, on the West end in the gopher basket never looked back.  The one next to it, budded at the same time, is still green, but it struggles.  Not sure it has roots.

 


On the other end, it's the same story with different timing.  We almost pulled the water on the one in the gopher basket, but one day late June, it's buds started to swell.  See it now, and the one next to it, struggles.  Not sure if it has roots, but both in the baskets do for sure.  The green stuff you see on the ground is from flowering berries I pulled.  I want it to put energy into growth.  Next year there will be plenty of berries.

   

Remember, Figs are part of the Mulberry Family.  In ground, a cutting took from November to July to actually leaf out.  Patience is often required.  As you know, I just bury my cuttings and wait.  Unfortunately, the last two that popped out a few weeks ago, got scooped up by a critter.  Today after waiting an eternity, two Tena popped up, and they have gopher wire to protect them now.  I'm hoping the others will spring back.  If there were roots, they will.

I think some things just wait for the ground to get consistently warm.

Suzi

Good luck with your trees.

As you know by now, birds love grapes.

Mulberries are the equivalent of Crack to birds,
and they are all addicts.  :-)

Keep that in mind as you shape/prune the trees in the future.
One of the few trees that netting does not interfere with harvesting.
You can net, place a sheet at the base of the tree, and shake some branches,
ripe fruit will fall off and threw the netting.

Maybe let one grow large, don't net,  and let it be the attractant or "trap"
for the birds, so they do less damage to other fruits/veggies you are growing.

I'd say get a nice active dog, that will get rid of Squirrels, Birds, Rabbits, and a lot more that we can chase...even deers.

We have a family friend who live in Tujunga area, for the first time in 7 years, finally tasted their cherries because they adopted a beautiful 14 month old German Shepherd . And no more firkin Peacocks, LOL

Netting is a pain all on it's own.  I think sharing is better.  The west end Mulberry is huge, and the East end is showing promise.  Those between will be gifted to friends and neighbors IF they show they have roots.  I need a BB gun, I see.

Suzi

When it comes to Mulberries, birds don't understand what sharing is.
Their version is to eat all the perfect ripe ones,
and share the under ripe ones with you.

I agree netting is usually a PITA,
but if you train one tree to keep it dwarf,
toss netting over it once fruit is set,
then you don't have to remove netting until harvest is over.
Just shake the tree, and you get an instant supply of ripe berries
instead of hoping the birds left a few behind for you.

Makes an interesting wine as well.
Can use the leaves for tea.

my Uncle -in-law's brother makes the best Vodka out of mulberries. Smells delish and very high grade. He has an entire setup in backyard from gentle boiling the ferment to collecting the vapor through cold, running water glass pipes...it's an amazing site to watch when in process.

Jack, I see you live in NY.  The Pakistan Mulberry is not known there.  The dude who gifted me cuttings, scratched his head as he told me, "Birds don't know what to do with these berries!"  They are 4" long, and I think they scare the birds.  This is not your East Coast Mulberry.

I already thought of that wine suggestion......  Hell!  Last month I threw so many apple cores and skin into the compost, it occurred to me I should have been making apple wine!  Got a ton of apple pie filling frozen, but I may have let the best part go...  Next year

I dream of the day I get enough figs to make fig wine!  Oh yes!!

Suzi

Suzi, my new cuttings from UCDavis finally rooted, they had leaves for a while but I hadn't seen those darn roots. But now...they shine.... :)
Heck I'll have extras this year.

   

See?  What I said.  Patience!  Some figs, Mulberry family, take a long time to root.  Be patient!!

Suzi

Black Pakistan.



I also have White Pakistan... it's called something else... can't remember now..Shaharizad or something...i might be wrong