Layering...The Propagating Experience!

  This past September, I wrote about rooting a fig tree by layering a limb from the mature tree.  (Sept. 13, 2013 post)  The layering involved bringing a low limb down to the ground, plopping a handful of dirt on it and then placing a brick on top of the dirt.   Over the course of six months, the limb should start putting on little roots.  

  Well, I checked this past week and, sure enough, the limb was firmly embedded in the dirt.  That was clear evidence that a root system was well on its way to being developed.  It was time to cut the limb from the parent and let it become its own tree.  I gathered together my tools and a large flower pot.  The cutting would reside in the pot for another season as I had no idea just where I wanted to plant it.  Things are on the move around here as I am doing a deep cleaning of the yard. Gardens are being relocated and bushes are either being removed altogether or transplanted in a different area.  This is all in my master plan of eradicating the voles.   I figure if I stir things up a bit, they might just get aggravated enough to move on their merry way.

  

  Once I got everything I needed for the task at hand, I gently pulled away the mulch that was piled around the base of the large tree.  This allowed me to see where I needed to cut and then dig.  The limb seemed nice and healthy so I snipped it from the main tree.  Using a sharp pair of snips is important here as the cut needs to be done cleanly without smashing the stalk.  After that done, I pulled away a bit more of the mulch and some of the dirt.  It was not hard to uncover the root system with just my hands.  The ground was soft and I had hesitated to use the shovel as I might damage roots of the main tree.   Aha!  There was a nice ball of roots, indeed!

  This fig tree will take several more seasons before it produces its first fig but by layering a branch from the main tree, I am assured of getting great figs.  The main tree produced masses of figs this past year and I am in hopes that this little one will follow suit.  Once we harvest the figs for this season, I will layer any low branches and create more little trees. That is one of the great things about figs!  Once you have a large tree, you never need to buy another!  Just layer those low limbs and let them root.  I can see it now!  A fig orchard!  Maybe if I get enough fruit trees of all kinds, the squirrels, birds and coons will not be able to eat all my produce.  Lets see, peach trees, citrus trees, plum trees, fig trees...oh, and we cannot forget Boysenberry vines and blueberry bushes!  Yep, it sounds like we are well on our way to at least filling the bellies of lots of critters and hopefully still have enough fruit for ourselves!