In fact, I have more than one of each. And since I still haven’t won the darn lottery, you better believe I’m propagating some of my own.
Most plants have the ability to be propagated both vegetatively and sexually.
The latter is just a fancy way of saying reproduction by seed, while vegetative reproduction is an asexual method in which a part of the plant is taken to produce a new plant.
With figs, it’s the vegetative method of reproduction that most growers – both home and professional – choose. That’s because it’s more reliable, the resulting plant matures more quickly, and the Ficus will be a genetic clone of the parent.
In the case of common figs (Ficus carica), gardeners want to grow female trees, since they produce the fruit. If we were to propagate these from seed, we would probably end up with a lot of male trees that would be useless.
So, regardless of the species you’re working with, this guide will help you propagate Ficus plants from cuttings.
Coming up, here are the topics we’ll go over:
Propagation via stem cuttings involves removing a small branch from a healthy and encouraging it to grow its own roots. This is known as vegetative propagation.
This process works for all of the popular figs in cultivation. But before you break out the pruners, let’s talk about when you should be doing the work.
When to Take Ficus Cuttings
Depending on where you live, you can take the cuttings in late fall or early spring.
The goal is to take the material when the plant is dormant but not when the temperature is below freezing, if the plant is outdoors. Frozen material doesn’t fare well.
If you are taking cuttings from an outdoor specimen, it’s best to wait until the early spring before bud break. That way, you can determine if the tip of the branch survived the winter.
Some don’t survive, especially in an exceptionally cold year. If you cut a dead piece of stem, you’re going to be frustrated with the process when your cutting shows no signs of growth despite following all the right steps.
Cuttings from houseplants can be taken anytime from late fall to early winter.
How to Propagate Stem Cuttings
Clean your tools carefully before making any cuts. If you use dirty or contaminated tools, you run the risk of spreading pathogens that can quickly ruin all your hard work.
Don gloves and wear long sleeves because the sap can be irritating to your skin.
Look for wood that is about two or three years old. You don’t want young, new growth, but the wood shouldn’t be old and fading, either.
Choose a section that is at least the width of a pencil, up to three-quarter inches in diameter, and take a cutting between nine and 18 inches long, depending on how thick the branch is.
Make your cut right below a leaf node, which means just under where a leaf emerges on the opposite side of the end of the branch.
Strip off all of the leaves except one. If that leaf is particularly large, such as that of a rubber tree, cut it in half. As the stem section doesn’t have any roots, it can’t support a large area of foliage, but it needs some leaf matter to photosynthesize while it develops roots.
Fill five-inch pots with a soilless potting medium. A product made of water-retentive materials like coconut coir or perlite and a nutritious base like organic compost would be ideal.
Tank’s Green Stuff makes a seeding mix called Tank’s-Pro Lite, which has all three.
Tank’s-Pro Lite Potting Mix
You can pick up a 16-quart bag at Arbico Organics.
Moisten the medium well and then stick the cutting about a fifth of the way into the medium and firm it up around the base so it remains upright.
Move the container to an area with bright, indirect light.
If you are propagating from a plant that has been growing outdoors, you can put the cutting in a spot with some morning sun, but too much light will dry it out.
Care
Keep the medium moist at all times. It should feel like a well-wrung-out sponge, but no soggier. If it starts to feel drier than that, it’s time to add water.
Optionally, you can tent some plastic or place a plastic or glass cloche over the cutting to help keep the moisture in and raise the humidity, but remove it the moment you see any new leaf growth developing.
You’ll also need to keep a close eye on it to watch for any fungal growth developing on the soil or cutting.
If you see fungal growth, remove the covering and be sure to only water at soil level.
Roots should start to form within a month and by this time you’ll see evidence of new leaf growth.
If your cutting doesn’t show any signs of life after a month, you can carefully dig down and check the base for any root growth.
If you don’t see roots, the cutting didn’t take and you’ll need to start again.
When you see new aboveground growth or evidence of root formation, it’s time to transplant.
Transplanting
If you’re just moving the plant into a bigger pot, you can do this anytime you want.
For those that are being transplanted out into the garden, you’ll need to wait until after the last predicted frost date and when the soil has warmed up to at least 55°F.
Harden off any plants intended for outdoor life before you plant them. To do this, take the plant outside and set it in a sunny, protected spot for an hour.
Then, take it back inside to its usual location. The next day, add an hour in the great outdoors. Keep adding an extra hour each day for a week. Done!
Plant the new tree in appropriate soil for the species and pat yourself on the back.
For indoor plants, grab a container that is an inch or two larger than the five-inch pot that you started the cutting in. Fill it with a water-retentive potting mix.
My favorite potting soil for figs is FoxFarm’s Ocean Forest potting mix.
FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Mix
It’s water-retentive and has all the good stuff like bat guano, earthworm castings, and forest humus. Snag a 12-quart bag via Amazon.
Carefully remove the cutting from the container and make a hole in the new pot large enough to accommodate the roots. Pack the soil around the roots and water well.
Continue to care for your new plant according to the needs of the particular species you are growing.
Pass the Figs
I don’t know if you’re a fig fruit aficionado or a fiddle-leaf fig fanatic – or both, like me – but one thing is for sure: you need more of them!
I’m guessing you haven’t won the lottery yet, either, so you probably want to have more without having to empty your bank account. Now, you can.
What kind of ficus are you working with? What do you plan to do with the cuttings? Let us know in the comments section below!
And for more information about growing and caring for species in the Ficus genus, have a read of these guides next:
