Hardwood cuttings of hardy fig should be taken and prepared while dormant or success declines dramatically. Also, 2-3" thick branches of F carica can be air layered, providing a significant decrease in the time it takes for the tree to develop.
FWIW, the best method I've ever used for hardwood cuttings is: after leaves fall, take 6" cuttings, butt cut the top of the cutting and cut the basal end at an angle so one can't lose track of the cutting's polarity, soak in a KLN solution for an hour, bury the cuttings basal side up in a sunny spot in a garden or bed, and mark the spot. When whatever tree you're propagating first starts to leaf out in the landscape, uncover the cuttings and stick them with the basal end down.
Because the spring sun warms the earth top down, the warmer temperatures at the root end promotes rooting while the chill deeper in the soil keeps buds dormant. Rooting will already be well underway by the time the cuttings are flipped. Success rate is probably 90% or better. It works for all deciduous hardwoods I've ever propagated by cuttings and is pretty much the only method I use other than the occasional summerwood cutting I might start.
It probably makes good sense, if you don't mind the effort it takes, to try both methods, cuttings and layering. That way, if the summer cuttings don't pan out, you can take dormant cuttings this winter.
Al
