Cuttings Propagation

My often repeated advice is to use epsom salt or a synthetic salt bearing fertilizer. At some point that quarter teaspoon a gallon morphs into a stronger dose. The working theory is that fertilizer that contains salt forces the cellular matter in the cutting to uptake fluids and with that the fertilizers that up take nutrients. If @Inflorescence , or @GoodFriendMike or @Kid Fig ,or all y'all wants to explain this process more thoroughly I know I would be in their debt.
 
Figless said:
My often repeated advice is to use epsom salt or a synthetic salt bearing fertilizer. At some point that quarter teaspoon a gallon morphs into a stronger dose. The working theory is that fertilizer that contains salt forces the cellular matter in the cutting to uptake fluids and with that the fertilizers that up take nutrients. If @Inflorescence , or @GoodFriendMike or @Kid Fig ,or all y'all wants to explain this process more thoroughly I know I would be in their debt.
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Inflorescence does not use does synthetic's. I have used diluted MG when rooting cuttings and find it helps give them a little boost.
But it is not needed and I don't use it after they root. After they are rooted and up-potted I switch to granular.
 
I thought I had to use fertilizer if I was using an inert medium. I used regular potting mix.
 
@ETXfigs there are some conflicting theories, and controversies that tend to rage, and rage. Such as adding sodium to a organic fertilizer to make it act like a synthetic fertilizer. Or whether a period of Darkness. or absence of light leads to faster rooting. Also whether using a rooting hormone can lead to root rot. Or lead to faster rooting even, or lightly exposing the cambium layer with a light scrape will help, or hurt root production. Also whether the pH of the water you use will defeat the pH of the soil. Using Granular Myco. Which we have cut way back on in my home Orchard. I always invoke @Inflorescence because she knows more than me. Same as @GoodFriendMike. I am the new kid on, the Block, literally born yesterday, they are the experts.
 
Figless said:
@ETXfigs there are some conflicting theories, and controversies that tend to rage, and rage. Such as adding sodium to a organic fertilizer to make it act like a synthetic fertilizer. Or whether a period of Darkness. or absence of light leads to faster rooting. Also whether using a rooting hormone can lead to root rot. Or lead to faster rooting even, or lightly exposing the cambium layer with a light scrape will help, or hurt root production. Also whether the pH of the water you use will defeat the pH of the soil. Using Granular Myco. Which we have cut way back on in my home Orchard. I always invoke @Inflorescence because she knows more than me. Same as @GoodFriendMike. I am the new kid on, the Block, literally born yesterday, they are the experts.
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If it's that complicated I probably won't be doing anymore propagation after this bunch. I'm trying to keep it simple. That's why I used regular potting mix, so I shouldn't need to fertilize until after I up pot. Atleast that was the plan.
 
LOL please don't focus on my public posts to make any decisions about propagation. To me propagation is the most fun part of growing fig trees. There are a few differences amongst members. Even expert ones, but it's your experience that matters. I was born yesterday I'm about a year and a third old in enjoying this Hobby. You probably have more time growing figs than I do. LOL if it would simplify things for you I recommend just not paying any attention to me. I certainly don't want you to give up propagating figs. Like I said for me that's the fun part.
 
Figless said:
LOL please don't focus on my public posts to make any decisions about propagation. To me propagation is the most fun part of growing fig trees. There are a few differences amongst members. Even expert ones, but it's your experience that matters. I was born yesterday I'm about a year and a third old in enjoying this Hobby. You probably have more time growing figs than I do. LOL if it would simplify things for you I recommend just not paying any attention to me. I certainly don't want you to give up propagating figs. Like I said for me that's the fun part.
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It's all good. I will figure it out. I was just getting a little worried thinking I was going to have to be a chemist or microbiologist. Lol just kidding
 
ETXfigs said:
If it's that complicated I probably won't be doing anymore propagation after this bunch. I'm trying to keep it simple. That's why I used regular potting mix, so I shouldn't need to fertilize until after I up pot. Atleast that was the plan.
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It’s not that complicated. No need for anything fancy.
 
@Figless I really don't have rooting down to a science - I've just used different methods untill I see so.ething that works.

So far most of my cuttings have rooted and leafed out and its looking like I finally got my rooting method right - I might be at a 100% success rate for the first time lol.

1 part Ocean Forrest, 3 parts Perlite and 6 parts Coco Coir in the bi-cup method with lids and sealing the tops.

The one thing I tried that was new was instead of making drain holes at the bottom of the first cup I just slashed a large X at the bottom with a utility knife.

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@Kid Fig Sounds like a great system. Those pictured cuttings look fantastic. The more aeration the better. Right now I'm giving fig pops a little run for their money. But I might go back to transparent cups at any time. If I do I will certainly try a big @Kid Fig X LOL I've yet to approach the Pinnacle of 100% success in propagation. I can say absolutely that using these incredible cuttings like those offered by Fig Gazer for this platform for free work really well. As for myself I provided close to 300 cuttings Almost 100% made available for free to California rare fruit grower members, and of course to the wonderful members of this platform. Giving back to FigFanatics I have no idea what success rate those cuttings achieved. I do know that Fig Gazer cuttings are certainly a wonderful place to start propagating....
 
I should mention the thing about using regular cheap potting mix, is that it has made me more paranoid about over watering, because I think it's more prone to rotting than something like Coco Coir or peat moss. That's why I cut the sides off the cups and put them out in the sun. My attempt at keeping it simple has turned out to be more complicated than I had planned. I do think that the potting mix has enough nutrients that I shouldn't need to fertilize.
 
Four weeks update:
I started the propagation of the 12 cuttings that @Figless sent me on April 14th. There is also a Celeste cutting that I started a couple weeks before that. It is included in this pic. I up potted them from the Solo cups yesterday (probably too early). The ones with very little green growth do have the most roots. I have removed a few of the very large leaves on the more vigorous cuttings. I know that it's possible for some to grow roots and then die, so it's still to early to tell for sure how many will make it, but as of now 12 out of 13 are growing. I thought Olympian wasn't going to make it. It only had one small green bud that wasn't doing anything but now that has turned into a small leaf and when I took it out of the Solo cup, I saw that it has more roots than most of the others. The only one that has no signs of life, is LSU Purple. I didn't put any perlite on it because I don't think it's growing. I will continue to water it just in case it decides to do something.

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Another one bites the dust(CDD Rimada). In this pic is 11 of the 12 cuttings that was given to me by the forum. LSU Purple never showed any signs of life so it is not in the pic. Now CDD Rimada appears to have died. It's the 2nd from the camera and all the way to the right. Also the 2nd one from the camera and all the way to the left looks like it maybe next(Achaika Movia). All the other ones are still growing (some more than others) so I have hopes for them. So at this time it looks like 9 out of 12 may make it.

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Here is a recent pic of the cuttings from the forum. I'm down to 9 out of 12, and 2 of the 9 are growing very slow. In the row closest to the camera and all the way to the right and in the middle. The one all the way to the right, you can see the top of the cutting is dried up. I used wood glue to seal the top end of the cutting. I'm going to get some budding tape. Those 2 are growing very very slow. They both have apical buds with new leaves coming out but super slow. I guess they might be the next to bite the dust. There is also one I started 3 weeks ago in a Starbucks cup that was a sucker on my LSU Purple. It has 3 leaves on it.

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ETXfigs said:
I started a few more propagations from my fig trees. I took your advice and put perlite at the bottom. Looking at it now, I think next time I will put more at the bottom. I also added some perlite to the medium. I think @Figgerlickinggood has suggested using these clear cups with the dome. They seem like they will work great. I hope propagating cuttings of new growth will work.

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FYI, The Perlite at the bottom isn't really that helpful, and I found it unnecessary if your moisture is good in the first place. From experience and science it just ends up bringing your water table to just above that perlite, so be very careful watering still. It doesn't quite drain like you want it to. I recommend trying Fig pops your next go around. Good luck none the less! Hope you have success!

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JC Figgy said:
FYI, The Perlite at the bottom isn't really that helpful, and I found it unnecessary if your moisture is good in the first place. From experience and science it just ends up bringing your water table to just above that perlite, so be very careful watering still. It doesn't quite drain like you want it to. I recommend trying Fig pops your next go around. Good luck none the less! Hope you have success!

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I don't know what fig pops are. I hear that term a lot. I have the clear Starbucks cups with the dome on top.
 
ETXfigs said:
I don't know what fig pops are. I hear that term a lot. I have the clear Starbucks cups with the dome on top.
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Sorry, The Figpops are basically the same idea, except you dont water them. You use the moisture and humidity from when you first make the fig pop.
Use any kind of bag, but 4"x10" or 4x12" are preferred. Prewet your medium(I like pro mix hp, add extra perlite for newbies), Add Gnatrol in the water you wet the medium with. Squeeze til there's no drops left. Use some hormone on the bottom of your cutting and stick it in. Seal up that bag tight and hold that moisture in. 4,6,8 weeks later without doing anything you should have roots formed! Heat mat will increase the speeds of root formation.

Heck you can add bags to your cups and seal it up with a rubberband, string or tape. If your moisture is good.
 
JC Figgy said:
Sorry, The Figpops are basically the same idea, except you dont water them. You use the moisture and humidity from when you first make the fig pop.
Use any kind of bag, but 4"x10" or 4x12" are preferred. Prewet your medium(I like pro mix hp, add extra perlite for newbies), Add Gnatrol in the water you wet the medium with. Squeeze til there's no drops left. Use some hormone on the bottom of your cutting and stick it in. Seal up that bag tight and hold that moisture in. 4,6,8 weeks later without doing anything you should have roots formed! Heat mat will increase the speeds of root formation.

Heck you can add bags to your cups and seal it up with a rubberband, string or tape. If your moisture is good.
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I like that idea.
 
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