Every year when I root fig cuttings, I use a variety of methods. Call it experience… or call it paranoia. I simply can’t bring myself to rely on just one technique, because I’m always worried that by choosing a single path I might somehow limit the cutting’s potential. So I hedge my bets and I use: fig pops, cups of water, different media blends, the whole experimental laboratory, the whole kit and caboodle.
Earlier tonight, I was watering a few fig pops that felt unusually light. As I lifted one, I noticed something surprising: a healthy little root had emerged right at the very top of the cutting.
Right at the top? Oh my!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: fig cuttings will grow roots when and where they feel like it. They don’t read instruction manuals. In this case, the cutting decided that the ideal place to push out a root was near the uppermost node of the fig pop.
When that happens, don’t panic. Let it be. The key is simply to protect the exposed root from drying out.
In my situation, I couldn’t add more soil without disturbing the setup. Instead, I carefully sealed the top of the plastic bag as tightly as possible and added a second rubber band to secure it snugly around the top of the rooting medium, ensuring that the exposed root remained in a humid, protected environment.
Figs have a remarkable will to live. Sometimes our job isn’t to “fix” what they’re doing, it’s just to support them while they do it their way.
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Stay tuned, keep on rootin’ and happy growing!
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