How to Propagate a Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant
- 1). Look at an existing Fiddle leaf fig tree and locate a stem that is at least 1 inch thick and is free of disease.
- 2). Trace the limb back approximately half way and locate an area where a leaf grows form it. Place a sharp knife just below the leaf and cut into the upper layer of the bark by 1/2 inch. Angle the knife at a 45-degree angle and move it sideways approximately 1 inch. The result is a thin flap of bark on the branch.
- 3). Hold back the slit with the blade of the knife and insert a toothpick under the flap to hold it away from the branch. Remove the knife.
- 4). Cut into the bark just below the flap and angle the knife down to shave off the outer bark. You should see white wood, not green wood, when you have removed enough bark. Remove all of the bark from the branch 3 inches above and 3 inches below the flap.
- 5). Sprinkle the entire shaved area and the flap with a rooting hormone powder that also contains a fungicide.
- 6). Place 1 cup of sphagnum moss in a bowl and apply 1/4 cup of water until it is moist. Pick up the moss in your hand and place it over the shaved area of the fig tree branch, wrapping it all the way around.
- 7). Wrap a piece of clear plastic wrap around the moss and tie it with a piece of gardening tape to secure it.
- 8). Monitor the clear plastic once per week until you see mostly roots instead of moss. Remove the plastic and cut the entire stem off of the fig tree 1 inch below the graft site using loppers.
