Hey folks,

I'm starting teaching at a small, liberal arts Christian college this Fall teaching biology, environmental science and the like. For my into biology lab, I'd like to have my students start some fig cuttings to teach them some basic botanical concepts - clonal growth, etc. and be able to let the ones that want to take their rooted cutting home...

Herein lies the problem - the plant biology portion of the class is in October-ish, so I'd ideally like to get them started with rooting the cuttings in September. That means either I need to, a.) have the students start green cuttings or b.) find someone who has some dormant cuttings for sale.

I haven't been able to find a good procedure for rooting green cuttings online, so if someone has a good instructional for that - that would help my problem quite a bit, as I have plenty of fig trees around to draw from. But, I'm guessing that even still dormant cuttings will be best. Does anybody know of any sources for dormant cuttings this time of year? Got a bag still sitting in your 'fridge somewhere?

I can pay a wholesale rate, of course - Ideally I need ~150, but I could make due with ~75. Doesn't have to be a fancy variety or anything.

Thanks in advanced all...

And while we're at it, I found out a friend had a fig tree with some tasty figs on it. It's in Western NC, but she said her mother brought it from Eastern NC. The brebas just finished, main crop is on the way. Any ideas?

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/search?keywords=green+cuttings&searchin=message&member=&do=findposts&replies=atleast&numreplies=0&daterange=0&custdatefrom=&custdateto=&sort=&order=desc&radio_showas=threads&btnSearch=Search&action=doSearch

Hi,
So you'll be teaching your students to start a plant on a bad planning !
The cycle of the plants is normally starting in February and the growth season is in Spring and Summer ...
Or will you have grow lights and a greenhouse with heat, light and all ?

For green cuttings, there is nothing special to them except that you can't store them for a long time, or even at all.
You'll have to start rooting them just after they are cut.

September / October (wet weather), unless you have the greenhouse with heat, moisture control and light, is really a bad idea. You'll have lots of failures .

Well... it is an institution of higher learning... so, yes - we have a controlled growing environment. Thanks.

Josh,I just sent you a pm.

I think I can help u out.
I sent PM.
Green cuttings are great but as remarked you have little time to start them. I always insist on overnight delivery. 

I just saw this today. Fairly cheap considering. I believe that these are probably LSU Scott's Black, despite what the seller says the trees were labeled. I asked them, and they said the figs were red inside.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/LSU-Black-beauty-Fig-Cuttings-on-Sale-25/322604089705?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649



CliffH

Thanks all around - between the folks they've PM'd me, I think I'll have plenty for my classes (6 Bio labs! They kept me sane by giving me ecology though...) Many thanks!

That fig you have asked about appears to be a Hunt. I'm taking a guess without seeing leaves.

If you do get green cuttings they're pretty easy to start. I grow mine the same as if I was starting a green grape vine. Leave 2 or more buds scar the bottom inch of the cutting and remove all but 1 leaf, take the last leaf and trim it to a third of its size. Place it in a pot that's a 50/50 soil and perlite mix and water every other day with a strong dose of miracle grow and once a month a very watered down fish fertilizer....once you have buds pull the leaf off and it will be good to go..I've yet to lose a green cutting