Three weeks ago I went up to Virginia and stayed at a hotel near Charlottesville.  While there the grounds crew were pruning the trees for the winter.  I noticed that four fig trees were included in the pruning.  I asked for the cuttings and the foreman said - All mine - they were headed for the trash heap otherwise.  When I got home I was going to use my regular method to root - put cuttings in a good potting mix - leave on my driveway that gets sun from 9:00 to 4:00pm and water in the morning and afternoon.  However I knew I would run out of hot days so this time I am putting the cuttings in the same potting mix but covered the plant with a clear plastic bottle dome.  I noticed the dome retains both heat and humidity.  Today three of the five cuttings are now showing new growth.  

Do you think this process will result in hearty cuttings with substantial root growth?

Thanks

Tad

Tad,
Sounds like you are doing a great job. With the dome, is it necessary to water twice a day? You have to be careful of over watering or mold/fungus will grow.

FigFanatic57,

With the cooler temps I can get by watering only once every other day.

Tad

Sounds like you are headed down a successful path. I'm somewhat new at this but from what I know you may want to consider keeping it out of direct sun and as mentioned above, don't overwater. At this time of year I have my cuttings inside to try and provide a 70-80 deg F temperature.

Here's a link that discusses use of a clear dome by a guy who knows a thing or two about figs...

You got to love fresh cuttings. I find them the easiest to root the bad part is have to keep them alive through the long winter. Just be careful not to water to often.

Hi,
If you're in same hemisphere than me, we're going towards winter.
Your cuttings need to be kept in growing mode to stay alive as they don't have enough roots and energy to go dormant.
Not the easiest way but it can be done. Good luck !
If you still have some cuttings aside, put them in the fridge until April and root them then come April.
If you have more cuttings than needed, I would put some in a pot of loam but in the garage. They will stay dormant and may root and grow in April when you'll bring them outside.
It is a shot in the dark, but I have one tree out of last year's pruning that did root like that.
The success rate was not that high since I got one tree out of 4 pots of 4 cuttings each. But I had a problem with soggy potting mix (loam with lots of rain gets soggy especially on trees that don't need water because they are snoozing ) since I left them in the open outside. I should have sheltered them in the garden house.
But that's what experimentation is about: making mistakes and learning from them ...

Jdsfrance

I am in Cary, NC.  Unfortunately my wife will not let me keep anymore than two Boston Market cups of potted fig cuttings in the house at one time (under a fluorescent light) .  All the others go to the garage - kept at about 60 degrees and then on sunny days outside on the driveway.

Wish me luck - I am expecting to lose quite a few of the cuttings - but hopefully some will make it.

Tad

Tad "Happy wife Happy Life" Good Luck 

Hi Tad. I second that on the water. I'm still new-ish at rooting cuttings but going through my second round and I can tell you that I lost a few to rot from over watering It seems the advice of humid rather than wet is wise. 

I'm not sure where you are located but I've only rooted cuttings in winter - indoors on the window sill... I would be hesitant to let them go dormant while still so fragile.... I was advised early on that year 1 the new cuttings should spend a cold winter indoors.... 

Can you post some pics of the new growth you mentioned?

TorontoJoe,

Sorry I do not have a digital camera or a camera phone so I cannot post pictures.  I probably will purchase a camera phone in April 2017.

Tad

Only question I have, is the dome keeping the cuttings too warm and causing stored energy to go to new leaves and vegetative growth instead of roots?

Pitangadiego,

The dome only really keeps the heat in when I put the potted cuttings on the driveway each morning from 10:00am to 2:30pm.  It does not appear that a lot of heat in the dome is created - daily temps now are only in the low 60's (Cary, NC).  After going from the driveway they go in my unheated garage that is kept around 58 degrees in the winter.  I wish I could say I do have leaf growth - but none at this stage.

Tad

What is your hardy zone?

TorontoJoe,

I live in Cary, NC - zone 7b (just out of 7a)

Tad