Tag: rooting fig cuttings

  • The Secret to Happy Fig Cuttings: A Little Pampering

    The Secret to Happy Fig Cuttings: A Little Pampering

    When you take a fig cutting, you’re not starting from zero. That piece of wood contains stored carbohydrates (starches and sugars) that the mother tree packed away during the growing season. Think of it like a built-in lunchbox for the cutting. What that stored energy does Before a cutting has roots or leaves, it still…

  • Look, Ma! Roots Everywhere!

    Look, Ma! Roots Everywhere!

    I’ve been hard at work rooting my 2026 fig cuttings, and I’m happy to report that they’ve officially started developing roots. Warning: Secure your lunch pail before reading the next statement. I currently have approximately 470 cuttings rooting in a variety of ways: some in water, others as fig-pops, and more nestled into coco coir…

  • Hello, Roots! My First Fig Cutting of 2026

    Hello, Roots! My First Fig Cutting of 2026

    I am not kidding when I say that every single year, the moment I spot my first rooted cutting, I get a little teary-eyed. It never gets old. This year, I’ve officially kicked off the rooting process with—drum roll, please—400 cuttings. But wait… there’s more. I’ve got another 200 cuttings tucked away in the crisper…

  • Rooting Cuttings in Coco Coir

    Rooting Cuttings in Coco Coir

    Every year, I experiment with a variety of methods to root fig cuttings, and for the most part, I’ve had great success with all of them. That said, my go-to method has always been rooting cuttings in transparent cups of water, simple, effective, and reliable. This year, however, I decided to expand my approach and…

  • Rooting Figs: What a difference a day makes…

    Rooting Figs: What a difference a day makes…

    The late Dinah Washington sang the song What a Difference a Day Makes and won the 1959 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Performance. As I gazed at the roots of this Red Lebanese rooted cutting, I couldn’t help but start singing that song. The two images below are screenshots captured from my cellphone.…

  • Rooting Figs in Water

    Rooting Figs in Water

    Not too long ago, I was gifted two White Kadota fig cuttings, and I decided to root them using the water cup method. I tend to favor this approach, especially when working with thicker cuttings, as I’ve had great success with it over the years. One common challenge many fig growers face with this method…

  • Cutting Development Stages

    I am trying to help customers of mine understand what they are buying. Most fig cuttings are taken from dormant trees, but some cuttings, when taken during the summer, are green and come from trees that are not dormant. At this stage the cutting doesn’t have any roots and its bark is smooth. At this…

  • My Newest Acquisition: Pastilliere

    My Newest Acquisition: Pastilliere

    Good golly, Miss Molly! Look at the first cutting—just look at it! It’s HUGE! This is the thickest cutting I’ve ever purchased. There was a tiny fracture at the bottom, but I trimmed it with my pruners. I washed them with cold water and dish soap, then brushed them with a toothbrush. I added a…

  • Pruned a Neighbor’s Fig Tree

    Pruned a Neighbor’s Fig Tree

    This morning I pruned a neighbor’s fig tree. I’ve been pruning this tree for several years and my neighbor lets me keep the cuttings. As you can see this fig bush has grown quite a lot this year. I brought the branches home, cut them to root them, and although I haven’t counted them, there…

  • Introducing Mario Fabrizi

    About three weeks ago, I began rooting a tiny cutting from a large fig tree that I ‘inherited’ from a family in Brewster, NY. The cutting was very thin—so thin that I initially tossed it onto the compost pile. But then I decided to give it a chance. Normally, I root thicker fig cuttings because…