Just doing some fig cuttings.

Should I place them in the winter sun? I have been reading a few websites with people’s instructions, and they all say to put them into the shade – but they don’t say how warm the climate it is or what time of year it is.

I would have thought they would come to life a bit quicker in warm sun – I do have a little plastic hothouse I can put them in.

Just for reference, these are the temperatures we have coming up:

Tuesday Cold morning. Partly cloudy. Min 3 Max 16
Wednesday Cold morning. Partly cloudy. Min 3 Max 17
Thursday Cold morning. Partly cloudy. Min 3 Max 17
Friday Partly cloudy. Min 5 Max 17
Saturday Sunny. Min 6 Max 18

Ta :)

maybe they dry out too quick in the sun? Need to be able to survive long enough to grow new roots.

bluegreen said:

maybe they dry out too quick in the sun? Need to be able to survive long enough to grow new roots.

Hmm, there’s a thought. Maybe if I leave them in the little hothouse but out of the sun, they will get ambient warmth but not enough to dry them out?

The websites did suggest covering with plastic softdrink bottles, etc.

bon008 said:

bluegreen said:

maybe they dry out too quick in the sun? Need to be able to survive long enough to grow new roots.

Hmm, there’s a thought. Maybe if I leave them in the little hothouse but out of the sun, they will get ambient warmth but not enough to dry them out?

The websites did suggest covering with plastic softdrink bottles, etc.

I’ve done ficus cuttings before, but such a long time ago,so memory not so good.
I don’t think they are hard to strike…more, slow to strike. You will need some patience.
Cover at night time with the plastic bottles, but try to keep them well ventilated during the day to prevent disease

Muschee said:

bon008 said:

bluegreen said:

maybe they dry out too quick in the sun? Need to be able to survive long enough to grow new roots.

Hmm, there’s a thought. Maybe if I leave them in the little hothouse but out of the sun, they will get ambient warmth but not enough to dry them out?

The websites did suggest covering with plastic softdrink bottles, etc.

I’ve done ficus cuttings before, but such a long time ago,so memory not so good.
I don’t think they are hard to strike…more, slow to strike. You will need some patience.
Cover at night time with the plastic bottles, but try to keep them well ventilated during the day to prevent disease

Thanks Muschee :)

Yes, the one constant message on all the websites I read was: they tend to be pretty foolproof. Suits me!

I think I’ll leave them in the hothouse then – with the front open during the day, and zipped up at night.

Muschee said:

bon008 said:

bluegreen said:

maybe they dry out too quick in the sun? Need to be able to survive long enough to grow new roots.

Hmm, there’s a thought. Maybe if I leave them in the little hothouse but out of the sun, they will get ambient warmth but not enough to dry them out?

The websites did suggest covering with plastic softdrink bottles, etc.

I’ve done ficus cuttings before, but such a long time ago,so memory not so good.
I don’t think they are hard to strike…more, slow to strike. You will need some patience.
Cover at night time with the plastic bottles, but try to keep them well ventilated during the day to prevent disease

I’ve struck Fiddle Fig cuttings in water. Someone told me they were difficult but the trick was to be VERY patient. They took weeks to start sending out roots.

bubba louie said:

Muschee said:

bon008 said:

Hmm, there’s a thought. Maybe if I leave them in the little hothouse but out of the sun, they will get ambient warmth but not enough to dry them out?

The websites did suggest covering with plastic softdrink bottles, etc.

I’ve done ficus cuttings before, but such a long time ago,so memory not so good.
I don’t think they are hard to strike…more, slow to strike. You will need some patience.
Cover at night time with the plastic bottles, but try to keep them well ventilated during the day to prevent disease

I’ve struck Fiddle Fig cuttings in water. Someone told me they were difficult but the trick was to be VERY patient. They took weeks to start sending out roots.

I can do patient, but I probably will struggle to remember to water them every day. I suppose it’s better to do so in the morning, rather than after work, or I could make a note to do it when I check the rain gauge. I’ll see how I go in the mornings.

Nurseries that grow figs do this: Cut them into about 9” lengths, tie them in bundles of about two hundred at a time. either dig a trench or use a sand box, bury cuttings upside down covering them with about three to four inches of wet sand. Keep sand moist but use a sunny spot.

In late August to early September they shoud have started growing roots. Tip them up the other way and plant them

roughbarked said:

Nurseries that grow figs do this: Cut them into about 9” lengths, tie them in bundles of about two hundred at a time. either dig a trench or use a sand box, bury cuttings upside down covering them with about three to four inches of wet sand. Keep sand moist but use a sunny spot.

In late August to early September they shoud have started growing roots. Tip them up the other way and plant them

Thanks for your input RB – I did see your earlier mention of this method in another topic, but I didn’t think it would be the best option for me given the space and resources I have available.

This is the closest approximation of what I did do (video):
http://aussieslivingsimply.com.au/forum/fruit-vines-nuts-and-sprouts/280599-video-fig-tree-cuttings

However, not having access to a willow tree, I used honey instead.

If none of my cuttings survive, maybe I will try your method next time :)

Alternatively you may strike cuttings of figs all year round by using the tips.

roughbarked said:

Alternatively you may strike cuttings of figs all year round by using the tips.

Yes, that is the general impression I got from my Googling – if these don’t work out, I will just keep trying.

slight hijack

does one prune kalamata olive trees?

my mulberry cuttings have taken very easily – black mulberry that is.

roughbarked said:

Nurseries that grow figs do this: Cut them into about 9” lengths, tie them in bundles of about two hundred at a time. either dig a trench or use a sand box, bury cuttings upside down covering them with about three to four inches of wet sand. Keep sand moist but use a sunny spot.

In late August to early September they shoud have started growing roots. Tip them up the other way and plant them

9” eek! as in 225mm?
gawd no wonder my upside down fig burial seemed like a hoax – my cuttings were 800mm long.