How to Propagate a Fig Tree and Enjoy Fresh Fruit Year After Year

Figs are among the easiest fruit trees to propagate. Better yet, they produce delicious, versatile fruits that can be used in a myriad of wonderful recipes. This has certainly led to their popularity amongst gardeners—however, there are a few legalities that you should consider before you start propagating them.

To help you navigate the ins and outs of this process, we spoke to gardening experts regarding the best propagation methods, and how exactly to perform each.

Best Time of Year to Propagate

Figs can be propagated just about any time of the year, depending on the technique used, says Tim Hartmann, assistant professor and extension fruit specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. 

“It's usually done in late winter or early spring, because the cuttings used are still dormant, but almost ready to resume growth,” he says. “At this stage, the wood will have plenty of stored carbohydrates, which will be critical for the production of new roots and shoots. The absence of leaves also makes them easier to handle at this stage.” 

Propagation Methods

With the exception of propagation from seed, all the techniques are examples of clonal, asexual, or vegetative propagation.

“This means that the new plant is a genetic copy or clone of the original or mother plant,” says Hartmann. “This is beneficial because it ensures that you end up with the same variety and all of its desirable traits. Plants that are healthy and pest-free should always be used for propagation.” 

In Water

Like many other plant species, figs cuttings can be rooted by immersing the basal end in water. “The water should be changed out periodically whenever it appears dirty or cloudy, which might indicate undesirable bacterial growth,” Hartmann says. “Cuttings should be planted in a pot with well-drained soil after the formation of roots and need to be protected from full sun (bright indirect light only) and wind for several weeks until the plant becomes established in the container.”

By Air Layering

Figs can be readily propagated by air layering—this method often yields the highest success rate of any technique. “Propagation by layering can be described as cutting propagation with the training wheels left on, since the xylem (vascular) connection and water supply from the mother plant is maintained,” Hartmann says. 

Air layering is best done in the spring, just as the mother tree resumes growth and while temperatures are mild. Hartmann recommends the following step-by-step instructions:

1. Select a suitable shoot: Locate a 1/2-inch to 1-inch, one-year-old straight shoot on a fig variety of your choice.
2. Remove a ring of bark: Remove a 1/2-inch to 1-inch wide ring of bark with a sharp knife. Note that the latex produced by the plant can be a skin irritant, especially to those who are allergic.
3. Wrap with moist sphagnum moss: Take a handful of moistened sphagnum moss, squeeze out excess moisture, and wrap it around the stem to form a ball just above the removed bark. The moss will be the substrate that the emerging roots grow into. Other materials like peat moss or sawdust can be used, but fibrous sphagnum usually works best.
4. Seal with plastic and foil: Cover the sphagnum with plastic wrap to keep the material moist for root growth. It’s especially important to make sure that the wrap around the lower and upper ends of the stem is sealed by tying a string or something similar. The entire wrapped area should also be covered with aluminum foil to prevent the inside from becoming too hot, especially if exposed to full sun.
5. Check for root development: Monitor progress by temporarily peeling back the aluminum foil covering and peeking through the plastic wrap. Within a few weeks, white or tan roots should be evident.
6. Cut and transplant the new plant: Once the sphagnum ball is full of new roots, the air layer can be harvested by cutting the stem just below the sphagnum ball, then transplanting it into a pot.
7. Reduce foliage to ease stress: Remove some of the foliage from the new plant to reduce strain on the small root system and help alleviate transplant stress.
8. Provide gentle light conditions: Keep the plant in partial sun for a month.

By Fig Cuttings

Propagation via cuttings is the most common method for fig trees, and is usually done in late winter or early spring. Hartmann breaks down the instructions as follows: 

1. Take and prepare hardwood cuttings: Collect strong, one-year-old shoots from last year’s growth and cut to a length of approximately 8 to 12 inches—ideally with a terminal bud. Dormant cuttings can also be stored in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel in refrigerated conditions for a few months until ready to use. While not absolutely necessary, dipping the cut base in a rooting powder, liquid, or gel that contains a light concentration of auxin hormone can expedite the rooting process and improve success rate.
2. Plant in a well-drained medium: Cuttings are then placed in a pot with well-drained substrate. Some people like to use a clear plastic cup containing well-drained potting substrate so that they can monitor the root development.
3. Use semi-hardwood cuttings in summer: Fig cuttings can also be taken in from new shoots (developed in the same year) that have hardened off in the middle or toward the end of summer. The same steps should be used, although the cutting can be shorter (6 inches in length).
4. Maintain humidity for summer cuttings: Create a humidity tent over the cutting using a Ziploc bag or other material to prevent moisture loss. In this case, the pot or cup with the cutting should be kept in bright indirect light to avoid getting too hot. Removal of all the leaves from the cutting usually does not hinder rooting and can make the cuttings easier to handle.

Rooted cuttings should be handled with care until established. “Cuttings grown in cups or individual pots are generally easier to handle than cuttings rooted in the ground or as multiples in pots that later need to be separated,” Hartmann says. “Newly rooted cuttings are prone to rot during the transplanting phase, so it’s important to provide enough moisture, but not overwater them.” 

They can be transplanted into larger pots or directly into the ground. However, for cuttings rooted in the spring, it can be helpful to continue growing them in pots and wait until the plants are larger and more established before planting in the ground.

“In subtropical areas with very mild winters, figs can be planted in late fall or winter,” Hartmann says. “For most of the U.S.—especially where hard freezes are common—it’s best to wait until the window for a freeze in late spring has passed.” 

A cutting-grown fig can usually produce fruit in one to two years and achieve maximum yield in three to four years, if it receives proper care. This includes full sun, well-drained soil, regular irrigation, mulch, and a modest amount of fertilizer or compost.

By Grafting

While not as common, grafting can also be used to propagate a specific fig variety.

“Grafting is essentially the cutting and placement of two parts together so that they can unite into a single composite plant with a shared vascular system,” Hartmann says. “The scion (variety) refers to the top of the plant and is responsible for producing the fruit, whereas the rootstock serves as the root system.” 

A practical application of grafting figs is mitigating nematode problems.

“Other species of fig and even specific varieties of the common fig (Ficus carica) have improved resistance to these microscopic roundworms that are problematic in sandy soils,” says Hartmann. “Grafting allows for combining the good fruiting characteristics of the scion variety with the nematode-resistant roots of the rootstock."

Propagation Methods to Avoid

While figs can be propagated by seed, it's not recommended except for breeding purposes or trying to develop a new variety. “Fig plants grown from seed don't come genetically true from the parent and may also take longer to begin producing,” Hartmann says.

Even if you manage to discern which are viable seeds, seedlings may take several years to produce fruit of unknown quality—or some plants may produce only flowers.

A Note About Legalities

Many varieties of figs are patented, and it's illegal to self-propagate patented plants. A plant patent designation means a plant is considered a new and unique invention that has been approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

“When a plant is patented, the breeder or patent owner controls who is allowed to propagate it,” says Maria Zampini, president of UpShoot, LLC and member of the National Garden Bureau. “Plant patents last for 20 years from the date they’re granted. You cannot legally propagate—grow, clone, divide, or reproduce—that plant without permission.” 

In fact, only growers who operate under a license agreement and pay a royalty to the breeder are allowed to propagate these plants. “Plant patents are protected under federal law, and violations can have serious consequences,” she says. “These protections are enforced much like patents for any other consumer product. This system helps support plant innovation—just like patents support new products in other industries.”

Plant patent information is usually listed on the plant tag or label. You might see it appear in a variety of ways, including:

• USPP###### (official patent number)
• PP or Plant Patent #
• U.S. Plant Patent
• PPAF or Plant Patent Applied For (the patent is pending)

Before you begin propagating, identify the fig tree variety and verify its legality.