Hi Dennis.
listen to your wife "remove the fig"
always listen to your wife and say in times of need which can be many for us Men
yes dear
im sorry dear
i love you dear
your fig plants will benefit from all of the above.
Yes do remove the fig.
Martin

Thank you Martin! Oh, alright, I'll remove the fig. I'm gonna tell my wife it ripened and that I ate it. Hehehehe. She won't believe me but I know she will be checking those cutting more than I now. thanks, Dennis

Definitely remove it as it wastes energy reserves from the cutting that is better used for new root and leaf formation. One advantage of using the baggie method for propagation is that you can easily remove those extra buds and tiny figlets that will eventually be BELOW the soil line in your rooting cups BEFORE they have a chance to waste much energy......

Dan

Thank you Dan. Well, I really felt I had to remove it. But you know....it felt good just to be able to watch a fig grow right next to me at my desk. I didn't place the 6 cuttings in the baggie. Honestly, I had too many baggies filled in my plastic container so I just stuck the six in their very own plastic bottle of turface and UPM. And with in 3 weeks, boom...out popped roots and then this huge fig. Well, I clipped it off just moments ago and played taps as I dropped it in the waste basket. It was sad to see it go, but I EXPECT TO SEE MORE FIGS FROM THAT CUTTING NEXT YEAR. cheers, Dennis

I guess another way to look at it is, there is always a good chance they may not have survived anyway. Sometimes "outside circumstances" get the better of them, if not lack of energy. For example, my Hollier put on two figs while still inside this year. Both figs got sick and fell off after another plant I purchased transmitted spider mites to the Hollier. I caught them early when just one leaf was showing damage, and managed to spray down the other couple of plants that wound up infected as a result, but still lost the figs.

I've never had spider mites on my indoor plant before...that one infected plant almost ruined 5 of my fig trees, and may have ended up killing at least 1 of the others (waiting for bounceback, keeping fingers crossed). I guess this is just one more danger of allowing early bud break indoors, and also a danger of buying plants vs. growing them on your own. As much as I hate waiting, I think I will be growing most of my plants from cuttings. No risk of RKN, foreign pests being introduced, etc.

I just wish I could eat some of these little tiny figs I'm taking off ;)

Cuttings are NOT immune to spider mites. They can contain mites and/or eggs. Even if they are cleaned properly (Dawn & dilute Clorox) some eggs can survive and still hatch. Cuttings from some sources have mites or eggs which can contaminate other mite free cuttings that are rooting.

Another advantage to using the Improved Baggie Method for fig propagation is that, you can see evidence of spider mites on your cuttings BEFORE they are transferred into rooting cups. The residence time in the wrapped paper towel gives the eggs a chance to hatch and become evident. I am sure that there are some forum members who have mistaken spider mite webbing on their cuttings for MOLD........just like they confused fig Barking for MOLD. I do not like the idea of possibly losing some of my rare cultivars to some pesky spider mites......the baggie method gives me an opportunity to nip this and other potential problems in the "bud"........BEFORE much damage can occur.

Dan