I just set some French fig cuttings in rooting media. If even a quarter of them work I'll have plenty to get rid of soon. I'll check back in a few weeks.

It is a season behind.

Another thing to consider---young rooted plants oftentimes have very delicate roots, and, even though they literally are coming out of the bottom of the pot. When the seller goes to clean the soil from the roots for shipping, many are lost. After a year or so the roots get really tough, but the "same year" cuttings are usually not this way. I find it no problem, really. I import plumerias from Australia and can tell you their definition of "rooted" on plants they send me means they have small nubs, or, maybe if you're lucky, more than this. The term they use is "struck" cuttings--have produced their first roots. I find that, if the plant has gone this far, it typically performs perfectly fine since it is in fact no longer just a cutting but has formed te structures it needs to survive on its own in soil. That being said, when I send customers plants, I am not comnfortable sending them plants with nubs only because US customers don't understand this and it becomes more of a headache trying to explain this to worried people than it's worth. I sometimes sell same year rooted cuttings and indicate they will have a small root system. This means typically at least a minimum of 2-5 inches in length remaining after cleaning away the soil. I also indicate when selling such plants that they are young rooted cuttings. As long as you buy them in the Spring and Summer, there really shouldn't be any problems as long as they are not overwatered or overfertilized; planted in a well-drained mix. I have seen many of these plants take off and grow like mad within a couple of weeks of planting. But, that also does depend on the time of year. To add a note on time of year: I would not recommend buying plumerias after September unless you live in a place that has warm temps right through Christmas (or better: all year), or, you have a proper greenhouse facility. Plumeria in their first year after arriving at your place late in the year can often succumb to what I call The Dreaded Winter Rot while in Winter Storage. There have been many speculations as to what causes this, but honestly, I have seen it on plants that shouldn't have gotten it otherwise if you listen to the supposed causes. ALL were young plants that hadn't been with me for over a year. I think the slowing down of the growth due to the late season is part of the problem combined with stress setting in from it being cleaned and shipped to you. This allows microorganisms the plant would normally fend off to take hold. It is a sinking feeling to find that plumeria you spent $$ on is a stick of mush when you go to get it to set out in the Spring.I am not saying all plants bought late will rot, but they are the primary ones that will have this problem. Occasionally the bigger ones get it, but this is much more rare. During dormancy ans winter storage it is crucial you do not water (unless excessive shrivelling is noted-- then give a small drink only)--especially the young ones. My plumerias go into the greenhouse around Christmas and stay there until early March because Jan and Feb are our cold months here. You can stack pots on onto the other and in between since there are no leaves; uproot in-ground plants and simply store them standing up with no soil or water (crazy, huh?). Some people in colder places put loose newspaper around the roots. I don't bother. The last two years I filled up my large greenhouse with them and they sat in there with no water until I brought them out again. The bare rooted ones were planted in the ground once again and have grown this year at least tweo feet already. Didn't mean to get off on winter sotrage but I felt it was appropriate as we were discussing plants with small roots/young plants. This is pretty important stuff to know concerning their care. ;-) Brad

I have never tried this, but was reading about it in some textbooks on propagation my DH brought home. They say you can use the smaller feeder roots or the larger ones, cutting them between 1"-3". Put them on a couple of inches of substrate and cover with and inch or two of medium. The cuttings can be laid horizontally or vertically. If placed vertically be sure to get the polarity correct so that it's how they grew naturally ie. bottom part of root facing downward. It's also suggested to cut the bottom at an angle for roses. Concerning the planting medium, it was not specified, but referred to as "planting" medium as opposed to "rooting" medium, which I take to mean a more nutrient rich mix. I've done this often with other easy rooting plants such as those in the mint family with great success. (Too great sometimes!) : ) Let us know if you try it and your results. Most of mine aren't large enough yet, or if they are they root easily and truthfully, I don't need anymore New Dawn. : ( However, I have to transplant a huge one in March, so maybe I'll try this out. I don't think she'd miss a few roots.