I’ve just discovered the [Milkwood](http://www.milkwood.net) site – “Two city kids quit their jobs, pull up stumps and journey to a remote, empty, block of land to start an ultra low impact lifestyle from scratch”. Now these are people I’d love to meet!
Kirsten Bradley and Nick Ritar are documenting their trials and tribulations via both traditional blogging and short videos. The videos are great, and they really have a flair for making an interesting short film.
This first video is about [how to grow figs from cuttings](http://www.milkwood.net/resources/how-tos/how-to-grow-figs-from-cuttings.html).
##Notes
– spring time – growing time, making cuttings time
– able to obtain cuttings from an abandoned orchard near their property – lucky!
– besides being free, taking cuttings from local trees ensures that you are growing a variety that will do well in your area
– these appear to be hardwood cuttings?
– “follow the wrinkle” when taking cuttings
– instead of using commercial growth hormones for striking cuttings, use “willow water” – finely-chopped willow leaves dumped in a bowl of water
– fill pots with dirt/compost/potting mix/whatever
– fill the pots first, put them in a tray to make moving them around easier
– cut the hardwood cutting just below a node, then scrape the bark to stimulate root growth
– use a stick to make a hole in your pot
– dip the cutting into the willow water, getting lots of green bits on it
– insert into the hole in the pot
– repeat for all the other cuttings
– water them in
– done!
It’ll be interesting to visit the site again in a few months and see how the little figgies are doing.