I stared rather thick cuttings 7 1/2 inches long in plastic bags on top of my fridge. When they were covered with initials I put them in clear cups of vermiculite. A couple of them now have a mass of roots from end to the very end.
 
Only about 3/4 of an inch was above the vermiculite and the roots were coming out of that. I just re potted into a tall soda bottle leaving only about an 1/8 of an inch showing and still there are roots above the vermiculite. There is no sign of green anywhere. I'm not positive which end is up but it doesn't seem to make any difference since both ends are covered with roots.
 
What to do? All suggestions welcomed.
 
Peg

Peg, You could always cut a soda bottle in half length-wise and replant the rooted cutting horozontally - no up or down.  You might get multiple shoots popping that way, and be able to get more plants later.
Even if you leave them as is, the shoots will probably just do a 180 and come up through the vermiculite.  Didn't someone post about upside-down cuttings on FF?
What kind of fig is it?  Sounds like a very vigorous rooter.

It is a cutting called, "Kathleen's Black.". Other than that I have no further info. It sure is a vigorous grower of roots! Even if I replant it horizontally, I wonder if it will ever send out shoots? Has anyone ever had this experience?

Peg  

Peg, don't panic. If there are sufficient roots in the soil area, the other will eventually self prune and you will be fine. It is an indication that you have sufficient moisture/humidity to encourage root growth.



see http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/figs4funforum/vpost?id=2252706

I'd much rather have a bunch of roots and no shoots, than shoots and no roots.  I've never had a healthy, rooted cutting not produce a shoot.  It seems unlikely that no buds will break on a 7 1/2 inch healthy, heavily rooted cutting (3 nodes?).  If the buds are alive one/some will break - it might just take time. 
If you're having trouble telling top from bottom, the buds must not be very obvious.  I've noticed that in a case like that you may not get much warning - no obvious bud swelling or greening.  It doesn't look like it's doing anything, and all of a sudden there is a tiny green pinhead popping out of the bark.  It's so small that I usually wonder if my eyes are playing tricks.
Kathleen's Black sounds like it's healthy - it's probably just on it's own schedule.   

Jon,
This isn't and end cutting. It is from some where in the middle of a branch. I think there is at least one node (in about the middle of the cutting), but it is not very obvious. The roots surround the cutting from end to end with no spaces in between and extending at least 2 inches perpendicular to the stem. Not spaced out like in your picture.

How long can I keep it in vermiculite?

I tried planting other cuttings horizontally in a container in soil. It didn't work for me. I couldn't see what was going on and when I tried to get it out of the soil I broke off all the roots.

I'm scratching my head over this one. I have 4 more in cups of this same variety that are middle cuts that appear to be developing the same way. I never had cuttings that developed initials from end to end so fast.

Fignut, Thanks for your suggestions too.

Peg

Peg, I wasn't suggesting using soil.  It would basically be the same method you are using now - vermiculite in a soda bottle.  But instead of the soda bottle being upright, it would be on it's side.  Instead of the cutting being verical, it would be horizontal. 
I noticed Elder posted on this subject on the FF.  He and Plumfan originally posted the horizontal method, and it is said to encourage more shoots to break - just what you are hoping to happen.