Fig cuttings - leave the apical bud on or not?

[Schoenie]

Later on, if I decide I want a straight tree, I bury the whole thing so just the one truck shows.

That's what I'm planning to do as well: select the shoot that I want to keep, clip off all the others (and possibly a bottom piece of the original cutting that doesn't have any/much roots, and plant deep. It's mostly the esthetic aspect, I guess, but as we say in The Netherlands: "The eye wants something too!"

 

[Fig Gazer]

Schoenie ,Where in calif. are you ? are you in the BFF zone ?ie. so.cal to san fransico . I am in SANTA BARBARA AND HAVE POTTED ROOT STOCK YOU CAN HAVE IF YOU PICK THEM UP AND DONATE SOME $ TO THIS FORUM . Also when you parafima apicale bud don't cover it ,streach the film to the max and only wrap around it leaving the very tip exposed .easy for it to push out and still stay moist .

 

[Fig Gazer]

PS: Have De La Senyora (H) YOU CAN GET CUTTINGS WHILE YOUR HERE .

 

[Figless]

That's what I'm planning to do as well: select the shoot that I want to keep, clip off all the others (and possibly a bottom piece of the original cutting that doesn't have any/much roots, and plant deep. It's mostly the esthetic aspect, I guess, but as we say in The Netherlands: "The eye wants something

Says you're in California, but you made a comment about the Netherlands. Are you originally from the Netherlands? As far as apical buds, as well as multi-sprouted Crown cuttings I say Off With Their Heads. LOL cut them off they're going to cause difficulties. And for everyone that you get to grow from the apical Bud you'll have many more that will not. BTW rot is a sneaky thing. It'll often zip right up under the bark. Many times after you think the danger has passed. I do like treating with wettable sulfur 1% with yucca extract to suspend the sulfur in the liquid. I'm for dipping when the pot is sealed with a cup lid or fig pop propagation approach. I also like to remove apical sprouts from cutting as fig bud mites will overwinter in them. They can really weaken your cuttings after it looks like everything's good You've Got Roots, and green growth. Suddenly there's some stalling, and dying that seems quite mysterious. 1% bonide wettable sulfur will help with that.

 

[Figless]

That's what I'm planning to do as well: select the shoot that I want to keep, clip off all the others (and possibly a bottom piece of the original cutting that doesn't have any/much roots, and plant deep. It's mostly the esthetic aspect, I guess, but as we say in The Netherlands: "The eye wants something too!"

 

[ktrain]

Out of the 50+ cuttings I have going at this time, I did leave a few apical buds on...which I don't usually do.
But they looked like they wanted to bust open ..so I will monitor how they do.

 

[Fig Gazer]

IF the apical bud looks healthy i leave it on in fact at times i remove all the side buds in favor of the apical bud !! a straight tree from the get go and oftimes explosive growth ! mights are rarely a problem and easy to control .

 

[Schoenie]

Says you're in California, but you made a comment about the Netherlands. Are you originally from the Netherlands? As far as apical buds, as well as multi-sprouted Crown cuttings I say Off With Their Heads. LOL cut them off they're going to cause difficulties. And for everyone that you get to grow from the apical Bud you'll have many more that will not. BTW rot is a sneaky thing. It'll often zip right up under the bark. Many times after you think the danger has passed. I do like treating with wettable sulfur 1% with yucca extract to suspend the sulfur in the liquid. I'm for dipping when the pot is sealed with a cup lid or fig pop propagation approach. I also like to remove apical sprouts from cutting as fig bud mites will overwinter in them. They can really weaken your cuttings after it looks like everything's good You've Got Roots, and green growth. Suddenly there's some stalling, and dying that seems quite mysterious. 1% bonide wettable sulfur will help with that.

Hey @Figless,
You are right: I was born and raised in The Netherlands (the Southern part, or "below the big rivers" as we say), and moved to California almost 15 years ago. I must say: I don't miss the rain as much as I miss eating raw herring...

 

[Figless]

LOL redacted

 

[Figless]

LOL redacted

@Schoenie I just wanted to commend you on your propagation technique. You will use a lot of different techniques, and soils, overtime. Some will work better than others, But I wish you the best of luck with all of it. Rot definitely travels fast between the outer bark, and the Cambium layer. Especially with fig pops, and cup, and lid methods, so watch out for it.

 

[Schoenie]

@Schoenie I just wanted to commend you on your propagation technique. You will use a lot of different techniques, and soils, overtime. Some will work better than others, But I wish you the best of luck with all of it. Rot definitely travels fast between the outer bark, and the Cambium layer. Especially with fig pops, and cup, and lid methods, so watch out for it.

Thank you for your kind words and advice @Figless!

I've only been a full-on fig addict for a couple of months now, and it has been a steep (but enjoyable!) learning curve indeed.
Thanks to the wonderful fig community here and elsewhere, I believe I'm on the right track now, with good (and still increasing) success rates. I've been truly blessed with and grateful for all the kind and expert help that I have received thus far.

Oh... I almost forgot... Here's one for you:

(enjoy!)

 

[BNaula1]

Thank you for your kind words and advice @Figless!

I've only been a full-on fig addict for a couple of months now, and it has been a steep (but enjoyable!) learning curve indeed.
Thanks to the wonderful fig community here and elsewhere, I believe I'm on the right track now, with good (and still increasing) success rates. I've been truly blessed with and grateful for all the kind and expert help that I have received thus far.

Oh... I almost forgot... Here's one for you:

(enjoy!)

Just saw your signature line. I have CDD-G and Pastilliere if you’re still looking for those

 

[Schoenie]

Just saw your signature line. I have CDD-G and Pastilliere if you’re still looking for those

Well that is very generous of yours @BNaula1; thank you for the kind offer!

A new, almost local "fig-friend" of mine showered me with an impressive stack of wonderful cuttings on Sunday. All great varieties, and the number of varieties I'm trying now is rapidly increasing. However... Pastiliere is still missing, and I'm trying to root a single CdD-G cutting that @MattK kindly sent me. If you still haven't given the cuttings away, I would definitely be interested. I will PM you.

 

[Figless]

Well that is very generous of yours @BNaula1; thank you for the kind offer!

A new, almost local "fig-friend" of mine showered me with an impressive stack of wonderful cuttings on Sunday. All great varieties, and the number of varieties I'm trying now is rapidly increasing. However... Pastiliere is still missing, and I'm trying to root a single CdD-G cutting that @MattK kindly sent me. If you still haven't given the cuttings away, I would definitely be interested. I will PM you.

@.att

 

[Figless]

@MattK the most generous big fig hobbiest. Extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of Ficus Carica cultivation. He is the one who started teaching me to grow, and cultivate figs.

 

[Figless]

Well that is very generous of yours @BNaula1; thank you for the kind offer!

A new, almost local "fig-friend" of mine showered me with an impressive stack of wonderful cuttings on Sunday. All great varieties, and the number of varieties I'm trying now is rapidly increasing. However... Pastiliere is still missing, and I'm trying to root a single CdD-G cutting that @MattK kindly sent me. If you still haven't given the cuttings away, I would definitely be interested. I will PM you.

Brian you're incredibly generous you're a wonderful member

 

[wyanokie]

I still consider myself a newer grower, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but ever since I found out that fig mites overwinter in the apical buds I remove them. Last year, I found some fig mites in my collection, and it was a pretty stressful time while I was working towards getting rid of them (which it appears that I have).

 

[Figless]

I still consider myself a newer grower, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but ever since I found out that fig mites overwinter in the apical buds I remove them. Last year, I found some fig mites in my collection, and it was a pretty stressful time while I was working towards getting rid of them (which it appears that I have).

Great job @wyanokie of taking the time to diagnose, and then identify the Fig Bud mite. You may be a newer grower, but in my book having done this put you in a whole another League.

 

[BNaula1]

I still consider myself a newer grower, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but ever since I found out that fig mites overwinter in the apical buds I remove them. Last year, I found some fig mites in my collection, and it was a pretty stressful time while I was working towards getting rid of them (which it appears that I have).

Curious as to what you used to help you fight FBM?

 

[Figless]

It's pretty much 1 to 2% wettable sulfur with a suspending agent so the sulfur doesn't settle to the bottom. We use Yucca extract over here to keep it suspended. then a application of Spinosad. A little rotation never hurts. Where FBM can you really wipe you out is in the beginning when you're propagating the cuttings. Which is why I recommend not taping all the way down to the soil level using a fig pop method, or cup, and lid. Those two methods allow you to dip the cuttings which is a heck of a lot better than spraying the cutting especially indoors. Oops was this question for me or for @wyanokie ?