Greetings fellow fig enthusiasts! I wanted to make this post a while back and was hoping to include lots of pictures to make things interesting but I decided I would make this post now without pictures and hope to post some in my free time. In this post I briefly want to describe a simple rooting method that I have used successfully for the past two years. First I want to say that this is not the "best method" for everyone but it works out for me quite well.
I was able to get several cuttings of Celeste and Brown turkey from family to experiment with. I also obtained very nice varieties from a few forum members. Special thanks to Frank Allen, Jo Ann and Figgy Frank. :)
There are a variety of ways to root fig cuttings. I have tried the baggy method, coco choir, peat moss, shoe boxes etc. and for me those methods just don't seem to be the best way. I have also tried rooting during winter and for now that way doesn't seem efficient but that could be because of my personal life and schedule. For you rooting during winter may be excellent and you may like the baggie or shoebox setup. Great for you, I have seen that many people love those methods and they have GREAT success with them.
I have a lot going on in life so if I can find an efficient way to accomplish side tasks without much effort then I feel like it is a big win. So my rooting method is pretty simple. You can do this a couple of ways but what I have been doing is simply cleaning my cuttings and I dip the ends of the cutting in candle wax, there are waxes that work WAY better but I had candles and this worked for me. Applying rooting hormone is optional . Then I mix some mushroom compost with sand or pine fines in 1 gallon nursery pots. Originally I have been using longer cuttings and pushing them all the way in the pot just about touching the bottom but I believe you could cut your cuttings to 2 or 3 nodes and even lay them horizontal as I have seen many do. I believe it is best to completely cover your cutting but not to much just enough to keep it from drying out, though I have never covered my completely. Then I place the cuttings in a shady spot and water every day with a hose to every other day for a couple months. Never tug on the cuttings to check for roots, they will come. I never lost any of my cuttings due to over watering but I lost plenty to dehydration. Eventually I back off on the watering and only water once or twice weekly until I can safely leave them unattended for a couple weeks. I keep the cuttings in the shade for most of this time to reduce the chances of the media and cutting drying out. From that point you can up pot or keep in the same pot until the next spring.
One tip that I noticed worked well for me was soaking the cuttings initially until little bumps appear all over the cutting. I found that I could submerge cuttings for a few days and then leave them out and soak them longer later on until I wanted to use the cuttings. The little bumps that form from soaking are places that potential roots can form.
This is not supposed to reflect the best method but an easy method for the person who has a lot going on in life. Any comments are welcome :) I will try to post pics soon.
