..there is fire!  Where there are roots, there is a living fig tree.

So, early riser, I notice that what I thought was in the shade on our covered patio has 3 hours of morning sun, and I begin to bring in all my precious green cuttings to the well lighted guest bathroom.   All is fine, until I notice things coming out of the drainage holes of two 3-week old fresh cuttings in one gallon nursery pots.  Roots?

I never thought to check those for roots.  Just happy to see everything is still green after 3 weeks.

So now I examine the two fresh green cuttings I took from my VdB? for my new best friend, Catherine who gifted me 20 fresh cuttings of her tree, and yes, they are green, and yes, roots are coming out of the drainage holes, but strange growths are happening.

The growth tip is green and alive and not making leaves yet, but is this little thing trying to produce figs?  I did my best to get an in-focus picture from my android.  JD has the actual camera with him today.

I know I must sacrifice these small figs (If that's what they truly are) to the Gods of Figland, but I'm waiting to see if they are figs or leaves.

It is encouraging, after only 3 weeks to see all these roots in a one gallon pot from such tiny things, so I'm taking more green cuttings today!  I'm in love with cuttings the color of green! 

Also, the forty cuttings I took at the same time, and put several in one 3 gallon pot will need to be separated.  Any suggestions to doing that?  They are all green and the drainage hole shows roots.  YIKES!  I think I was pretty stupid sticking 8 cuttings in one 3 gallon pot, because they are alive and well after 3 weeks (with roots coming out of the one drainage hole), and not sure how to handle this.

Suzi

Once you get roots, get a big tub, as close to twice as tall and at least twice as long as your 3 gal pot.  Fill it most of the way with water in your bathtub, on your deck or other water tolerant surface.  Do not do this on your bed.  Wear water resistant clothing or a bathing suit. .Submerge your 3 gal pot and keep everything in that pot underwater while doing the next steps.  Do everything GENTLY.  'Soil' refers to perlite or whatever rooting medium is in the pot.  Move the pot up and down a few times to loosen the 'soil'.  Turn the pot on its side while it's underwater and slide out the 'soil' as one piece, or as close as you can get.  If it wont slide out easily swish the pot around so the water pushes against the open part and bottom alternating, gently push your finger into holes without roots, and gently move some of the 'soil' away from the top, continuing to move it to & fro or rotate it  Once everything in the pot is out, toss the pot over your shoulder as if you were at a Roman banquet.  If the 'soil' falls apart that's great.  Look at the cuttings and find the least tangled ones and gently separate them.  Repeat until there are no cuttings left.  Pot up and enjoy!    :)

BTW, the above is how to separate them, but in your photo of the pot edge, I don't see any roots.  You're there so you will know best but to me it looks like your rooting media (a 5:1:1ish sort of thing) is slowly obeying the law of gravity.

3 weeks is kind of early for roots to be coming out of drainage holes, though.  When you see those white roots, then do the above!

DesertDance i been wrong in past but in first picture of drain holes in pot that looks like sticks or bark from potting mix and also some small diameter perlite to the right of them.
Only you know for sure.

Hi Suzi,

Even with 3 or 4 or 8 in one pot, I would wait until the end of the growing season to separate them.  There is not much to be gained by doing it now..  After 6 months (to be on the safe side) most cuttings will be strong enough to withstand the root work.

I agree with Martin's observations on the sticks coming out of the drainage hole.  You can test by tugging on one.

~james

Thank you so much for all your input!  I can easily wait till the end of the growing season to separate, and I did learn a hard lesson, not to put so many fresh green cuttings in one pot!

Here is a picture for Bob, the unbeliever, that roots are actually coming out of the pot. 

I now go out in the 100+ degree temps and take another picture.  White roots turn brown when they hit the air, did you know that?

They self prune.  The tips die, but then the root puts out feeders that fill up the pot.  HUGE believer here in root pruning pots AKA those with tons of holes on the sides.

You didn't address those baby figs.  I fear they are figs, and I know I'll have to pinch them off, but would like wait and to see if they are leaves.  Their round shape suggests NOT leaves!  The tree is very productive fig wise, but I did not expect Fresh Green Cuttings to do this after only 3 weeks.

Suzi

I did tug, first gently, then hard.  HUGE resistance!

I'll wait till dormancy to separate.  Thanks for the advice!

Still, I wonder if these three week olds are trying to make figs.  When JD comes home with the camera, I'll put it on macro and try to get a better shot.  Androids are not really great at picture taking.

Suzi

I've had cuttings that produced only 1 proto-fig, no leaves or roots even though the fig was removed.  They are old enough to start work on a fig but not strong enough to survive the ordeal.  Many cuttings will try to give you a fig.  I thank them for their generosity but tell them no figs allowed before roots and leaves.  I also had a cutting that had 1 leaf bud, started what I thought was a fig.  I pinched the fig only to find it was a leaf bud and the cutting died.  You are wise to wait, young padawan.  You will also be wise to use a better camera.  The photo of that white thing curving to the right isn't clear enough for me to be sure it's a root. 

As for tugging on a root, I'd NEVER do that.  In your post #6 photo I see 1 Possible root curving to the right.  It's awfully irregular to be a root. Looking back at your first photo I still don't see any roots.  They can definitely turn brownish but they never look like pine needles and never look braided or serrated like sphagnum looks.  They never have leaf scars like twig ends do.   :)

Although James is a fig celebrity differences of opinion are what makes a horse race.  

If there are roots I would separate them right away.   If some don't have roots replace them in a rooting environment.  The rooted ones will be much easier to separate now and you'll get much better growth on the rooted ones if you start fertilizing as long as you use fertilizer strength for houseplants.  Miracle grow is 1 TBSP/Gal for in ground plants NOT POTTED PLANTS.  For potted plants it's about 1/4 tsp/Gal - the small scoop.  Or you can throw on some Osmocote or the expensive fertilizer Dr Tapla likes.

If you wait to separate you wont get much growth on any this year, you'll damage the root systems when you do (this wont harm the plant, BTW but it will have to play catch up next year) and you probably wont get any (or hardly any) figs next year.  If you separate now, fertilize and get them in the sun with shaded pots you'll almost certainly get figs next year.  Some of my just rooted 1 gal plants are already 2 1/2 feet tall with the growing season less than half over.

Lots of edits here so the final msg isn't what you got if you subscribed to the thread.  Sorry.

OK Bob,

Let's clear this up.  I did NOT tug on a root!  I tugged on the cutting.  Huge resistance.  I just wanted you to see the white little thing that just happened today, now, so you would understand that these things look exactly like the roots hanging out of the plants you sent me.  Are you saying because they are brown, they are not roots?  There is no spangum moss in the thing, so you know.

I actually KNOW the plants you sent to me are fully rooted, and by the way, they are happy and healthy in the dappled shade of my biggest fig tree.  I'd take pictures, but I only have my android...
Sorry about the pictures.  JD has the real camera, and he's traveling today.

When should I pinch what I think are baby figs?  I really want leaves, not figs, yet.

I put too many questions in one post.  Lesson learned.

Thanks to all of you who tried to answer.

Question 1:  How and when do I separate a lot of green cuttings I ignorantly stuck in one 3 gallon pot 3 weeks ago, when the two I stuck in one gallon pots on the same day have roots coming out the drainage holes?  I know they are rooted.  Tug hard on them, and they won't give it up!

Question 2:  Are these little baby cuttings trying to make figs?  The growth tip is very green and healthy, but there are strange bumps next to the tip, and lower on the stem.  Are these leaves?  Absolutely, I know they are not.  So when do I do the evil deed?

Suzi

The second picture tells a different story.  It looks like your cutting (with a small root on it) is coming through the drain hole.  This could be a bit more problematic and may require more immediate attention.

If your cuttings are set too deep in the container, the root zone could be stuck in the perched water... causing the wood to rot and the roots to die.  What are you using for a growing mix? 

James,

Don't worry.  There is no perched water.  The cuttings were placed in damp 1/2 perlite 1/2 potting soil, and never watered again for the entire 3 weeks, and still no water.  They had an empty water bottle over their heads to keep moisture in, and I have this thing called the Soil Sleuth, that I use to check moisture levels.  They are damp but not wet.  I love that sleuth!  Trust me, I am not a sales person for it, but if I was, I'd increase their business 100X!

So James, what about the little baby figgies that the cutting is trying to put out?  When do I pinch them off?

Suzi

Honestly, I think your first post was clear.  My responses were probably too long and confusing.  I do that.  So more succinctly   :)

Q1.  You're there, you've been doing this a long time, you know.  I trust your judgement.  James recommends waiting until dormant to separate.  I recommend doing it as soon as you have roots.  My reasoning and methods are in my posts above.  I will not be hurt if you don't follow my advice.  I just want you to be happy  :)

Q2 Pinch them off as soon as you're sure they're figs.  Meaning Now.   :)    They are sucking the life out of your cutting.  Apologize, tell her you want figs later so she's not confused that you're punishing her for making figs.  Tell her you're so happy that she's producing figs but it's not safe yet.  And get that fig off right away.   

You know I'm telling the truth but trying to make you laugh, too, right?  I'm not being successful at this today.   :)  I annoyed someone else earlier.

Q2 I think everyone would agree on.

Q1 my reasoning in a nutshell:  Why I think you should separate now:

1.  It's easier. 
       Now you will have a few 4" roots to untangle. The plants will probably separate by themselves in a water bath.

        In 6 Mo you will have dozens of 20" roots to untangle

2. A rooted plant in its own pot will grow faster and stronger and give you figs sooner

OK, Bob,

I'll separate in a garbage can half full with water.  Can't do it in ours, need a new one.  I'll see what the 99 cent store has to offer tomorrow, plus I need about 40 new pots and a ton of perlite and potting soil!

And you said what I knew in my heart.  Pinch the figlets off!  I hate to do it, but I do it with the baby grapevines all the time.  Sick, in a sad way, but it must be done.

Words are weird in the changes they make.  "Sick" used to mean ill or bad, but now it means "totally awesome!"  And then gay, look how that meaning has changed.....

Thanks for all the advice everyone.  I think I know what I have to do!

Love this forum and all of you!
Suzi

Suzi,
 That green bud on top looks more like a leaf bud to me, would not remove just yet. I also agree separating sooner will be easier, just go slow, a few damaged roots should cause too much of a problem. As you noted, when the roots are cut the plant produces more and finer feeder roots.

Take figs off as soon as you know they are figs.  Normally, I use a razor to cut the fig in half so it is still attached to the cutting.  The tree will abort it from there and form some scar tissue as it does.

As for the roots, Bob is right, the roots will be intertwined at the end of the season.  It does not, however, matter.  If you are going to repot the cuttings at the end of the year, you will need to root prune them to fit the container they are going in.  If  your container is 11" in diameter (roughly a 3 gallon nursery pot), you will not want any roots longer than 3-3.5 inches long:

11"D/2= 5.5"-2" (room to grow) = 3.5"

Thanks Barry!

I am a firm believer in root pruning pots, so I know it will be OK to replant them now, keep them in the shade, and I actually dream about this stuff!  That makes me a certified fig "nut."  All the pots I purchase from this day forward will have holes manually drilled in the sides to encourage aeration and root pruning.

I already knew, Bob, that I should dust those baby figlets off, but I needed somebody to tell me to do it!  Amazes me that a cutting would try to produce figs!

Tomorrow is another day.  It's after 4PM, and I just broke open a bottle of really old Pusser's Brittish Navy 95.5 proof rum from the estate.  Its dwelling in some coke and ice, and I am heeding the call! 

See you all in the AM!

Suzi

James,

Thanks so much!  I have pomegranates from UC Davis too, and we killed one.  Didn't mean to, but the dripper fell out and we didn't notice, until it died.  We flushed it with water, and guess what.  It's fully leafed out and making more pomegranates than the other ones that didn't suffer.

Go figure.

I know grapevines and figs and pomegranates are really tough and hard to kill.  Green cuttings seem easy for me.  Not so good at that whole (rolling eyes) callousing thing, but the greenies are easy peasy!

Back to my RUM and coke!
Suzi

Hi Suz.  Now that you've hopefully recovered from your rum, why don't you do the fact finding for us.  Take 20 identical containers of figs with 8 cuttings each.  Separate half on rooting and let the other half grow in the container for a year.  Don't root prune the first ones, just up pot as needed (before the roots start curving around the walls).  Root prune the second half.  Then we'll really know.<br /><br />James is more experienced, more famous and better looking than I am.  I, however am greedy and have grown figs for several years without getting more than 5.  Last year I had to be away from home from March to July.  The figs got no water (they were in the garage).  It's a miracle any survived.  This year when I brought out my big trees I put them where moles were soon to travel.   My dogs upended then dug among all of them.  I lost every DK breba.  I have lots of green 'cuttings'.  I have no figs.  They are just now starting to put out green growth.  Temps were in the high 30s as little as 3 weeks ago.  I'm hoping my VdB will give me a fig or 2.  It's the same every year.  <br /><br /><br />I'll bet a rooted DK plant that you'll get more figs in year 2 from the separated ones than the grown together ones, especially if you fertilize.<br /><br />How are your desert king cuttings doing?

Sounds like a huge task!  I dont have enough green cuttings to do your project!  Maybe in a year or two...

My VdB Breba are starting to ripen, and the main crop is showing.  Lots of figs!  BUT it's warm here.  104-107 degrees this week.

My desert King cuttings seem fine!  No green yet, and can't tell if they have roots.  I won't know about the ones outside until they sprout up!

Suzi