brian, if you search for "how to root fig cuttings", you will get a lot of advise. Hope that helps.

I like to get 2 buds (bud-eyes?) in the medium, myself. Just make sure to get at least one, imho :) The ones under the soil will make roots at those points and the ones above the soil will leaf out to take in nutrients later, so that can help you decide.

Hi Brian, 2/3 in medium is best. You can also use zip-lock to cover them, unless you are using humidity box.

Placing less deep is best if you can...

When planted deeply the base of the cutting can end up rotting because the bottom of the container stays wet. The roots are also messier this way, traveling up and over each other.

But unless you control humidity, or wrap the cuttings in parafilm, a shallowly planted cutting will dry up rapidly. When planted 2/3 deep the cutting can absorb much more water (the base is probably saturated remember ;) and the cutting is less likely to dry out. So success is more complicated than choosing the right depth, both can fail for different reasons.

I pre-root my cuttings in coir and wrap with parafilm, then plant 2-3" deep in pre-moistened potting mix once a good callous has formed. I keep them under shade in a greenhouse until they begin to grow then adjust them to full sun and begin watering. There are lots of different ways to do it, what works best for you will depend on what your conditions are like and how much experience you have.

Brian, I've tried so many ways of rooting cuttings .... some not as successful as one would like. However, a few years ago, I had more cuttings than one could imagine. I took the cuttings and just put them in a few inches of water. Lo and behold, I had more beautifully rooted cuttings than anyone could use. After giving many many away, I planted about a dozen of them; they grow prolifically - thank God - and the figs are huge even the first season. So, just put the cuttings in a few inches of water; you should start to see roots in about 2 weeks, depending on your temps.