Cuttings Journal 2025

@t_corey89 @Figgin' A is going to be right LOL he usually is. He's one of my teachers, and he's pointing out some essential things like the difference between the spindly growth you're currently getting and the thick vibrant growth he's getting. The good news is even if you lose these cuts you will get Replacements because you need the practice. I'm going to suggest you get a pH droplet test kit from a local hydro store they're super easy to read, and they never need to be calibrated. I've never used the fertilizer you pictured, but at this point I recommend synthetic due to the Salt impregnation of the plant cells forcing uptake of nutrient. You might be okay to double whatever you're doing fertigation wise.
That's a lot of cuttings :)
 
I hate raining on your parade, but your cuttings don't look good. The new growth looks skinny, spindly, weak, and chlorotic. They need a good quality light ASAP and a bit of mild-strength organic liquid fertilizer.
Thanks for the info. Yea, they were in my closet so I brought them out by the window to get them some sun. I was afraid to bring them outside with the crazy sun in Texas I didn’t want to fry them.

I haven’t fertilized them at all yet, was afraid to with them being so fresh. But I’ll whip up some diluted fertilizer tonight.
 
I use the solo cup.method as well but it's 2 cups - 1 clear with lid and 1 solo.

Make drainage the bottom of the clear cup and pack down the medium tight made up of 30% Perlite, 20% Ocean Forrest and 50% Coco Coir.

The lid acts as a moisture retainer and I also use plastic wrap (this time I used the thin clear plastic produce bags) and fashion it so it wraps around the lid as well as hanging.over the lid as I tape it down.

The bonus of the lid is that it acts as support to the cutting since the majority of my cuttings were long and the majority of the cutting is outside the cup.

Forgot to mention that the lid and plastic "wrap" around the lid top prevents pesky Fungus Gmats from getting in oh and I actually "punch" the cutting into the lid of the (pre-filled) cup just like a straw.20250415_173014.jpg20250415_172958.jpg
 
I use the solo cup.method as well but it's 2 cups - 1 clear with lid and 1 solo.

Make drainage the bottom of the clear cup and pack down the medium tight made up of 30% Perlite, 20% Ocean Forrest and 50% Coco Coir.

The lid acts as a moisture retainer and I also use plastic wrap (this time I used the thin clear plastic produce bags) and fashion it so it wraps around the lid as well as hanging.over the lid as I tape it down.

The bonus of the lid is that it acts as support to the cutting since the majority of my cuttings were long and the majority of the cutting is outside the cup.

Forgot to mention that the lid and plastic "wrap" around the lid top prevents pesky Fungus Gmats from getting in oh and I actually "punch" the cutting into the lid of the (pre-filled) cup just like a straw.View attachment 5904View attachment 5905
Ahh. I like that. Makes things a little easier!
 
A lovely system. I would make it two transparent cups so I could monitor root development. The other thing I would mention is that fungus gnats probably come with the bag of ocean Forest. Or even a bag of coveted mineral soil. They most probably come prepackaged in the soil bags they don't get into them.
 
A lovely system. I would make it two transparent cups so I could monitor root development. The other thing I would mention is that fungus gnats probably come with the bag of ocean Forest. Or even a bag of coveted mineral soil. They most probably come prepackaged in the soil bags they don't get into them.
My dad likes to use the clear plastic cups from McDonald’s and stuff lol. Now l know why.
 
A lovely system. I would make it two transparent cups so I could monitor root development. The other thing I would mention is that fungus gnats probably come with the bag of ocean Forest. Or even a bag of coveted mineral soil. They most probably come prepackaged in the soil bags they don't get into them.
Really!?!?

LOL - here I am using an enclosed system to keep them out and it turns out Ocean Forrest comes enriched with gnats for free?!

This might explain why I had a bad rooting success rate last year.

Happen to know of any soil that comes sealed or at least gnat free?
 
I use the solo cup.method as well but it's 2 cups - 1 clear with lid and 1 solo.

Make drainage the bottom of the clear cup and pack down the medium tight made up of 30% Perlite, 20% Ocean Forrest and 50% Coco Coir.

The lid acts as a moisture retainer and I also use plastic wrap (this time I used the thin clear plastic produce bags) and fashion it so it wraps around the lid as well as hanging.over the lid as I tape it down.

The bonus of the lid is that it acts as support to the cutting since the majority of my cuttings were long and the majority of the cutting is outside the cup.

Forgot to mention that the lid and plastic "wrap" around the lid top prevents pesky Fungus Gmats from getting in oh and I actually "punch" the cutting into the lid of the (pre-filled) cup just like a straw.View attachment 5904View attachment 5905

I thought you were committed to the Zapp Brannigan method?
 
I thought you were committed to the Zapp Brannigan method?
Unfortunately I didn't have the numbers to root wave after wave of cuttings.

These were a mix of trades but mostly they were gifted cuttings - both Angelito cuttings were the first to wake up; makes me wonderif its one of the most vigorous varieties amongst figs.
 
My dad likes to use the clear plastic cups from McDonald’s and stuff lol. Now l know why.
Yup I agree with @Figless - clear cup to observe roots as well as for observing/maintaining enough moisture (in the medium).

I water by replacing the same amount of weight of water (due to moisture loss) into the solo cup and just plopping (not really )the clear cup with cutting letting it absorb the water from the bottom up.

BTW I weigh my cups (with cutting) initially and mark it down onto the solo cup.20250415_190332.jpg20250415_190348.jpg
 
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Great ideas @Kid Fig we really should have a in-house propagation contest BTW I agree that Angelito might be our most aggressive cutting. Certainly this dormancy we didn't lose even one cutting. Just for newer members who may not be familiar with @Kid Fig he has helped teach (so many newbies like me) year after year @Kid Fig Rocks
 
Well this is every body after being outside since my last post. They all seem to be happier for sure, rather than being in the window and some fertilizer. Don’t mind the Celeste cuttings over to the left and on the bottom.
 

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Well this is every body after being outside since my last post. They all seem to be happier for sure, rather than being in the window and some fertilizer. Don’t mind the Celeste cuttings over to the left and on the bottom.

Did you have to harden them off? One thing I've noticed about window seedlings is that they can go straight into full sun, unlike those grown under lights.
 
Did you have to harden them off? One thing I've noticed about window seedlings is that they can go straight into full sun, unlike those grown under lights.
Well…. Hahahaha. Now that you mention it, I think you’re right. I just put them on my pallet out back and watched them over the next couple hours and they seemed fine. So I just left them in that spot all the next day and had my girlfriend check on them throughout the day. They never wilted and looked sad, so that’s where they’ve been hanging out except when it starts raining. Or if it’s going to rain during the night I’ll throw them in my shed. I did have to go rescue them last night, woke up at 4 am and it was storming. So I ran out back and got them to safety. I didn’t want the coco stuff to get too wet and kill them. May have been fine, but better to be safe than sorry.
 
Well…. Hahahaha. Now that you mention it, I think you’re right. I just put them on my pallet out back and watched them over the next couple hours and they seemed fine. So I just left them in that spot all the next day and had my girlfriend check on them throughout the day. They never wilted and looked sad, so that’s where they’ve been hanging out except when it starts raining. Or if it’s going to rain during the night I’ll throw them in my shed. I did have to go rescue them last night, woke up at 4 am and it was storming. So I ran out back and got them to safety. I didn’t want the coco stuff to get too wet and kill them. May have been fine, but better to be safe than sorry.

The force is strong in this one!

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