It would have been better to root the cuttings separately in some clear 8 or 16 oz. plastic cups with a number of holes in the bottom of the cups for drainage. I make the holes in the bottom of my cups with a sautering iron. Melting the holes seems to work a little better than drilling the holes, although either method will work. (With the cuttings rooted separately, you will have less trouble separating the roots later on. Also, with the clear plastic cups, you can see when rooting has occurred.) All of that is for future reference! In your current situation, I would not move the figs for now. Wait until the figs are actively growing. A good standard is when they show about 3 in. of active growth (leaves and stems). Remove any small figs from the cuttings as they require energy and will not mature fully. When you are sure that the cuttings are actively growing, then separate the cuttings into separate containers. I would use 1-gal. containers with a fast-draining potting soil.

Your cuttings look healthy and active and eventually will root if not already. Do as mentioned by more experinced Mountainman. The only point I would like to add is that when there is enough green growth as sign of roots development then be ready to transplant all cuttings at the same time. Your rooting mix will easily separate from the roots by tilting the pot sideways because there is no luming material visible in the rooting mix. This may help in avoiding damage to the roots.

A few of the circled things are figs. Knock them off once you are sure its a fig not a leaf, they take energy away from leaf growth. Also remember that the leaf and root initiation is not connected. So there is a chance it can all die when the cutting runs out of internal energy because the roots have not started forming yet. There is nothing to do now but keep things moist but not waterlogged and in a 70-80F environment or thereabouts, and hope all works out.

Scott

Thanks all! I appreciate the comments.
I knew it definitely wasn't the ideal way to root them, but I was not able to spend more time at that point. I'm just happy that anything has happened at all. I'll MAKE the time now!

Paul

I see cute little figs too.

> I see cute little figs too.

A very typical (cute) observation. But as mountainman said
they should be removed! They only 'sink' precious stored
energy from the little/what is available in the woody
twig (at least till the roots/leaves form).
Will never ripen.

Think of a 'poor' loving parent, with very little food
available in the house and a starving child inside;
guess where the food goes...

Hi, here is an updated picture:

{{gwi:758578}}

Now, every cutting has green growth, even the one at 5 o'clock [the ones at 1 and 2 o'clock aren't doing much]

Should I continue to leave them in the sand until all have a few inches of green growth?

Thanks for your advice.

The ones at 1 and 2 o'clock are doing good enough by keeping green with healthy look so far. So you keep hope and they will eventually green up.

paulandirene, Looking good, but you can't tell if they are rooted at this point. It's best to give them more time in the sand.

Thanks for all the info. I was just going to post on this very topic. Mine show a lot more growth than the pic above,so I will pot them up this weekend.

Blue Ridge Mountain Girl

Hi Folks,

Here's the latest picture, taken May 8...are they ready to transplant?

{{gwi:758581}}

Also, here's a picture of the figs on my Italian Honey, planted in 06:

{{gwi:758582}}

Yes, they are ready, now you have to figure out how to separate them with out destroying the roots.

What I do when I have multiple rooted cuttings in one pot is turn the pot upside down and put the whole mass ( less the pot) on a grate ( do this outside, of course). Then gently run water over the mass with a garden hose until all of the soil has washed away and all that is left is the tangled mess of rooted cuttings. Now you can easily separate the cuttings, being as gentle as you can. Repot the cuttings. New leaves might go into shock and fall off but all cuttings will come back. Actually, I did three containers of cuttings this way about a month ago (each had about 6 or 7 heavily rooted cuttings )and all of the young leaves stayed in tact and all plants are doing just fine.