Detailed Explanation of Fig Cutting Propagation Methods and Steps

        Figs can be propagated by various methods including layering and cuttings. Cutting propagation has a high survival rate, and after planting, the plants can bear fruit in early spring of the following year with high yields, reaching over 1000 kg per mu. The techniques for raising seedlings by cuttings are as follows: I. Site Selection and Land Preparation        Choose clay or sandy soil that is free of salt and alkali, with deep, moist and fertile soil layers. First level the land, then apply 2000 kg of organic fertilizer per 667 sq m as base fertilizer. Then make small ridges 50 cm wide and 33 cm high, spaced 35 cm apart. Make the ridges and insert the cuttings at the same time. II. Cutting Method        After leaf fall in autumn, when the sap stops flowing, until before bud break in spring, take sprouting branches from the ground level or the lower part of the main trunk of the mother tree as cuttings. The cuttings should be of moderate thickness, with smooth cuts and no splitting, about 20 cm in length. Insert them into the prepared small ridges in early spring or about 3 days before the local healing and rooting period, at a depth of 17-18 cm, and water immediately after insertion. III. Management After Cutting        Fig cuttings heal and root easily, but management after cutting should still be attended to.        1. During the callus formation stage, the temperature requirement is relatively high, so soil temperature should be raised promptly and water supply strengthened; in the late stage of healing and rooting, the cuttings grow a large number of fibrous roots, and as the temperature gradually rises, soil moisture should be increased.        2. After healing and rooting and during the leafing stage, avoid watering with muddy water to prevent leaf smothering.        3. Water according to soil moisture conditions to keep the soil moist.        4. Fig seedlings are not cold-tolerant, so before the first frost or a late spring cold snap, carry out cold protection and heat preservation work; you can bury them in soil or cover them with grass curtains, leaves, straw and other mulching materials.        5. After the seedlings enter the vegetative growth stage, apply a compound fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer once a month. The amount of fertilizer depends on the size of the seedlings, apply in deep furrows, and be careful to avoid damaging the roots when fertilizing.