Figgin' A
Well-known member
Prompted by Kevin's Pro Mix price thread, I thought I'd start a new one to talk about a topic related to Pro Mix. A lot of fig growers love it and use it a lot. I don't anymore. If you feel the same, tell me why. If you like it, that's cool too. Let me know what you like about it compared to other substrates you tried.
Me, I stopped using it for the most part. My first year rooting fig cuttings was a 100% success. I simply stuck the cuttings in my garden potting mix that I use to grow vegetables and kept the soil lightly watered.
The next year, after reading and watching numerous instructional videos on rooting figs, I quickly learned that Pro Mix was the IT substrate to use for fig rooting. The best! There was none other like it. Man, have I been doing this all wrong?
So, I followed the trend. I had a pretty good success rate, about 85-90%, but found it to be a pain in the rear as far as maintenance. I had to water my Pro Mix very carefully every other day, sometimes daily. I had to weigh the pots to avoid over-watering. It worked!
Last fall, I decided to root a few cuttings, but I followed the newest, 'bestest' method preached by one of the well-known youtuber fig growing 'gurus' and vouched for by some fig growers on the forums. It's pretty much the same method, but I'd have to put the fig tree pots inside plastic bags. Finally, THE solution to make my rooting easy! ... How didn't I think about that myself? That turned out to be a freaking disaster for me. Zero success rate. Abysmal failure. No roots for a while, followed by root rot. Lost several very good cuttings I was so looking forward to trying this next growing season... alas, that's not gonna happen.
I am an experienced gardener with many years of growing plants from seeds, and I have a 4-season experience rooting fig cuttings. My verdict - I don't like Pro Mix. I can make it work, not in plastic bags, but it's a pain. Why use it, then? Why pay a premium price for it? I don't see a good reason.
I've had a much better success with good old garden potting mix that I buy in bulk from a local supplier. Success rate - 100%. I water them pots every few days. Sometimes, I forget to water and do it 1-3 days too late, but that's never a problem because the substrate is pretty water-retentive, and it takes a while for it to get bone dry and damage gentle roots. I find it quite forgiving. It works. It works very well for me. I don't need no Pro Mix. I grow all my figs in this mix, from rooting on. No, it doesn't get waterlogged. No, it doesn't cause root rot. No, it doesn't get too heavy. Yes, it works. It's natural. I have worms and all sorts of bugs and microscopic life in it. My figs love it.
I hope some new growers will find my experience helpful and insightful. IMHO, you don't need to follow trends, YouTubers, and those so-called fig 'gurus'. Find your own way. There are tons of ways to root a cutting. The simplest ways work best, IMHO. That's how nature works. Stick a cutting in real soil, give it a bit of water, and it will grow just fine. Works for me. This spring, I put down a thin layer of vermiculite in my rooting pots. That keeps moisture in, gnats out, and prevents green algae from growing on the surface.
Here are my cuttings that I started rooting on Jan 1, 2025. Tree pots, garden potting soil I brought into the garage in the fall to keep it from freezing, a thin layer of vermiculite on top of the soil, watering every 4-5 days, and lights from day one.
@TorontoJoe You might be excited about this one
I didn't realize I was rooting one TP among other of my cuttings. Crazy vigor.
Me, I stopped using it for the most part. My first year rooting fig cuttings was a 100% success. I simply stuck the cuttings in my garden potting mix that I use to grow vegetables and kept the soil lightly watered.
The next year, after reading and watching numerous instructional videos on rooting figs, I quickly learned that Pro Mix was the IT substrate to use for fig rooting. The best! There was none other like it. Man, have I been doing this all wrong?
So, I followed the trend. I had a pretty good success rate, about 85-90%, but found it to be a pain in the rear as far as maintenance. I had to water my Pro Mix very carefully every other day, sometimes daily. I had to weigh the pots to avoid over-watering. It worked!Last fall, I decided to root a few cuttings, but I followed the newest, 'bestest' method preached by one of the well-known youtuber fig growing 'gurus' and vouched for by some fig growers on the forums. It's pretty much the same method, but I'd have to put the fig tree pots inside plastic bags. Finally, THE solution to make my rooting easy! ... How didn't I think about that myself? That turned out to be a freaking disaster for me. Zero success rate. Abysmal failure. No roots for a while, followed by root rot. Lost several very good cuttings I was so looking forward to trying this next growing season... alas, that's not gonna happen.
I am an experienced gardener with many years of growing plants from seeds, and I have a 4-season experience rooting fig cuttings. My verdict - I don't like Pro Mix. I can make it work, not in plastic bags, but it's a pain. Why use it, then? Why pay a premium price for it? I don't see a good reason.
I've had a much better success with good old garden potting mix that I buy in bulk from a local supplier. Success rate - 100%. I water them pots every few days. Sometimes, I forget to water and do it 1-3 days too late, but that's never a problem because the substrate is pretty water-retentive, and it takes a while for it to get bone dry and damage gentle roots. I find it quite forgiving. It works. It works very well for me. I don't need no Pro Mix. I grow all my figs in this mix, from rooting on. No, it doesn't get waterlogged. No, it doesn't cause root rot. No, it doesn't get too heavy. Yes, it works. It's natural. I have worms and all sorts of bugs and microscopic life in it. My figs love it.
I hope some new growers will find my experience helpful and insightful. IMHO, you don't need to follow trends, YouTubers, and those so-called fig 'gurus'. Find your own way. There are tons of ways to root a cutting. The simplest ways work best, IMHO. That's how nature works. Stick a cutting in real soil, give it a bit of water, and it will grow just fine. Works for me. This spring, I put down a thin layer of vermiculite in my rooting pots. That keeps moisture in, gnats out, and prevents green algae from growing on the surface.
Here are my cuttings that I started rooting on Jan 1, 2025. Tree pots, garden potting soil I brought into the garage in the fall to keep it from freezing, a thin layer of vermiculite on top of the soil, watering every 4-5 days, and lights from day one.
@TorontoJoe You might be excited about this one
I didn't realize I was rooting one TP among other of my cuttings. Crazy vigor.
I too used PM because I was told it was “The One” to use. This year I only bought 2 cuttings from OTBPN. And I put them directly into the ground in the back yard, covered the tops with mulch then a plastic pot with bricks on top to keep the pots from blowing off from the wind. I’ll find out come spring if they rooted.
But sand with 3-4 inches of compost on top would be nearly perfect.