Hello folks

I know I've dealt with this before but I guess I crave reassurance. The cutting in this picture has no terminal bud. I think it is right side up but I want to make sure. The true question is understanding whether the wider node below is the leaf node and the smaller node above it was a fig. In which case this is right side up. Am I correct??? Thanks

that is an easy one.
the hard time comes when you have cuttings from a 40 year old tree...
now that is a puzzle. ;-)  Lol

This is the correct orientation:

 

Frank, thank you, what I was saying is what you show, the wider, shallower node (the leaf node?) goes below.

You got it!

The bud should always be on top of the leaf scar, I've never a seen a plant that didn't have that. Now if there's no visible bud...you're in trouble!

Kelby

Not all leaf scars produce buds. Not sure I understand ur point.??

The nodes are always above the leaf scar.  There are 2 nodes  or 2 aspects to one node, not sure if 'node' is defined precisely.  One can, or in this case has produce(d) a fig, one can produce a new stem.

Nice cutting, looks ready to root.
Good luck with it.

Ah thanks for the clarification Bob

Yes, that's right, the leaf scar is below buds.  But sometimes with older wood the buds aren't even visible (i.e., from 40 year old trees like Andreas refers to) and it's hard to tell until after a bud is pushing.

Several years ago a friend who operates a greenhouse propagation business (wholesales rooted cuttings) showed me that the top of a cutting is always cut at an angle slightly above a bud and that the bottom is cut flat slightly below the bottom bud.  He said this is a long-standing industry practice with the reason for the slant at the top being so that water from misting will run off and not cause rot.  So this is the practice I follow (except for tip cuttings).  Roots are most likely to form from nodes so the wood below that is of little value.  There is absolutely no value to wood above the top bud and sometimes wonder why some sellers prepare their cuttings this way except maybe it's just faster for them.

I, and I suspect many of us, make 1 cut between cuttings.  So the top cut of one is the same as the bottom cut of the one before it.  I find the strongest roots come from the bottom of the cutting just under the bark.  Roots that come from the leaf scar/node area are much thinner and weaker. So I cut just above the node on all cuttings.  The best roots come out of the wood under the lowest node so I leave all the wood under a node with that cutting.  If you scrape and use a rooting hormone the place you do it is on the wood under the lowest node of your cutting.

Here's another way to tell if a cutting's upside down

 

I always do 2 cuts between nodes.  I've received some cuttings that were 6" long with only one node.  I'm glad that they have never all been like that.

Bob

What did you do, uproot and reverse that cutting after?

I wouldn't say I "uprooted" it, but yes, I rinsed the soil off of the one that was upside down and replanted it with the roots at the bottom.  :)

Using my "amazing" artistic skills this is how i can tell if a cutting is upside down.

If you see a Big Smile its the right side up if it looks like a Frown it's upside down!

 





http://seattlegardenfruit.blogspot.com/2016/03/quick-tip-how-to-tell-if-youre-fig.html

Lol...this is a good reminder, Brian.  I had one growing upside down.  I mean, I know the difference but I guess it slipped by me.  I laughed when I realized it was upside down.  Heck, it grew anyway!

I just realized a 160-50 cutting was planted upside down (thank you, RunsSlow!).  I stared at it for about 20 minutes trying to tell, but the markings were all ambiguous.  It grew roots on both ends.  I finally cut it in half, and planted both ends.  The one that I planted correctly died.  The one that I planted upside down grew a ton of roots and pushed up a leaf.

I am not even sure how that works.  Does the xylem travel down the cutting, then back up from the budded leaf?

Any experts? lol.

Harvey, that is a great system!!  I will strive to put it into practice when I check on my cuttings in a few days.

When I grew a cutting upside-down. the leaves started upside-down, then turned upwards and is fine.

Great info for newbies like me. Thanks!

thanks everyone can you believe I had them all right my name is wright you know

Rafael,very clever and artistic :)