Black mission figs arrived in the Americas with Spanish missionaries in the 18th century and remain one of the most prevalent varieties of figs grown in the western United States. Grown as both an ornamental and fruit-bearing tree, black mission figs possess a medium-sized, spreading growth habit topped by a crown of large, palmate leaves, which works well as a shade tree in large landscape plantings. Black mission figs propagate most reliably when mature wood is rooted during the dormant period, and within three to five years after rooting the tree will begin to bear yearly crops of sweet, dark-skinned fruit. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Choose ideal cuttings for propagating black mission figs in winter when the trees are dormant. Select 12-inch-long stems with a diameter less than 1 inch. Cuttings with 2-year-old wood at the base and newer growth at the tip are ideal. Make the cut with a pair of pruning shears.
2. Coat the ends of the black mission fig cuttings in 0.5-percent IBA rooting hormone. Place them in a plastic bag in a cool, moist place for one week to callous over and prepare for rooting.
3. Prepare an outdoor rooting bed for the black mission fig cuttings. Work the soil to a depth of 12 inches with a rotary tiller. Incorporate a 3-inch-thick layer of sharp sand into the rooting bed with the tiller.
4. Cut a 10-inch-deep furrow in the rooting bed using a pointed hoe. Insert the black mission fig cuttings into the furrow so only the top 2 inches stand above the surface of the soil. Space them 10 inches apart. Push the soil in around the cuttings so they stand upright.
5. Water the black mission figs to a depth of 2 inches every 10 to 14 days. Avoid saturating the soil when watering to keep the cuttings from rotting.
6. Watch for leaf growth in spring. Keep the cuttings well watered in summer. Allow the black mission fig trees to grow undisturbed until autumn. Dig up and transplant the rooted cuttings in autumn once they go dormant.
Tags: mission figs, black mission, black mission cuttings, mission cuttings, black mission, Black mission