I have several totes under grow lights at the moment.  The cuttings are in the clear cups and the roots are almost filling up the cup.  If I were to make a simple greenhouse outside, would these cuttings do ok with lower 70s during the day and upper 40s at night?  I would basically use 4mil plastic to enclose the area.  Not sure if this is too risky.  Would you allow the sun to hit the plastic or keep the greenhouse in the shade for now?  Thanks

Temperatures above the freezing point should be OK.
Plants taken from inside should be acclimated
to the outside from both direct-sunlight (UV) and
(drying) winds - aka., in a protected-shady-spot.

I think the tender leaves would fry like French fries in hot oil. If you put them outside I would put them in a shady area and hope you don't get a freezing night. We're still going to get frost in my area.

i usually move them into 1 gal, then just leave it outside once the night temp is above 50. so far i have not had any specific issue. i think more soil gives more stable condition maybe? i use 16 oz cups for the cuttings before going to 1 gal, and i usually find that the 16 oz cups dry up really quickly outside.

Thanks guys.  I may try 1/4 of my inventory to test it out.  I'll keep them shaded for a while.  I'd love to hear from anyone else who's done this.

oh, by the way, i keep them under front porch. i don't leave them out in full sun. it gets filtered sun during the day.. few hrs in the morning, and few hrs in the afternoon. so far, no issue with leaves burning up for last 3 yrs. they stay there for a full year, then next yr, move to bigger pot and go to back deck where they get full day's sun. sensitive ones are kept near the house where they get partial sun.

I didn't realize they were that sensitive to full sun while in a 1 gallon pot.  Have you tried any 1st year trees in full sun before?  I'm sure it's a case-by-case type of thing.

frank,

those who has been left in full sun, most of them have nice burnt leaves :) even my 10 gal trees now have burnt leaves and they have been out there in only few days. usually they will fall off and new leaves will replace them. however, with new cuttings, i don't want to get their hard earn leaves to fall off if i can help it.

Hi , I have a green house and if you put the figs in  the sun they will fry. make them some shade to start with, also a simple small greenhouse can reach 150 degrees in just a few  minutes. the rule on a green house is you need 10 ft x10 nft to keep a stable temp.I would just cover them at nmight if to cold Rex.

Frank,
Not sure what you mean by first year trees. Dormant or actively growing?
Buds breaking from dormancy in the full sun are fine and will naturally develope endurance as they enlarge regardless of tree age. Cuttings or trees which have leaves developed inside need to be acclimated to everything outside including sun, wind, heat, pounding rain...

Calvin,

Pete mentioned he puts his 1st year cuttings under the front porch for a year.

Let me add this info:
The cuttings in clear cups have leaves.  I understand they will need to be hardened off when they go outside.  So to get my basement back in order, I wanted to move these cuttings outside safely by putting them in a greenhouse.  After they move to 1 gallon pots, I'd say within a month from now, I thought they might be ready for direct sun.
Thanks for the help thus far!

Frank,

A section of wood lattice from Lowes or Home depot proped up on something like some masonry bricks and weighted or secured so it wont blow off onto the babes works great as a way to provide stage one dappled sunlight.

My opinion is I wouldn't put cuttings out in the sun until transplated into a 1 gallon nursery pot and then only after acclimating them to sun, wind & rain as other have noted. 

I currently have figlets in 1 gallon nursey pots in full sun here in Houston, TX but it hasn't even started to get as hot as he"double hockey sticks" yet.  These figlets were started as cuttings Nov/Dec 2012. 

Now, will I be able to leave these figlets in full sun in the middle of summer here?  I don't know for sure.  A full day of intense sun in a 1 gallon pot may bake them.  So it will be trial and error until I figure it out.  A few figlets that I have doubles of will be my guinea pigs.  When it gets really hot here they will go in full sun and see if they can make it through the day without water or turning into a pile of ashes.

I bet you're gonna fry 'em unless you have mulch around the pots. IMHO With mulch I bet they'd be fine.
I don't know if I'm even comfortable with the 15 gallons in August.
Roasted Fig Root for supper to garnish the possum??? HAHAHA