What is the best time to take cuttings in west Tn. from area fig trees , and how to tell dormant wood from dead wood from freezes in late winter Jan. Feb. I assume is best time to take them but I'm not sure . No one I know ever heard of doing cuttings so I'm own my own although I have secured al least 4 fig trees for cutting so far. They all appear the same or very close to the same species except 1  and it has a very distinct leaf pattern. It has 6 or 7 individual leafs kinda finger like in appearance, with serrated edges like on each finger , not a solid leaf like the other figs trees I've seen that kinda look like oak leafs with lobes. This one has thin leafs spread out large but each leaf on it is about as wide as your index finger. Anybody venture a guess as to what this fig tree is. It is bush type tree and 15-20 years old. I marked some green limbs to come back later to take cuttings from all of them. I just need to know when to do it.  Also I ordered 4 new fig trees and 2 of them supposed to ship this week and Improved Brown Turkey and a Celestial, Do I need to plant them this fall after frost or do I need to overwinter them in my storm cellar and plant them this spring after hopefully they show signs of growth. They need to stay less than 40 degrees but above 10 degrees, is that correct or what is the ideal temp to keep them safe. I can add a little heat to my storm cellar if needed. All info is greatly appreciated . I plan on having 8-10 trees so I'll have some to share, if birds and raccoons ect don't attack top bad. Help a newbie in zone 6 and wanting figs.

You can take cuttings any time, but dormant cuttings are easier to work with and easier to store. Dormancy happens at different time in different locations.

Dead wood usually has a dry brittle look and feel. When all else fails, scratch the back and see if there is green cambium layer underneath. If not, it is dead.

I'm in zone 6b, sometimes we have hard winters and I usually have to send a lot of cuttings abroad. For me the best time i think is the middle of December, at that time the cuttings are already in dormant but we still dont have too hard temperatures what can kill them...

hi tnsigger,
Welcome to the forum.
Dormant wood is basically found on a stem that has lost its leaves due to cold temps.
Depending on how hard your first frosts are, you might want to take the cuttings sooner.
So let say, when your temps sink to -5°C/23°F at night go and take cuttings. If your temps sink straight under -5°C, go before that night .
Here in my Zone7, mid October would be a good time frame, to allow the wood to harden more, but not being damaged.
When taking cuttings try to get a whole branch - don't take tips cuttings only . That is don't take the very last 2''/6cm on several branches .
The whole branch can then be cut in 3 or 4 cuttings of 3 or 4 or 6 nodes each .
Long fingers and cold hardy ... Wild guess: Brunswick !
In Zone6 in ground, that would be a challenge for your fig trees. I would keep them potted and get them inside the garage or basement for the winter.
At Spring time, I would then bury the pots in the dirt for the roots to escape the pots and feed the tree more.
As I like experimenting, I have some trees growing like that this year. It was their first year - I still have hopes that some figs will ripen on those young trees ( root-shoots potted in 2014 to not compost them). I was surprised when I tried to move them around and discovered that they were root-anchored to the dirt ... I never gave them permission to .. oh well ... if I get ripe fruits from them, they could be forgiven :)

I heard when you prune is the best time