Register  |   | 
 
Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > what are the criteria for good cutting
 
 


Reply
  Author   Comment  
karima

Registered:
Posts: 49
Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Hi all figs lover,

I would like to have your advice on how to determine good figs cutting that produce healthy and productive figs plant. thanks
__________________
wish list Violeta, LD'A, Côtio, Bacorinho, Maltese Beauty, Maltese Falcon, Genovese Nero, Galicia Negra
bullet08

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 6,920
Posted Reply with quote  #2 
fresh dormant cuttings that were taken right before shipping. stored cutting will also root well. but my observation has been fresh cutting taken right before shipping seems to root much easier. 
__________________
Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
hoosierbanana

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 2,186
Posted Reply with quote  #3 
They should be taken from the outside of the tree, a branch that grew well the previous season because it got plenty of light, not interior branches that are pruned and discarded. Also, there should be no scratches or holes in the bark which are a sign of pathogens. 
__________________
7a, DE
jdsfrance

Registered:
Posts: 2,591
Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Hi Karima,
To me the perfect cutting should have a terminal bud .
The reason for that is that there are more nodes on the terminal part of a branch. In the middle of the branch the nodes tend to stretch as the branch gets longer .
The distance between two nodes should be around an inch .
It should have at least 4 good nodes - at least 2 nodes in greyish wood.
They should be used while fresh from the tree .
__________________
------------------------
Climate from -25°C to + 35°C
Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here
ascpete

Registered:
Posts: 1,942
Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Karima,
Cuttings (Dormant Cuttings) should be at least 3/8" in diameter (9.5 mm) and lignified with a  minimum of 3 nodes.

One note from observations, initial handling and storage are very important...
The dormant cuttings should be stored in plastic bags with a desiccant, I use 2-3 tablespoons of shredded long Fibered Sphagnum moss, but any clean dry material (shredded newspaper, paper towel etc) should work. They then should be stored in the refrigerator asap.

If fresh dormant cuttings are place alone in a plastic bag and left at ambient temperatures for several hours, condensation will occur in the bags, from the sap. If they are then stored in the refrigerator, the chances of mold growth will be greatly increased when they are later warmed up to start rooting. This mold growth occurs very quickly once they are removed from refrigeration.

Good Luck.
DesertDance

Avatar / Picture

Registered:
Posts: 4,518
Posted Reply with quote  #6 
It really depends on freshness and amount of nodes. 

Tip cuttings are the best because as jdsfrance pointed out, they have more nodes, so more and better opportunities for rooting.

Dormant are best, and it doesn't really matter if it's old wood or new growth.  They all root under the right conditions.

Fresh can be great if you get them locally.  If someone sends them to you across the country and they suffer the summer heat of the UPS truck, they can arrive slimy, moldy and worthless.

More nodes is better than fewer.

Suzi
__________________
Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
karima

Registered:
Posts: 49
Posted Reply with quote  #7 
dear all, thanks for the valuable advise. how about the parent tree should I look for matured tree which already produce fruits or can be determined by the age of the tree for example should be more than 1 year old?
__________________
wish list Violeta, LD'A, Côtio, Bacorinho, Maltese Beauty, Maltese Falcon, Genovese Nero, Galicia Negra
Previous Topic | Next Topic
Print
Reply