Propagating Chicago Hardy Fig

Plant Characteristics

• The purplish-brown fruits of "Hardy Chicago" fig ripen in midsummer to fall, with strawberry-colored pulp and excellent flavor. This cultivar survives without winter protection in USDA zone 6 because its roots survive underground, even though above-ground growth is killed back by cold. "Hardy Chicago" grows in USDA zones 6 through 8 and tolerates USDA zone 5 with winter protection. It originated in a Chicago garden, where the gardener failed to protect his fig one winter and noticed that it survived. In colder areas, grow "Hardy Chicago" as a container plant that you bring indoors during winter weather. Propagate the fig by rooting cuttings or layering, because it won't grow true from seed.

Cuttings

• Take 8- to 10-inch-long cuttings from year-old wood in February while the fig tree is dormant. Wrap the cuttings in moist paper towels and put them in a resealable plastic bag in a warm place -- about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Roots should form into a few weeks, with the time varying from tree to tree. Fill 4-inch, clean nursery containers with moistened coarse vermiculite and bury the bottom half of the cutting in the vermiculite. Keep the cuttings warm and allow the vermiculite to partially dry between waterings. Keep the humidity high by putting a plastic bag loosely over the pots. Watch for new growth. Check for good rooting before transplanting, because new leaves can form without good root formation, and then transplant well-rooted cuttings into 1-gallon containers.

Layering

• During the growing season, bend a branch down so it touches the ground. Scrape a shallow trench in the soil and put a portion of the bent branch into the depression, covering the branch with soil for several inches. Hold the branch securely in position with a U-shaped piece of bent wire. Put a rock on top of the branch if it resists staying in place. Wait for several months, checking occasionally for rooting. When the branch is well-rooted, sever it from the mother plant and plant it in a nursery container or in the ground.

Side Shoots

• Although fig trees can be trained to grow as single-trunk trees, in spots where they get damaged by winter cold they tend to grow naturally as multistemmed bushy plants. Occasionally side shoots form, called suckers. Often these will spontaneously root. Use a sharp shovel to sever rooted side shoots from the main tree. Replant the sucker in the garden or grow it as a container plant. You can also share them with friends.