Marcotting

GoodFriendMike said:
You may call it air layering. But no matter what you call it. It is one of the easiest ways to propagate figs trees. I love the medium size round pods. Yes you can use water/soda bottles or plastic bags. But for me. The pods. I use them almost year round. This one is Toro Canyon Capri. I only had one tree and I like to keep atleast two. :)
Click for original
IMG-5991.jpg
Click to expand...

There’s something about the round balls that just gives such a pleasing shape when you open it up, haha. :) It’s like a perfect sphere of a mass of roots.

Looks really good, Mike!
 
That one looks great Mike, I use those same pods.
I set most of mine in the spring, they seem to be most successful then.
Soon as the temps hit up in the 90's and over...they slow down or just stop all together.
 
I used to use those plastic balls, but went back to bags. I think most people fill each half of the ball with medium, then press them together around the branch. This means that when the ball is opened only the roots are holding the two hemispheres together, and I sometimes found that the medium stuck to the plastic. If the roots were strong this was no problem, but weaker roots could break. With bags, fibrous medium containing coir or peat could be wrapped around the branch in a single mass rather than having two halves pressed together, meaning that the rootball was more robust than with the plastic ball during the removal process, not to mention that the bag can be peeled off, whereas the ball has to be pulled apart.
Another aspect to consider is that the balls result in roots in a smoothly surfaced sphere, and I sometimes found that the roots were less inclined to turn outwards and penetrate the surrounding medium when the ball was transplanted. Bags produce a rougher surface : even here I usually prise off some of the medium with a sharp object (or even hose some of it off) to loosen the roots and make it easier for them to grow outwards after transplanting.
 
dondan said:
I used to use those plastic balls, but went back to bags. I think most people fill each half of the ball with medium, then press them together around the branch. This means that when the ball is opened only the roots are holding the two hemispheres together, and I sometimes found that the medium stuck to the plastic. If the roots were strong this was no problem, but weaker roots could break. With bags, fibrous medium containing coir or peat could be wrapped around the branch in a single mass rather than having two halves pressed together, meaning that the rootball was more robust than with the plastic ball during the removal process, not to mention that the bag can be peeled off, whereas the ball has to be pulled apart.
Another aspect to consider is that the balls result in roots in a smoothly surfaced sphere, and I sometimes found that the roots were less inclined to turn outwards and penetrate the surrounding medium when the ball was transplanted. Bags produce a rougher surface : even here I usually prise off some of the medium with a sharp object (or even hose some of it off) to loosen the roots and make it easier for them to grow outwards after transplanting.
Click to expand...
Glad to see you here. Was talking about you the other day with a guy in Poland. Of course we where talking about Capri.
 
I didn't know that was a synonym. Very cool to see another term for air-layering. I'll have to remember it by the mnemonic device of "Marketing."
 
Figology said:
I didn't know that was a synonym. Very cool to see another term for air-layering. I'll have to remember it by the mnemonic device of "Marketing."
Click to expand...

Before I got into figs. I was into tropical fruit. Not the best thing to get in to in zone 9. But reading up on them. They always say marcotting instead of air layering. So I have always used that term.
 
Marcotting is actually the preferred term in R.J. Garner's "The Grafter's Handbook": "MARCOTTING
This method is variously known as air layering, Chinese layering, circumposition, or, in India and elsewhere, as gootee." Interestingly, it seems this seminal work can be legally downloaded free, which is strange as I once bought it and it is still commercially available.
https://ia904501.us.archive.org/28/items/the-grafters-handbook/The grafters handbook.pdf
 
dondan said:
Marcotting is actually the preferred term in R.J. Garner's "The Grafter's Handbook": "MARCOTTING
This method is variously known as air layering, Chinese layering, circumposition, or, in India and elsewhere, as gootee." Interestingly, it seems this seminal work can be legally downloaded free, which is strange as I once bought it and it is still commercially available.
https://ia904501.us.archive.org/28/items/the-grafters-handbook/The grafters handbook.pdf
Click to expand...

And yet the term is very rarely used in fig culture now and days. Downloaded the pdf. Thanks for posting it. :)
 
@"GoodFriendMike"#9   I was not aware you could marcot citrus, being from the north it was the furthest thing from my mind as far as growing anything.
I have a few now....maybe a few more in the future.

Also I read that using this method the trees do not last as long as ones grown from seed...not sure about the truth in that statement.
 
ktrain said:
@"GoodFriendMike"#9   I was not aware you could marcot citrus, being from the north it was the furthest thing from my mind as far as growing anything.
I have a few now....maybe a few more in the future.

Also I read that using this method the trees do not last as long as ones grown from seed...not sure about the truth in that statement.
Click to expand...
I have not had any luck marcotting citrus yet. But than again. Citrus takes months to push out roots. Maybe I did not leave them on long enough? But this method works quite well with other plants and trees.
 
I read an article on what plants/trees you are able to marcot, it said citrus, but did not list any specific type/variety.
May have to give it a try in spring.
 
I feel ignorant... I've never even heard the term. It's always been layering to me.

I tried the round balls and a couple of other layering systems. The problem for me was that they never conformed to the changing branch size.... and I'm well, lazy. So when they dried up, I had to stay on top of them to keep the mix moist. With a good, 3 mil poly bag with electrical tape top and bottom... I rarely have to add any water before potting them up....
 
Figology said:
(This is just my opinion)

I think it's a portmanteau of Mar (damage/ruin) and Cot (cover/sheath). Essentially growing a plant by damaging a part and covering it.
Click to expand...
This is what the old goog says. But who knows. The word "marcot" comes from the French word marcotter, which comes from the noun marcotte. The word marcotte may come from the Latin word mergus, which means "layer of a plant", or from the Latin word mergere, which means "to dip" or "to plunge".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top