Starting Fig Trees from Cuttings

Right now is an excellent time to start fig trees from cuttings, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Today I made cuttings from my Desert King fig tree, the most dependable fig tree variety for maritime Northwest growers. I always get big crops from this tree every year and my friends get even bigger crops off their Desert King.

I was looking for a good instructional video and here is one from Kyle at Urban Farmstead, he details two methods and as you will see, both are effective and fast ways to grow more fig trees:



Do you like to propagate figs or have a favorite variety?

We must be on the same wavelength. I was thinking about figs earlier today. I have propagated several types from many cuttings. Black mission, brown turkey, celeste, hardy Chicago, kadota, & Texas blue giant. They all did quite well except the Chicago hardy. I suspect it is just too hot here in TX for that variety.

I liked the video. I prefer to make a steeper angled cut on them though. Roughly 45-60 degrees. Might not matter much but I feel it gives more area for new roots to develop from. I have never used a heat mat (plenty hot enough in TX) or containers to start them. I put them directly in the ground but do add a little compost into the native soil. Rooting hormone definitely helps a lot with figs! The soil needs to be kept moist until they sprout leaves & get established a bit. Soon I think I will try the bucket method shown on the video.

Another basically foolproof method is to stake a low hanging branch to the ground. Cover it with soil & keep it moist. After a while it will develop roots in that spot. Then just cut the new plant from the mother & dig the end of the branch up roots & all. Very easy.

Thanks, M.K. Dorje Sr.!

Getting this done today, with the cuttings we got from you.

I'll post pics when they are all leafy.

-Jeff

Thanks Jeff and good luck!

Thanks for sharing! That's super speedy for fig rooting.

Usually I see the adventitous roots forming from the lenticles, aka air pores on the branch in easy to root willow and mulberry. Fig branches are much smoother so the slashing should make hormone, air and water to reach the cambium layer directly. Typically it takes 2 months for me to root fig the regular way. I just took cuttings from 5 varieties today to see if  the vertical slitting method will speed it up.

I've been propagating like a mad man before all my other potted trees start exploding taking all my time, i stated this year with a couple barely rooted cuttings of a fairly large brown turkey i have yet to get fruit from but no matter and a violette de bordeaux, now i have another decent sized one it's a lil ruby. But I also have 15 on a shelf ten in the spare bathroom and a large tote outside with a greenhouse plastic and sunshade on for the lid setting which environment fits best🤣 in talking just shy of 50 cutting and at least ten or more varieties