Some are for friends
Some are for family members
Some are for GW family members
Some are for trade
Some are for charity
Some are for insurance
Some are for me just because I want a particular variety.

I had only intended to root a few varieties this year. Instead, it looks like I am going to have 3-5 cuttings of about 20 varieties (not counting the cuttings from a tree I just pruned for someone else or pomegranate cuttings). I think most of these will end up at my brother's place in Austin.

BTW... has anyone tried planting any of their trees on public property (e.g. a park, or a grassy medium in the road, school grounds, a planter used as a barrier, in front of a shopping center, etc.)? Are there any laws prohibiting this type of activity?

~james

Hi OurHappyhome:I Have about 30 Cuttings this year.
I am trading with People that have varieties I do not,and I am Interested in.
My goal is To keep Selecting the best Varieties in the world,in My Stock,and Keep discarding the Inferior Varieties.My Standard is very high and i grow the fig for a few years myself.
If the fruits are indeed very high quality,and the fig prove to be,good producer,in fruitting every year,after the second,Then I will sell a few every year to people that know to appreciate my work.
People that know me and my high standards of Honesty,buy from me because they know they are buying the best it can be and is a no surprise and no frustration fig.
I do not collect figs,I select them and only the best is given a place in my Backyard.
The rest goes in My trash Dumpster,after getting me frustrated.
You will be amased of How Many (Duds,worthless hybrids,that will never fruit,or have bad tasting cardboard fruits) are there ,grown by unscrupulous people,Usually from seeds,of figs bought in the Supermarket.
This is a nobile cause for me and also i keep active after the 2 Back surgery i had.
Best Regards

This too is my first year growing cuttings. I've had wonderful success (and a wonderful time) getting them started, root growth, bud growth, but am having a terrible time keeping them alive. So of the 70 or so plants I've been playing with over the last few months I have around 30 left.

I seem to loose them when I transplant from the vermiculite/perlite mix into a 1-gal potting soil/perlite mix. They are OK for a week or two then shrivel up and die. Others seem to just stop growing and have been the same, no new growth, for weeks now. Maybe I transplanted them too soon?

The 14 plants I still have in the vermiculite mix I'm now afraid to transplant as I don't want to risk loosing any more.

Any new cuttings I get once roots show in the baggie are going directly into a 1 gal pot with 50/50 potting soil/perlite mix. So far all of these are growing well.

Now as to what I'm going to do with them? For those that survive this novice, the same as James; friends, family, co-workers, strangers, etc. I think James has a great idea. Plant them in parks and other public areas for all to enjoy. Unfortunately Parks don't like messy trees (dropped fruit) so they may not survive the ax.

Sue

Great question James. I was just wondering the same thing. Why not start some kind of tree planting campaign, like the "Green Belt Movement". Fig trees are beautiful to look at, they provide food for wildlife and people too. It would give me so much joy to see a tree that I planted being used and appreciated by others.

Svanessa,
I'm having the exact same problem this year. I rooted 32 cuttings and I am down to 7. Last year I did as you are planning to do, from baged roots to potting soil and I had just about 100% success.

Last year I didn't have any vermiculite. This year the cuttings grew fast in the vermiculite. Strong root systems and 6 to 8 large leaves. I thought I was very careful in transplanting them into potting soil but they died. I'm going back to my last year's method. It is very discourging.

Peg

Hi Peg,
I'm glad I'm not the only one experiencing transplant issues. I hope you have success with the ones remaining.

Jon,

What is the secret? You trumpet this process and have had great luck with it. What clue tells you when itÂs time to transplant into a 1-gal pot? I wait until I see good root growth and at least 3-5" of top growth and as many new leaves. IÂm concerned the vermiculite/perlite has no nutrients to feed the new growth so I transplant them into a more nutrient rich medium (50/50 potting soil/perlite). Am I over-reacting? Do I need to stop babying them and just let them go for a few more weeks/months in the vermiculite mix? WhatÂs the secret? :-)

herman,

differnt people - different preferences...
what are your alltime favourites? good taste,high+regular producing...
regards

Herman, I cringed when you said you discard inferiors, but after reading the entire post, I understand why. I hope to someday get to the point where I can raise my standards a little. Right now, I'm just grateful for anything that will take root and survive long enough to produce a fig (smile).

Peg, Svanessa keep it coming. I'm learning so much from your discussion.

quinoah:Believe me:I am Selecting figs since when i bought this house in 1993,before the computer time,Yet the oldest fig that is growing in my Bavckyard now is a 6 years old Hardy Chicago.
So he is the surviver that I did not discard to date.
I can call it the all time favorite.
However I do have other very young cultivars that seem to be better in flavor,but they are to young to declare that they do not have any fault.
You see here in New Jersey,other factors,such as Resistance: to rain and souring,to frost,Short season to ripe fruits,total need of Sommer Heat,Deasese resistance,are just as important as productivity.
So it takes many years to evaluate these young cultivars that i am growing now.
But I can say for sure:The future looks brighter,than the present, with the new aquired figs,in Specially a couple of figs i got from DR Leon Deprest,in New Mexico,Gene In Washington DC,and George Michalev in North Jersey.
Best Regards

Just as an aside, if you have extra cuttings... and I may have mentioned this once or twice before in the forum

My aunt strips the bark off fig branches and uses them as skewers for shish-kabob. The milk (latex) that irritates some people's skin when they touch it, is an effective meat tenderizer. Also, the moisture coming out of the skewer imparts a unique flavor to the meat as well. I'm not too fond of it, but I know many who like the kabob better than the fig.

"Quinoah"
...
I think you are trying to say that What I Think is best ,will not necesary be good for you?
!!!!!!My Friend!!!!:There are fig cultivars,that some people find it bland,and some find it acceptable ,and good.
The majority,of Cultivars goes in this Category.
!!!!!!And There are a few cultivars,as,Violette de Bordeaux,and Adriatic,(True cultivars like the UC Davis Specimens)That when Fully Ripe,It will Make any person Fall on their Knee and Thank God, that They were blessed to taste such a wonderfull fruit.
These are the kind of fig trees I am looking for,to select and keep in my Backyard.
If you would have tasted fig like these,you would not have ever said,the very,above Sentence.
I wish you will have a chance to experience it.
Best Regards

herman,
you're right, what tastes good for me may be bland for you... sure there are some cultivar exceptions like you mentioned. the intention for my question was also, if many people like a particular cultivar, the chance that I can enjoy it too is higher(but not guaranteed).

in your first answer you wrote two things good to hear:
-I have a potted hardy chicago which I planned to plant in ground
-I traded cuttings which george!

best regards

Well I was hoping to have rooted cuttings to share with friends and family and some to sell on eBay where my user name is also THISISME. However this was my first attempt and I did not bleach the cuttings I got from my gardener. Only half of them servived the mold infestation so this year it looks like I will have some to share with friends and family and its lot likley I will have any left for eBay.

I also recieved cuttings from George and I owe him big time. Any fig I ever get that he wants is his as soon as they are old enough to take cuttings from.

Herman said: "And There are a few cultivars,as,Violette de Bordeaux,and Adriatic,(True cultivars like the UC Davis Specimens)That when Fully Ripe,It will Make any person Fall on their Knee and Thank God"

LOL! Been there.
Boy, the way you talk about them makes my mouth water. I tasted my first VdB last year and I'm still dreaming of my first Adriatic. Been looking all over the world for a tree - literally. I found one in England and another in Australia but neither ship to the U.S. Even so, shipping costs would likely be astronomical.

I think I've learned one very important lesson from this post. Even after rooting, many fig trees don't survive. Folks start lots of cuttings as insurance, hoping to get just a few plants for themselves. I had no idea the success rate was so low. I just assumed that once I had them rooted, the rest was easy. Now I know better.

Yes You are Right ,(last Poster),the success rate is low.
At this point as I have 30 that still look alive my normal chance would be that I will have about a dozen,in the Fall still alive healthy and that i can trade or sell.
Personally at the present stage I only root cuttings out of my best figs.This is my problem in Fact ,because The best most superior figs with the best flavor and taste are ussually the hardest to root,from cuttings.
Stay well