First Roots... Class of 2026

Kompakfigs said:
Yep with stolen clear meat and produce bags from the grocery store😄. I’ve secured the bags with rubber bands just enough that I can open the bags to add water and fertilizer.
I’d re-watched the Notorious Fig’s comprehensive propagation video and thoroughly read @Inflorescence article(s) about fig propagation. I did a trial run in October on a VDB cutting that I had gotten this past spring. No clonex cuz I ran out. At first I had a heat mat but quit it using because my grow room’s ambient temp was in the mid 70s. I didn’t use a bin because from trial and error the heat can get 80° even if it’s set at 78°. I fertilized every other week (I’m always concerned about rot) with a very diluted kelp and seaweed and water mix.
2 days ago I was curious if there was anything happening and carefully removed the soil from the pot. To my surprise the bud bread happened slightly below the soil line and there was a single root growing. Hopefully, I didn’t kill the cutting’s progress and I’ll see in a couple of weeks if the bud becomes a leaf.
With the 4x9 tree pot method, I just have to be more patient and if I’m lucky, I wont have to worry about the up potting.
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I love that kelp stuff. Since someone here on the forum told me about it I have noticed steady top growth of the leave in my cutting but not out of control - slow steady so a lot more balanced and healthy and hopefully balancing root growth below. 😄
 
I love doing fig pops and it’s SO SATISFYING seeing the roots grow, and the roots grow their own feeder roots!!

I’m happy to help you if you want. Feel free to send me a dm. I also have a very good video from a fig pop workshop that is very helpful if you want?
 
I am using clear Solo cups in bags. I'm using what I have on hand. I have these 18 oz cups. I think that larger clear cups would be better, like the 24 oz cups from Amazon, or the Starbucks and McDonald's clear cups, but these 18 oz cups are working great and they use less medium. The bags are larger than they need to be but that's what I had. I like this method because it's in a cup so up potting will be easier and it's clear so I can see the roots and it's sealed in a bag so I don't have to worry about watering it.

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Inflorescence said:
Do you by chance sanitize your cuttings with something? I’m curious if when you experienced rot with the tips what your process was… I have a theory in my mind that’s coming together, but not enough info yet. 🙂
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I don't. I appreciate the process of doing so but I just never got in the habit of doing so. Are you thinking maybe I should?
 
TorontoJoe said:
I don't. I appreciate the process of doing so but I just never got in the habit of doing so. Are you thinking maybe I should?
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No. I had more issues with tips when I sanitized or used parafilm on them. Since I stopped doing both, I no longer have any issues with them at all.

I noticed some others who have a habit of sanitizing, particularly with bleach, seem to have issues with tips as well. I had a theory about that process, but since you don’t do that, it doesn’t apply.

Thanks for responding though.
 
Inflorescence said:
No. I had more issues with tips when I sanitized or used parafilm on them. Since I stopped doing both, I no longer have any issues with them at all.

I noticed some others who have a habit of sanitizing, particularly with bleach, seem to have issues with tips as well. I had a theory about that process, but since you don’t do that, it doesn’t apply.

Thanks for responding though.
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I don't always get it correct.. and I'm still learning every day. I'm good with that :)
 
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What purpose does making a new cut on the distal end of a cutting serve? Has a cutting already expended resources protecting that end from injury, only to be reinjured? Would only making a bottom cut focus fluids toward the desired callous and root target?
 
Spectrum said:
What purpose does making a new cut on the distal end of a cutting serve? Has a cutting already expended resources protecting that end from injury, only to be reinjured? Would only making a bottom cut focus fluids toward the desired callous and root target?
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I thin kthe concern is it wont suck up water thru the bottom if its not cut. at least thats my thought
 
How do you tell if a cutting in a black tree pot has roots without taking it out? :LOL:

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So if you love watching root development, even after years of rooting cuttings. Clear cups and clear figpops are the way to go.

If you want the most hands off approach and still want to see the root development, fig pops it is.

Regarding tip cuttings I haven’t noticed any difference in results. What I can say is tip cuttings generally are less lignified, especially at the very tip, So they don’t store well and may rot as soon as you start rooting them. Other avoid the tips for fear of fig bud mites hiding in them. I don’t avoid them and root them as normal, parafilm the top as usual. I clean my cutting’s with soap and diluted bleach and have no issues. I don’t do a bath soak, I scrub them vigorously to take off any mold and rust developed on them then dump them in a water bath. Thoroughly air dry them before bagging.

Tips from my own experience to increase chances.

1: Pre-soak rooting material til wet and clumps with nearly no drop of water can be squeezed out. Let the mix sit for a night to get any dry patches. Especially the peat meixes are extremely dry. Add in gnatrol with your water. Kill any eggs if there are any in the mix. Better safe than sorry.
2: heat mat with a bin on top. Helps more evenly distribution of heat. I like around 78.
3: heat mat with temp probe is a must. I sit the prob on the bin under a fig pop.
4: when parafilming the tops. Ensure nothing is inside the fig pop or touching the soil line. That will cause water to seep up and cause mold and rot.
5. Set it and forget it. Look anytime you want but don’t water for at least 6-8 weeks. If your tree has developed a lot of leaves that are using up moisture you will want to poke some water in the bag only if the roots aren’t full enough yet to up pot.
6: make sure you pack the potting mix in tight, the tight packed soil causes huge root development and keeps the pop in one piece easily as you up pot.
7: When I up pot to 1g, I use the same mix again, pre moistened with gnatrol. For their first watering a day or two later I’ll start giving them liquid fertilizer with their watering.

Good luck and stay figgy!!!
 

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We all have our own rooting methods that work or don’t work, depending who is using it. It’s best to pick a method that you understand, that makes sense to you and where you can immediately spot deviations and problems, that fits your personality if you will, and that you have fun with. I swear by my method as have a nearly 100% success rate with it. No clear cups for me, and absolutely no fig pops. Clear cups and fig pops have multiple disadvantages IMHO; I used to use them extensively years ago. But that’s looking through the lens of my personal rooting style. Just my opinion. It’s neither right nor wrong.

P.S. the post above about the roots popping out was for levity. These days I am primarily concerned about root development per se, and much lees about watching it. :)
 
JC Figgy said:
So if you love watching root development, even after years of rooting cuttings. Clear cups and clear figpops are the way to go.

If you want the most hands off approach and still want to see the root development, fig pops it is.

Regarding tip cuttings I haven’t noticed any difference in results. What I can say is tip cuttings generally are less lignified, especially at the very tip, So they don’t store well and may rot as soon as you start rooting them. Other avoid the tips for fear of fig bud mites hiding in them. I don’t avoid them and root them as normal, parafilm the top as usual. I clean my cutting’s with soap and diluted bleach and have no issues. I don’t do a bath soak, I scrub them vigorously to take off any mold and rust developed on them then dump them in a water bath. Thoroughly air dry them before bagging.

Tips from my own experience to increase chances.

1: Pre-soak rooting material til wet and clumps with nearly no drop of water can be squeezed out. Let the mix sit for a night to get any dry patches. Especially the peat meixes are extremely dry. Add in gnatrol with your water. Kill any eggs if there are any in the mix. Better safe than sorry.
2: heat mat with a bin on top. Helps more evenly distribution of heat. I like around 78.
3: heat mat with temp probe is a must. I sit the prob on the bin under a fig pop.
4: when parafilming the tops. Ensure nothing is inside the fig pop or touching the soil line. That will cause water to seep up and cause mold and rot.
5. Set it and forget it. Look anytime you want but don’t water for at least 6-8 weeks. If your tree has developed a lot of leaves that are using up moisture you will want to poke some water in the bag only if the roots aren’t full enough yet to up pot.
6: make sure you pack the potting mix in tight, the tight packed soil causes huge root development and keeps the pop in one piece easily as you up pot.
7: When I up pot to 1g, I use the same mix again, pre moistened with gnatrol. For their first watering a day or two later I’ll start giving them liquid fertilizer with their watering.

Good luck and stay figgy!!!
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Magical
 
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