The fig roots easily from cuttings and is usually propagated in this
way. Short pieces or even large branches of well-matured wood, cut from
the tree at any time during the winter and simply thrust into the soil,
will usually take root and make a strong growth the following summer.
The well-matured wood is best for making cuttings. One of the most
desirable methods is to cut a section bearing a short but thrifty
lateral branch from a good-sized limb. The section taken should be 6 or
8 inches long and be entirely buried in the ground, leaving the end of
the side branch projecting to form the tree. This is not at all
essential, as a straight cutting will usually root and grow readily, but
it is desirable, as the buried cross section holds the cutting firmly in
the ground and its bulk prevents it from drying out easily. In the coast
region cuttings are often planted in August with good results. In this
case the leaves should be removed. It is advisable to plant the cutting
where the tree is to stand, as fig roots are easily injured by
transplanting. Little is gained in growth by planting rooted trees, but
when such are used both roots and tops should be heavily pruned when
planted, to secure a satisfactory growth.
Sometimes it is advisable to plant the cuttings in the nursery and to
keep them there for three years before removing them to their permanent
location, as winter protection can be more easily given them. After the
trunk of the fig is three years old it is much less easily injured by
cold. This practice would seem to be of doubtful value, since young figs
are more often injured by late frosts after growth has started in the
spring than by the greater cold of midwinter when they are dormant. Figs
can be grafted without difficulty, but it is seldom done in the south.