A Simple Way To Root Fig Trees Part 1 - Propagating Figs

[@StephanieMcGraw1313]

Hi, thank you for the video. My sister and I are both taking cuttings from my dad's fig tree. He passed away a few months ago and we both thought it would be awesome if we each had trees from his. Winter may not be the ideal time, not sure, but thanks for making the propagation seem less intimidating. I've propagated plenty of aroids, the fig tree, any tree, intimidated me. If I fail I'll try again in summer. Thanks again!

[@andielliott7721]

I am amazed at how easily fig cuttings grow. Good tip on not cutting the leaves.

[@beetickler6418]

I managed to successfully root a fig using cuttings I made in February (zone 7). I just stuck it into the dirt in my vegetable garden. Lucky, I know!

[@Romans6.1-2]

That’s the way they used to do it years ago.. it still works.

[@emilyryan9194]

I followed your instructions on growing figs from cuttings. Amazingly for me (I usually have bad luck or bad skill or both with growing things) I got 4 very nice fig plants. I babied them thru the winter and once Spring arrived I was ready to plant out. Until we were hit with monsoon-like rains. I have 2 mature figs that I got from a nursery yrs ago and they dropped all their leaves, I think due to the excessive rain (we got 11 inches in June). I was afraid to plant my figs in such conditions as the ground just stays soggy and now they are still in the buckets they were started in. Now we have had Hurricane Ida. I left the figs on my porch where they could get some sun and rain. If they are still alive when we return, how should I proceed? Put in bigger buckets? If so what kind of soil? Any fertilizer? I enjoy your u tube videos and have learned a great deal from them.

[@wrenly23]

Thank you for this teaching and also for the cutting video. Figs appeared on my tree, at last! Very excited, but didn't have a clue. It was just nice to know that I cut cull my tree back, as it is getting large, and is inside a green house. Figs arrived only last month (september). Thanks again

[@BlackANDyellowBEAST5]

When doing leaf reduction, what time of day did you take the cuttings? If you did the cuttings when the sap was running I can almost guarantee that's why you got such a low rooting percentage with the leaf reduction. It's best to do leaf reduction while the cutting you are planning on taking are still attached to the tree. You also only want to do leaf reduction at night while the sap is still down in the roots. (Sap runs to the leaf tips in the day so you are most likely drying the cutting out to the extent that they can't adequately recover and easily fall susceptible to disease)...not trying to sound arrogant just trying to spread the word! Happy growing!

[@skyesnitch7309]

Hi Jim. Rohan here from Australia. Did you have holes for drainage in the bottom of your black pot?? Thanks

[@JimPutnam]

Yes, you definitely need drainage holes. Good luck!

[@tumbleweed57]

Good info Jim. I purchased a couple of small fig trees last fall. I planted them nicely and squirrels ate the roots on one. The other one is looking of. We have had tons of rain in 8a. Not sure it will make it but 🤞🏻!

[@JackSpellerberg]

I didn't know we could try propagating during the current years growth! I like the thought of putting them outside to root instead of indoors under a humidity dome, heat mat etc. Thank you for making this video it was very helpful!

[@heapengngov2694]

Jack Spellerberg ii

[@celymrivera416]

Air layering method is the best easy fast effective successful way to have another rooted fig tree as I did❗️🙏👍🏻🤗❤️🇨🇦❤️🇵🇭❤️🙏

[@meredithab05]

I love your channel, you provide great information. I am surprised that you don't have higher rates of success with your figs. My husband and I tried propagating figs for the first time earlier this year. We took several cuttings (maybe 8) and stuck them in well composted soil and all but one rooted and are looking beautiful. Maybe the conditions were just perfect that one time. I am about to try some more, fingers crossed we have half the success we had the first time.

[@sherryglisson4885]

Hey can I propagate brown turkey figs from thicker older branches? I have 2 figs that grew absolutely HUGE and I have to prune them or I can't even reach my rabbit barn because one of them just took the oath away from me......i hate to do this and just hate to throw away all that extra plant material in in TN and it's already warm here. Thanks.....

[@dedeselph]

I have a huge fig tree that was already quite large when I bought my house 20 years ago. Oh how I wish I had watched this video way back then! Now I have no idea how to prune this monster and would really love some advice. Thanks, Dede in Moncks Corner, South Carolina

[@leeconradi8918]

TY Jim. Originally got a real Italian fig tree in NY(Long Island) from my Croatian neighbors many years ago. In Cape Fear, NC, where we are retiring, we got a baby plant off the NY mother plant. It's growing like gangbusters here, and I only come here like once a year. The main trunk is like a tree in the backyard might be four inches across. I want to propogate it and hope this works! TYVM, and have a great day. Lee Conradi

[@clarencego4725]

Excellent tips for the rooting system to share with us. Thanks ❤

[@flaviusnita6008]

Thank You, every thing You said is all right! I tried different cutting angles. No difference. Same chance. Better results with cuttings from winter growing (small distance between knots).

[@stephaniehagan307]

Now I want to try it out! A friend will give me some cuttings and we’ll give it a go for our new back yard!

[@trinkladd]

Have had great success with no rooting gel or powder. Nice video. Been doin this for yrs

[@iamseely1338]

Hi Jim I saw this video and thought if your going to do a lot why not use a large Wal-Mart tote with a lid you can put holes in the top on the sides for ventilation and still keep the humidity in put the same height of soil or medium and do more to where you might get enough for nursery do as many totes as it takes to get the quantity you need to sell just a thought good growing.

[@olsonlr]

Native American deciduous AZALEAS. What a pain to root! What is the secret please. Are you able to do a video on those lovely plants?

[@drthuntclub4153]

I use the Air Layering method. In 3-4 months I end up with a 2-3 foot tree.

[@JimPutnam]

+DRT Hunt Club Yes, it works great. I didn't do any air layering in my propagation series last year. I probably will this year

[@renettahogan5131]

When did you air layer?

[@drthuntclub4153]

I have air layered my Fig tree about four times and my Mango once. You will have better success will some trees than others. I live in South FL. so you can do it here just about year round. The last two Figs where 3 foot tall.

[@ranmer11]

@@JimPutnam what is air layering?

[@christinefeyrer9165]

I will be taking cutting from a 45 yr old tree. It's on my grandfather's property that will be clear cutted. I don't think he ever maintained it, so it's more of a very large bush, and can not be easily dug up. Not sure of the variety. Can I take larger cuttings from developed growth? I would like to take multiple cuttings from one stem or branch. Thank you.

[@michaelreader2929]

Loved this... it was more helpful then any other clip I have watched. Question. I live in Florida and have no deck to hide them under plus it gets so hot here. Figs are not the easiest to work with. Where do you suggest I store them and will they really get through 3 weeks without watering?

[@Wingburner]

Please advise if a substitute can be used in place of peat moss and perlite. Can I use garden soil? Thanks

[@heshamsha6048]

I think, rooting fig is easy to do in the middle of winter or early spring before leaf begin

[@emilyryan9194]

I followed your instructions. At the first look all the leaves had fallen off the cuttings and there were only twigs left. By the second look, several of the cuttings had new leaves and now after the bags have been removed some of the new leaves are as big as my hand! What do I do now? Leave them in the original pot until next Spring or transplant them to their own pots? I enjoy your fig videos and was astounded that I actually got some of my cuttings to root ( I have trouble getting herbs to grow). I am trying to get new fig trees from a giant old fig tree that sadly must be removed. Thanks, EE

[@JimPutnam]

You have time to root them into small pots by themselves

[@radj4719]

I've seen a lot of people use a plastic bottle to put their cuttings in with bit of water on the bottom and lid closed

[@golfing4par]

Jim, I have, successfully propagated two stems of figs. One is, actually, baring 4 figs. The pots I have them in are relatively small, i.e., 10" diameter, clay pots. When can I take them out of the clay pots and put them in the ground? Thanks.

[@babygomes06]

What time of year did you root your figs and your videos say you put them under your deck and then again for another 3 weeks? What soil and do we water the soil at all before covering them in a bag?

[@bobbymalta73]

Thanks For Sharing Mate!

[@HEWfunkingKNEWit]

Thanks for this upload. So many videos on rooting fig are first timers and I just know most of theirs will fail.

[@svetikg1]

Can you propagate fig suckers? And will they bring fruit? I have an old fig tree that was cut down to the stump and shoots are coming out. It needs a new sunnier location so was wondering if I can propagate those shoots/suckers?

[@johnopilla8301]

Can anyone answer this? I'm trying to do the same. I pulled some root suckers from the ground with the roots still attached. I currently have them in a container with just water. Or should I just put in a container with soil??

[@Zabardageegan]

John Opilla You can plant the suckers if they have some roots.

[@electracomplexx5605]

John Opilla yes, you can do this method or try to root them, but since it’s coming from the roots be aware that you might be growing the rootstock, which might not be fruit bearing genetics you’re looking for. This is rare for figs, so you’d be safe, but something like a citrus, I doubt you’d get the fruit that was previously growing. I know this is a year late but hopefully it’ll help someone

[@laurareilly1932]

We planted a dwarf fig tree in a large barrel pot on our East-facing patio in NW Arizona (7b). The "trunk" never produced leaves but the roots did. Is it possible to propagate from these leafy roots?

[@mariapalumbo6630]

Very informative!! Thank you!!! Will try.

[@jairobraden3744]

I know I am kind of randomly asking but does anyone know of a good site to watch newly released series online?

[@kylenjunior4263]

@Jairo Braden i use Flixzone. You can find it by googling :)

[@ladyeoin]

This was great, thank you. Very clear.

[@jackhart1883]

What is the name of the nursery in Fl that you buy the tissue culture fig trees?

[@christinemarshall3885]

Dip and grow? Is it the same as root tone?

[@lizhall9541]

Where do you find dip and grow?

[@lisaprimack4531]

The only perlite I've found in the stores is by Miracle Grow and has fertilizer in it. Is this the type of perlite you use in your perlite/peat moss mix for rooting cuttings? Thanks!

[@JimPutnam]

No, see if you can get it from Amazon maybe. It is light so it may be a responsible price.

[@tubularguynine]

If you scrape the cuttings about an inch up from the bottom in two or three places, exposing the cambrian layer (white), the roots will start growing from there.

[@gerrylavelle8433]

I live in Colorado and I have five Chicago Hardy fig bushes growing in the ground. I am moving to Pinellas County Florida next summer. Do I dig the figs up before they leaf out in the spring and pot them up for transit and replanting?

[@JimPutnam]

You definitely can, but don't let the pot freeze solid

[@gerrylavelle8433]

I will do it when the ground warms up and stick 'em in the garage until it's warm enough at night to let them stay outside. Thanks for the advice. It never really stays warm long enough here to get a nice harvest but it is nice to be eating some fresh figs here in Colorado. Florida is going to exciting for gardening. @@JimPutnam

[@jeanque04]

WoW thank you for sharing. Greetings from Belgium

[@BTrueBReal]

Can you show us how you harvest the figs? Best time? How to know when they are ripe etc.

[@debraarizona4809]

Interesting video, however does the cuttings have to be a twig? Seems you could do the same thing with a bigger cutting and get same results.🤔

[@gloriapayne2658]

Where did you get your gallon pots and the dip and root. Thanks

[@juliestoker-buckell5398]

Hello from the south of England ! How deep into the soil should the cutting go ? Cheerio and Best wishes Julie Stoker-Buckell

[@lisajoiner3263]

Thank you. Great video. Easy to follow.

[@JimPutnam]

Glad to help. Thanks for watching

[@ittybittywtf9333]

Hi, got a baby fig tree from Amazon and we are not sure how to proceed its about from top of soil to top of plant 3-4 inches tall, we have grow lights and that's what its under, is that OK or not, we are lost.

[@melodyhill5294]

I just want to share that using Raw local Honey works very well for a root starter as well :)

[@jannawgarden]

I’ve never heard of this. Gonna try! Thanks!

[@davidjanuszewski5020]

good presentation, learned a few things , thanks

[@TheGreenbutsad]

Is this different than fig plant people have indoor??

[@sunnycharacter]

If you did have cut leaves, could you not treat the cut edges with cinnamon?

[@kathylove]

Enjoyed you info..thank you .

[@barrythompson6387]

HELP- I did everything you suggested- step by step...took 12 cuttings last fall. Today, I looked at their status- they are growing leaves, but...NO ROOTS. WHAT DID I DO WRONG AND WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW- PLEASE HELP!!!

[@preppingmama]

Can I take my cut from new growth underneath the trees? We have a lot of healthy, new growth down there and several have long stems.

[@JimPutnam]

Yes, lots of people tree form them

[@iamseely1338]

You can air layer or some have roots on the suckers as they are called

[@debstokes7439]

Thanks I am going to try this.

[@johnkacarab2661]

I'm interested in where you buy your figs as tissue culture(?) Overall, good vid. Thanks

[@Romans6.1-2]

Did you find out?

[@faleetauriyahz8048]

I put my small fig tree in the ground and the ants are trying to kill it. There sucking the sweetness from the plant. Should I take it out of the ground?

[@bobbymalta73]

What's the best time of the year to do this? Thanks for sharing!

[@bashirbayati4810]

He said early summer

[@manuelalonso1029]

When you mix the peat moss and the perlite, is it by weight or by volume? 10oz of each, or 12 cup's worth of earch as an example?

[@JimPutnam]

Volume. Thanks for asking

[@davidreeves9078]

what is the reason for putting bag on pot?

[@faleeta1234]

Do you keep them moist during the winter?

[@dassoovikash8224]

Thanks a lot Jim to share these precious information on fig propagation ,my is that i am living in a very hot country like in Mauritius and forcasting to have a fig plantation ,what advice will give me for such 23 to 32 degrees temperature,and would be the same technique.please do help.thanks a lot for your piece of advice you share,vikash.

[@gregbrooks9546]

So I do not need to wait until winter to do fig cuttings. I can do them green

[@nina5430]

My Chicago Hardy fig tree has been getting a white powdery look at the base of the tree and on the branches there. Can you give me a reason for this and a cure for it. Thanks

[@JimPutnam]

Is it powdery or just white?

[@JimPutnam]

The old wood on figs matures white

[@nina5430]

It is just white

[@gregbrooks9546]

Jim, How important is it to take cuttings from a fig tree that has the figs attached to the cutting. Also did you do this in July when the figs were still not ripe.

[@JimPutnam]

I did this in late June. I will be doing it again this year. I definitely like to take cuttings off of plants that I have seen fruit.

[@sharonstack4269]

Will a powdered root hormone work? If so, how should I use it?

[@ritawashere5787]

I do not have Dippin grow, do you think the powdered root tone would work? Or are they quite different.

[@JimPutnam]

It will work fine. Good luck with them

[@aliciacavalcanti7340]

Do they all have to have figs growing on them to use them for propagation

[@JimPutnam]

No not at all. I do like to use plants that have fruited in the past though.

[@red1972vette]

Maybe a stupid question but... what if I forgot to leave a single leaf on them? Is there still a chance they'll take?

[@JimPutnam]

I actually root them in the winter and they don't have leaves of course, but I have never tried it in summer or fall. I would think some will root.

[@red1972vette]

Thanks for the quick reply! I appreciate it!

[@mohamedafif2192]

Hello from morocco

[@gardener4444]

Try this. Take a small nursery pot (8 in high x 4 in wide) and fill it with soil. Early in season put pot under a small lower branch. About 10 inches from base lay the branch in the pot and clip it down so it will not come down. Forget it for 3 months and it will root enough to fill the pot. Then separate the branch from the main stem and you have a new fig tree.

[@sungwizi3390]

Good explained

[@scmarih]

What is the best time to propagate fig trees?

[@JimPutnam]

+Maricela Hinojosa early summer

[@bobbymalta73]

@@JimPutnam Ok Thanks!

[@Zennofobic]

i'm pruning my first fig tree, can I just root the top that I'm cutting off the tree? It's about 8' high from the nursery

[@JimPutnam]

You can, but during dormancy you may get a lower percentage rooted.

[@Zennofobic]

Actually I'm going to try air layering what I'm going to take off, I'll give it a shot when it starts to bud out. Thanks for the response.

[@justinbruere]

tissue culture for figs in Florida? can you name the nursery? thanks.

[@JimPutnam]

Agristarts

[@nonewherelistens1906]

Very informative.

[@chaardy88]

Really helpful, thank you.

[@HARLANGENEPARROTT]

Is it too late in zone 8-9 to do this. I live in Baton Rouge

[@JimPutnam]

This is a great time to do it actually.

[@youresoakinginit2113]

Gene parrott sr, You can put the cutting in a jar/bottle of water (keep an eye on the water level), leave in a shady area, and at the first hint of roots, put in a 1 gallon black nursery pot. If winter's coming, you can keep it outdoors until it gets really cold, or just put it in the garage over winter. It will lose its leaves and go dormant but it is not dead! The roots will continue developing over winter. (NOTE: be sure to water it at least once a month. Needs very little water if no top growth.) Bring it out into light shade again in spring, and move to sunnier location when you see leaves starting to pop. As the size increases pot up to larger pot. Don't forget to fertilize! Early on, a higher nitrogen fert will encourage top growth. If you opt for a fetilizer meant for fruit trees, you could even get a couple figs in the late summer/early fall. I see I'm replying to a year-old comment! Did you have success with your attempt?

[@normanparker5514]

Is there a type of fig suitable for zone 4?

[@JimPutnam]

Not that I am aware of.

[@beckyboggess7213]

Hi Jim, I am in Rutland, VT. Zone 4. I have a brown turkey fig that is about 11 years old. It stays outside all summer and into mid autumn. Then we put it in our cellar and surround it with 2 inch foam insulation to keep it cool. We resurrect it the first week of March with a thorough watering and lots of sun and within a week it has leaves budding. I always have to prune the fig so I can get it back inside the house and I haul it out of its pot in the spring to cut back some of the root growth and put in fresh soil. 2 years ago we picked over 100 figs; we generally harvest about 50-75. So I am going to follow your directions for propagating new figs from cuttings and will let you know how we fare.

[@bradleybourdeau5009]

Becky Boggess I live in Hyde Park Vermont and I just buried 5 figs outside with a large bale of hay. Im growing Chicago hardy ,dessert king and VDB

[@antonmarino6568]

Bravo

[@fotyfar]

Great tips thank u very much🌷

[@chrischandler3041]

Do you ever use sand to root plants in? .

[@JimPutnam]

+Chris Chandler Lots do, but I don't.

[@ryannair5972]

Chris Chandler k I

[@cy4330]

Air layering has greater success rate. You don't have to peel the skin off just wrap potting mix around the branches and wait for it to root. I tried peeling the skin for air layering but it didn't work.

[@JimPutnam]

You are correct that it has a higher success rate, but no one trying to produce in volume would use that technique. I can take hundreds of cuttings in a single morning and even if I only got 50 percent to root I would be way ahead. You are definitely right that to produce a few quick extra plants air layering works great.

[@thesimplelifeofaafamily2507]

Thumbs up

[@gujjaharikrishna9253]

Supersir

[@behnamrezaye9931]

عالی خوب بود به فارسی بود خوب بود

[@cerverg]

That's probably the worst way to root figs. Too much humidity causes fungus to spread and rots roots and leaves and you end up with a lot of dead cuttings and when the few survivors are finally done rooting you have to pull them and damage the tiny roots. It's much better in individual containers with less humidity and of course smaller leaves. When they are about done with rooting gradually you have to lower the humidity otherwise they will get a so-called "dry shock" when you transplant them somewhere else. Last but not least the thicker and longer cuttings (2 years old) do much better and the survival rate is much higher.

[@elizabethlewis636]

do you sell your cuttings?

[@JimPutnam]

I did for years, but not anymore.

[@cosimocaltabiano6512]

B

[@ireneghj]

Cosimo Caltabiano

[@johnharris2403]

N

[@MegaTattoo69]

You never get a 💯 persent because you're doing it wrong! First off why the hell would you keep leaves on them and then put them in a dark place?