Q. I tried to start fig trees by cuttings taken from my
big, sturdy tree and putting them in water or soil. Not much luck. How can I
start new fig trees?
big, sturdy tree and putting them in water or soil. Not much luck. How can I
start new fig trees?
A. Figs are easy to start from cuttings provided you take
them at the right time of year, the cuttings are the correct age and they are
placed in a soil or medium that drains water and free from disease. They can
also be started by air layering or rooting suckers at the base of the tree
trunk. Placing cuttings in jars of water or using garden soil can lead to drainage
and disease problems.
them at the right time of year, the cuttings are the correct age and they are
placed in a soil or medium that drains water and free from disease. They can
also be started by air layering or rooting suckers at the base of the tree
trunk. Placing cuttings in jars of water or using garden soil can lead to drainage
and disease problems.
 |
| Suckers growing from the base of the trunk can be covered with soil, kept moist and they will grow roots. These rooted suckers can be potted and put in indirect light until fully rooted and then planted. |
 |
| Air layering or marcottage can be used to form roots coming from damage done to stems on many different types of trees. Just do it at the right time. |
Cuttings
taken from new growth in the spring are 6 to 8 inches long and range in
diameter from pencil sized to as big as your thumb. With a sharp, sanitized
pruning shears remove a length of new growth. Cut this new growth into pieces
just below a node on the bottom and just above a node on the top. Include at
least four nodes on each cutting and remove any leaves present on the cutting.
taken from new growth in the spring are 6 to 8 inches long and range in
diameter from pencil sized to as big as your thumb. With a sharp, sanitized
pruning shears remove a length of new growth. Cut this new growth into pieces
just below a node on the bottom and just above a node on the top. Include at
least four nodes on each cutting and remove any leaves present on the cutting.
 |
| Cuttings don’t have to be from large stems. |
Push these
cuttings into perlite or sanitized potting soil in a clean container that
drains. Stick these cuttings upright, a couple of inches apart, so that two of
the nodes are beneath the soil or media and two are above. Use a rooting powder
for a larger number of roots that are more vigorous.
cuttings into perlite or sanitized potting soil in a clean container that
drains. Stick these cuttings upright, a couple of inches apart, so that two of
the nodes are beneath the soil or media and two are above. Use a rooting powder
for a larger number of roots that are more vigorous.
 |
| Wine grape cuttings stuck in an amended soil and rooted. |
Place
this container out of the direct sun but where there is plenty of indirect
sunlight and keep it moist. Rooting occurs first followed by leaf development.
Leaf development is a sign rooting has occurred.
this container out of the direct sun but where there is plenty of indirect
sunlight and keep it moist. Rooting occurs first followed by leaf development.
Leaf development is a sign rooting has occurred.
 |
| Grape cutting forming roots at its nodes. |
Figs
can also be started from the suckers at the base of the tree or by air
layering. The base of the tree is mounded with soil around the suckers and kept
moist. Damaging the sucker before mounding encourages root development.
Traditional air layering methods can be used but keep them in the shade of the
canopy so it is not damaged by direct sunlight.