Fig trees can be easily propagated by cuttings, as they grow roots willingly and easily. Cuttings, also known as sprouts, are parts of sprouts cut from the plant that are inserted into substrate, sprout there and develop into a new plant.
How to grow a fig tree from cuttings?
Fig trees can be easily propagated by cuttings: cut a 20 cm long piece of branch below the eye, put it in water or potting soil, create a greenhouse climate and keep it in the shade. After 2-3 weeks, roots will form and the young fig tree can be transplanted.
Propagation by cuttings
Cut the sprouts in spring if possible. Both woody and green shoots of a he althy and vigorously growing fig are suitable. Follow these steps:
- Cut a twenty centimeter long branch of a fig below the eye.
- Place the cutting in water a few centimeters deep or
- Put ten centimeters deep into a mixture of sand and potting soil.
- Dipping in rooting powder accelerates growth.
- Close the glass or planter with a clear plastic bag (greenhouse climate).
- Temperatures of around 20 degrees are optimal.
- Always place the cutting in the shade.
The little fig sprouts after just two to three weeks. If you have decided to grow it in a water glass, you should transplant the small tree into soil before the entire container is filled with white water roots.
After planting, these roots first have to adapt to the soil, which costs the plant a lot of energy. If you wait too long before moving, the growth of the small fig will be delayed.
Which branches are suitable?
The old gardening rule applies to fig cuttings:
“The more woody the shoot is, the more difficult it is to root. The fresher and greener the cutting is, the easier it is, but the more likely the cutting is to rot."
Keep a close eye on the stem. If it feels soft and mushy, breeding has unfortunately failed.
Propagation by head cuttings
Head cuttings are cut from a shoot tip with a short stem and a few leaves. Make sure the mother plant is he althy and has no pests. If possible, cut top cuttings before the fig flowers and bears fruit. To root, you can either place the cutting in water a few centimeters deep or plant it directly. If you would like to grow the top cutting in soil, we recommend dipping it in rooting powder beforehand.
Alternatively, you can use trunk parts without a crown, which are left over when pruning a fig that is too large or unsightly, for example. After cutting, let the trunk part of the fig dry in the shade for about 24 hours. The further procedure corresponds to that mentioned above.
Tips & Tricks
To ensure that the figs grown from cuttings bear fruit safely, you should make sure to cut cuttings from real fig trees.
