Have a couple questions for the fig gurus about a particular cutting.  This is a Valle Negra cutting, from Encanto Farms, only received one due to popular demand.  This cutting is 7 & 3/4 inches long and has 15 nodes and a tip.  It seems covered with small 'buds' that I think are brebas.  Two photos below (sorry for the marginal photo quality from my iPhone).

Question 1 - are those brebas?  (obviously if so they should be removed, I have had a few cuttings where green brebas popped out early in the rooting process but only this one and another cutting from Jon have arrived like this)

Question 2 - would you cut this stick in two to make 2 cuttings to improve the chance of success or just root one big healthy cutting?  If it is cut in two, I will likely root one in a mini-SIP and one in a baggie with paper towel.


Thanks in advance for sharing the voice of experience!

I would be very tempted to cut it in half, just to have a 2nd chance at it.  It's perfect as is...just depends on how lucky you feel and how confident you are in your rooting.
I wouldn't remove any brebas until they actually emerge, but you may want to wait on other opinions first.
Best of luck!  This is a great variety from what I hear.  I'm growing it as well.

i would cut the tip off, and cut the rest in two to root two cuttings. if there are 15 nodes, that's plenty for 3, but at 7.75", that would be small cuttings. 

as to if they are brebas... not sure from the pix. i would leave them on till either they drop on their own, or start growing and sucking energy away from the leaf bud. i can't never tell if they are figs or leaf buds. some say one is more rounder than the other. 

If you do cut it I would wax the top cut of the bottom half to keep it from drying out. I actually am doing that with the bottom cuts of my cuttings this year also to help prevent it from rotting (I find if they do rot that's where it starts). I just drip candle wax to seal the ends.

Hope it grows well for you!

Tyler

I would also to cut it in half and double your chances.
As for the breba, leave them on until they show signs of growing then cut them off. It's easier to break them off when they're in the green soft stage.
Good luck in rooting them.

When I have cuttings like that I do pull off the little brebas and those sure look like them to me. I don't want them sucking energy from my cuttings even for a second.

Cutting it will be a personal choice but if it were me I would absolutely cut it in half and possibly thirds.
I hope it does great for you.

Thanks all for the welcome advice.  I was leaning toward the idea of making two out of one. 

Pete, I am not sure about the idea of taking off the tip.  I have only limited experience with this so far, but the several cuttings I have rooted with a fat, healthy looking terminal bud have sprouted those out just fine.  What is your concern - I think I have seen you express that idea before.

Cutting the bud will get the tree to bush out and leaving it will give you the option for a tree form. I personally like to have my trees in a tree form so I leave the buds and cut the tree when it gets to about 5 feet to encourage branching.
Personal preference.

now days i cut them off since i never had fast rooting and leafing out with tip cuttings. there is certain hormone that prevents tip cuttings from rooting fast. the tip bud suppresses something.. i think pete s. had a post.i forget what that is. i'm sure everyone's experience is different. however, if i root 10 cuttings with tips only 1 or 2 will response in reasonable time. i think someone put it nicely "rooting is race against time". sooner you root them, and sooner they are in 1 gal and outside, they have better chance of survival.

good example is my two Maltese Beauty cuttings. one was tip cutting, and another was not. the non-tip cutting is now in the 1 gal and the roots have reached the drain hole. the other, tip cutting ddin't response to anything until about a month ago i remove the tip. i hate taking tips off when they are in the cup. it didn't show any roots at that time. 

i noticed bud breaking about a week or two ago, and roots pushing to the edge of the cup. it was about 2 months slower than the non-tip cutting. then there is USDA/UCD Ischia Black. they sent one long cutting. i cut that in two. the bottom cutting rooted fine and i put it into a cup. the top cutting with tip still on it didn't do much of anything and died. it did put on a tiny leaf that was so pretty.. 

but then there is another varieties the doesn't seem to have this issue. Kathleen's Black roots no matter what for me. 

so to improve my chances, i remove all the tips now days. they root faster for me this way. 

of course, final choice is up to you. if it works for you with tip still on, why not? :) 

Ed,
Yes, they look like breba.

I would agree with Pete about removing the tip... not that us Petes stick together : )
But, I would cut off the tip with 2 - 3 nodes and try to root it along with the larger portion of the cutting. A larger cutting will have more stored energy to root and grow, actually increasing your chances of success. I cut the bottom end just below a node and seal the cut ends with melted wax and have had increased success.
Good Luck.