I have been blessed by getting my first fig cuttings from a number of generous forum members, and am about to try my first attempt at rooting them. I have a package of 25 Root Riot cubes that I plan to use for my first trial with some of the cuttings. Each of these little 'cubes' is about 1.5 inches tall. I plan to scrub the cuttings, lightly score the bark at the lower end and dip in Clonex gel then insert into a cube.

My questions are:
1. how far below the bottom node should the cutting extend? 1/4 inch? 1/2 inch? 1 inch? A few of the cuttings extend over an inch below the bottom node and I know I should shorten those to allow the lowest node to be in the cube.

2. I have read that it is usual to have 3 nodes on a cutting - for some of my cuttings that means the 2 upper nodes and up to 5 inches of cutting will extend above the top of the little cube-that seems top heavy and imbalanced. Is that the right way to do this ?

3. Some of the cutting I received have 4 or 5 nodes - should I cut those in half and try to root some 2-node cuttings?

I will likely come up with more questions later, but thanks in advance for your shared wisdom and experience!

3 node per cutting is good. unless it's rare cutting and it has one or two. if you have multiple nodes on the cutting, 3 and more, i usually cut right below the bottom node without damaging the node. it it's rare cutting and had only 1 or two node, i usually don't bother trimming the bottom, and hope for the best. 

if it's rare cutting and has 5 or more nodes, i usually divide that into 2. if it's typical readily available cuttings, i don't bother separating them. 

Thanks for the answers Pete.

Does anyone who has tried the Root Riot cubes have any comment on handling the topheavy length of cutting sticking up from the little cubes? Or a mini-forest of 25 of them in a tray?

Additional question - on rooting in sphagnum moss

The only sphagnum moss a local store has in stock is made by Miracle Grow and has some fertilizer mixed in. I am a little afraid if using that for rooting out of fear that the nutrients will encourage mold growth more than the fig growth. Is my fear justified, and do you have a preferred brand/type??

Ed,

If you mean sphagnum you want to place cuttings in to root that is the wrong type.  The stuff you are talking about is the decomposed version.  You want fresh long fiber sphagnum like they use in orchid baskets.  Any Lowes or Home depot should have it.  Small shoe box size compressed bales.  Like this.  http://www.lowes.com/pd_139450-83666-0110_0__?productId=3013230&Ntt=mosler+lee&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dmosler%2Blee&facetInfo=

Your moisture dome is only about 8" tall, so you're probably limited on height there. You should expect some of the cuttings to shoot out some sprouts before they're ready to graduate to cups or potting soil, and if those sprouts or leaves touch the dome, they'll rot.

This year I'm doing sphagnum besides rooting cubes, and skipping the cup stage on the sphagnum cuttings.
The rooting cube is good, but you can't separate it from your cutting when it starts rooting, and last year
it was difficult to keep the moisture level right at the cup stage because the cubes dry so quickly, and you don't want to overwater at that stage.

That's the same product I use, WillsC..think I also bought at Lowe's.  Very happy so far...A little goes a LONG way.  

I learned I should use surgical gloves, on you tube, when I was interested in propagating mushrooms.  That thought has passed!  Mushrooms seem really cheap at the grocery store compared to the work involved propagating. 

What I learned is that your hands carry molds, so you should wear surgical gloves when squeezing out your sphagnum moss.  That way you don't introduce foreign stuff.  Why is it so hard?

I've had cuttings mold in Sphagnum, so I'm sure I was at fault with my hands soaked in whatever I just made for lunch........ 

New year, surgical gloves, Sphagnum!! 

Suzi

Tall cuttings in a root riot dome are a bit of a hassle. If you get strong growth before adequate root growth 
(not uncommon) the cutting can easily grow too tall for the dome. It also may damage root growth as tall cuttings tend to move more because they are easier to bump and they are top heavy.
I use my 2 root riot domes only for smaller cuttings now. Anything I want to put in one of my domes I'll cut to a smaller size if need be. 
I have some very tiny cuttings that were way too small to send to any one that are happily rooting in Dome Number On, and I may be able to surprise a couple fig buddies with Maltese Beauties grown from cuttings I would have thrown away a year ago. Now any side shoot with a node on it becomes a possible tree.
Good luck.
Ask lots of questions.
Oh, yeah -- btw -- if I get big cuttings of something hard to get I will certainly divide that cutting. I try to keep all cuttings at 3 nodes or better but I don't give up on "lesser" cuttings any more.

re: tall cuttings in root riot cubes - I did not use the dome.  I have the tray in a clear plastic box with a bit of water at the bottom to promote humidity within.

Next question. Out of the 25 cuttings in my root riot cubes, 9 of them had green protruding buds.  What is the advantage of keeping these in the dark, if any. Does light really hurt them at this stage? 
My h.s. and college intro biology courses taught me that any green plant structure has chlorophyll and photosynthesis can occur - wouldn't light on those green buds start some photosynthesis and increase the energy content of the cutting?

Ed,
I rooted cuttings in standard seed starting plugs in 1020 trays with the humidity domes last year. Following the "rootriot" method with Burpee Coir Seed Starting Mix.
You can put the cuttings under a light source as many recommend, but Ive found that if left in the dark for 2-3 weeks  you will get better root development, also once in light the leaves will be more sensitive to the higher humidity of the humidity dome and they will have to be "aired out" more frequently.
The water on the bottom of the container will help increase humidity, but the best way I've found to keep the humidity high is to lightly mist the cuttings once a day, or whenever they "look dry".
Good Luck.