Actually, the order arrived yesterday from Burnt Ridge Nursery but I am just now getting to it. I must say it arrived lightning fast. The plants look pretty healthy, but of course I'm no expert. I placed the order on April 14th. The order shipped on the 19th and arrived on the 25th. I requested large plants and this is what I received. I'm actually very happy with them. They are quite tall with just a single stem. I have some ideas but would like to hear your thoughts. I will post more pics once I inspect the roots and pot team up. The figs are Cordi and Verte (green Ischia?).

April, your trees look very nice.  Tall!  Good choice!

They're nice and tall, that's for sure

I would cut them down to about a foot or so and take the cuttings and root them. I think they are too tall. With all those additional cuttings you can have another 6 trees

Yes. They are much taller than I ever expected. I agree that they desperately need to be cut back. Is air layering the best option? That's what I was planning to do. Since space is limited, I think I may prefer 4 mid size trees to 6 smaller ones. Definitely taking cuttings would be faster but then I would need to refrigerate the cuttings and grow them out this winter, correct? I thought I read somewhere that cuttings should only be taken from dormant trees and that they need to be chilled for a few weeks before rooting them. Either way, I'm terribly excited to have them. They are my Mothers Day gift to myself. If there is a method for rooting cuttings in the Spring, someone please share. Thanks

Cut the top..( chopping it cause the tree to produce branches) . Maybe a foot or more. Chuck cutting ,root it, whatever you want. Then make sure to plant tree or put it in a bigger pot, depending on your location and it should branch out nicely in no time. Maybe use a support stick til it strengthens a bit....

Don't worry so much about six smaller or 4 medium, cause they'll all be pretty big in due time anyway

Just keep in mind where you want the current ones to start branching, if you want a bush type you can go all the way down to 1' for ex

They are  nice and too tall I agree with coop951.You get a nice chance of multiplying those babies. Good luck with them whatever you decide.

I'm pretty sure you can take cuttings from an actively growing tree and root them immediately. They do not need to be dormant and they don't need a "chilling" period in the fridge. If you root them now, you do have to keep in mind that they will still be very small at the end of the season and may need extra protection if winters are cold where you live. 

If it were me, I would air layer them. You'll have 4 healthy plants a lot faster than you would by rooting the cuttings. Also, depending on your skill in rooting cuttings, you will probably have a higher success rate with air layers than you would with cuttings, so you might end up with the same number of trees in the end anyway.

[QUOTE=cyberfarmer]I'm pretty sure you can take cuttings from an actively growing tree and root them immediately. They do not need to be dormant and they don't need a "chilling" period in the fridge. If you root them now, you do have to keep in mind that they will still be very small at the end of the season and may need extra protection if winters are cold where you live. 

If it were me, I would air layer them. You'll have 4 healthy plants a lot faster than you would by rooting the cuttings. Also, depending on your skill in rooting cuttings, you will probably have a higher success rate with air layers than you would with cuttings, so you might end up with the same number of trees in the end anyway.[/QUOTE]

CyberFarmer, thanks for the information about summer cuttings. It's exactly what I wanted to know.

I have attempted an air layer on both trees. The air layers are small, but they should be fine. I did something similar on a Japanese Maple with good results.. The Cordi will result in two equal plants, but The Verte is so tall, I may need to add a second air layer to her. Probably best to wait til next year, or just take a few cuttings in late Fall for insurance.

Thanks everyone for your input. I really appreciate the feedback.

Here are my little air layers. Not sure why I encased them in plastic bottles. I was planning to use the bottles but decided to go with old faithful--Saran wrap. They get sun from 8am til about 2:30 pm every day.