I've tried severals times to start figs from cuttings and so far haven't had any luck.  I tried air layering on a branch approx. a month ago....with success!  I see roots inside the plastic coke bottle.  Okay, I need help now from all you fig experts.  When do I cut the air layer away from the mother plant?  And after I do can I plant it in the ground at that time?  FYI I am attempting air layering on my mulberry also and have not saw any roots yet.    Thanks...

I'm interested to know the answer to your question!  Air layering is easier for sure, but you have a valid question! 
Suzi

i don't know when is the right time to cut it off. however, what i do is cut it off when there are enough roots to support the top growth. i looks for massive root growth before cutting it off.

once cut off from the parent tree, i usually put it into a container/pot with moist soil mix and let it rest of couple weeks under the shade.. or when the air layer looks like it will survive. then introduce to sun slowly.

pete

You want to see a great deal of roots. Cover the bottle with foil to shade the roots from sunlight. Continue to monitor moisture in the bottle. When you have alot of roots cut the air layer off remove the bottle and plant be careful not to disturb the root mass. then remove half of the leaves on the top of the air layer. you need a few leaves but the majority will need to be removed or cut in half remember you cut the main plumbing and the new small root mass cannot continue to feed the original top growth. I usually remove leaves from the bottom up to the top two or three leaves. place it the shade for about 7-10 days and put the new tree on my weekly water soluble fertilizer schedule. you will see it start to put on new growth then you can move it back into the full sun.

Im not an expert but the more roots the better. When you open the airlayer be gentle and slow so it does not fall apart. Lots of roots makes this process little easier.

Kinda like how a rootbound plant coming out of its pot does not fall apart in an extreme example.

Okay, so I'm not going to get in any hurry to cut the air layer off....probably the longer it stays on - the better.  Then put it in a pot until probably fall or spring of next year...then plant it in the ground.  You all have been very helpful....thank you.

More roots is better. There is no need to be in a hurry to remove it. When you remove it, put it in a shady, high humidity environment.

It had been relying on the parent plant for water input. When you cut it off, it only has the new roots you grew in the bottle, so you want to minimize water loss and sun/heat stress until it stabilizes. Most will adapt in a week or so. Then acclimate t increasing amounts of sun slowly. Being in a hurry will only get you a dead plant. You have invested this much time and effort, so be patient a little longer. With Black Madeira, I keep them in the greenhouse over the first winter before I am sure they are good to go.

I usually wait until my roots are at least a few inches long, about as thick as pencil lead, and have at least 1-2 branches showing.

After cutting from the parent tree, I clip all but a couple of topmost leaves so the plant can't expire as much water (less water uptake is required).  I keep the plants in mostly shade for 1-2 weeks minimum (more sun = more water loss).

I've seen some who like to cut theirs off when you can't even see any soil - totally rootbound.  I prefer not to do this.  I try to cut mine before the roots cover 25% of the soil pouch. 

Updates on my fig and mulberry air layers.......I now have a new fig tree and a new white mulberry tree.  Both air layers attempts have been a success!  I have tried to start figs by cuttings several times and never had any success.  I am glad I have found an easier way.  Thanks, everybody for your help.

here is when i cut mine 

Dang. I wish I had some figs that I wanted more of, and that were large enough to try air-layering. Maybe soon.

I was thinking I could use the small water bottles from costco. They are short, easy to cut in half, easy to hold together, and would hold about 1 cup of mix for smaller branches.

If you are using the plastic bag for airlayering, do you ever open it so the roots can have air?   Do those roots need air?   My air layer of a guava tree didn't work.  The bark that I scraped off just grew right back after a month.  I rescraped the bark off until I see white this time, and repacked with potting soil mixed with spaghnum moss.   Before it was just MG potting soil so I don't know if that was too wet.    

I used 16.9 fl. oz. plastic Coke Bottles but I did have to put water in them from time to time.....so plastic wrap may be better because I assume Dave didn't have to add any water? 

[QUOTE=cookie_dr]I used 16.9 fl. oz. plastic Coke Bottles but I did have to put water in them from time to time.....so plastic wrap may be better because I assume Dave didn't have to add any water? [/QUOTE]

I don't know what Dave did with respect to watering, but any medium in which there are actively growing roots, the roots themselves will be removing water for the upper part of the branch they are forming on. That's their job, so to speak. I would think periodic watering would be beneficial, even necessary esp after there are good, functioning roots showing. :)

Cookie dr what i like to do is let bottle get lots of roots so when i open water bottle to transplant in pot the rootball holds together and not fall apart which can be bad all around.

Example  - click to enlarge

What these pictures show are roots circling AKA rootbound.  This is not a good thing.  Next time I do some air-layering, I will drill holes in the plastic bottle and the tin foil, so when the roots meet the air, they will prune themselves, branch out inside, and be a healthier root mass.

I still think a month is enough, and a couple weeks in shade after cutting is ideal.

Suzi

LOVE those POWER TOOLS

Desertdance thats not rootbound it would have to be in a pot for 3 years to get rootbound depending on cultivar and container and even longer before strangulation and eventual death .

After 3 years one can have difficult time watering because water will not penetrate and run down the sides of pot out the drain holes and its downhill from that point.

The smaller the pot the faster plant can get rootbound as well and need rootwork sooner if it always grows in such container.

Here is a rootbound fig plant after 3 years in same 25 gallon pot and easily solved by rootpruning.

These pictures are not the final pictures of rootwork but an example i took in my garage when being done.

As a note i never lost a fig tree due to being rootbound and strangled as i rootprune my plants on a rotating basis every year.

Its one of the few things i do not enjoy about growing them in containers.

Martin, I didn't mean to destroy your methods.  You have proved them many times over. 

I just wish people would understand that if they put a plant in a pot with holes all over the sides, the plant will not circle.  It will stop, put out branches inside, take advantage of the nutrients, and live large.

I'm a democrat.. Go figure!

Suzi

[QUOTE=Dieseler]Cookie dr what i like to do is let bottle get lots of roots so when i open water bottle to transplant in pot the rootball holds together and not fall apart which can be bad all around.
[/QUOTE]

Martin, the roots on your air-layer look wonderful and very healthy. I'm hoping to get ones as good when I do some air-layering. I looked at my young plants today and think some of the first ones I rooted (and don't care as much about) could be air-layered moderately soon. I suppose that's why it's good to root some unknowns that prove to be ordinary - you can practice air-layering and grafting on them. :)

Cookie, I had a bunch of air layerings on the same tree once in a while I would just get the hose  and just let the water run down the branches  into the top of the bag  even though the bag was tied with a twisty tie the water still ran down inside giving it just enough water plus I had it covered with tin foil to help it from drying out and to keep the area warm which helped the roots grow faster 

[QUOTE=cookie_dr]I used 16.9 fl. oz. plastic Coke Bottles but I did have to put water in them from time to time.....so plastic wrap may be better because I assume Dave didn't have to add any water? [/QUOTE]