Need help - when to water fig pop?

BucksCountyFigs

BucksCountyFigs

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This is my first attempt at rooting fig cuttings, and obviously I am using the fig pop method.

I started these on 9/08 in my living room, no heat mat, no lights.

They are now growing nice roots and starting to grow little leaves.

I do notice there is still a little condensation in most of the bags, BUT there is much less condensation than before, PLUS (I believe) the bags are lighter in weight.

So….what do I do now?

QUESTION 1 - WATERING………….

I know it’s too early to up pot, since they do not have enough roots in there yet, but don’t they need water?

I have been reading that this is a common point of cutting failure and death, due to errors in adding too much moisture, uneven watering creating dry as a bone pockets, or cutting the corners off and bottom watering but that only waters the bottom 1.5” of the bag leaving the rest too dry. All of these errors = root death = failed cutting.

1) Please share what you find works for you regarding watering at this point in the fig pop process. Please share in as much detail as possible; pics would be even better if available.



QUESTION 2 - FERTILIZING………….

I have also read that as soon as leaves appear, that diluted fertilizer should be used.

2) Please share what you use and at what dilution + how often.


QUESTION 3 - LIGHTING…………

Right now these are all in my living room which is a sunroom that has indirect light. Several rescue fiddle leaf figs and monstera grow like crazy in here (see pic), but I wasn’t sure if this is sufficient enough (or not) for rooted fig cuttings that are leafing out? Or should I put them outside during the day? Or should I put them under the grow light I just bought?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
 

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A lot of people weigh them and try to keep the same weight. Some go by color of medium. Me, I try to make sure I don't have to water until up-potting. The fertilizer I use M.Grow for cutting's. about a teaspoon a gallon right from the start. Lighting - I start my cuttings under lights. If you start in the dark and many do. Once they leaf out you need to slowly adjust them to the light.
 
You still have plenty of water in there.
I wait to water till the medium turns a lighter color, I use a very light fertilizer solution and only add about an ounce via a marinade injector. The next time after that water application it needs water is when I up-pot.
Water is needed for rooting but it's also the chief enemy.
Be prepared for fungus gnats , they will be your second hurdle. Sticky traps are great, don't wait until you see the gnats to combat them.
 
I haven't done the fig pop so I don't know about the watering. When I first fertilize rooted cuttings, I use Alaska Fish Fertilizer. It is natural and has plenty of micro nutrients. I use liquid fertilizer on larger fig trees. I have noticed that when mixing it with water, if I have a cut on my hands, that stuff burns like crazy. I imagine it burning the small roots of a cutting. You don't have to worry about that when using the fish juice.
 
DCallahan said:
You still have plenty of water in there.
I wait to water till the medium turns a lighter color, I use a very light fertilizer solution and only add about an ounce via a marinade injector. The next time after that water application it needs water is when I up-pot.
Water is needed for rooting but it's also the chief enemy.
Be prepared for fungus gnats , they will be your second hurdle. Sticky traps are great, don't wait until you see the gnats to combat them.
Click to expand...

For the fungus gnats, I’m thinking of putting mosquito bits (because I have them, but will change to gnatrol when I run out) in a organza bag, essentially treating like a tea bag, in my water container and the watering the fig pops with that.

Do you think that will be enough?
Amy and all suggestions are welcome!
 
ETXfigs said:
I haven't done the fig pop so I don't know about the watering. When I first fertilize rooted cuttings, I use Alaska Fish Fertilizer. It is natural and has plenty of micro nutrients. I use liquid fertilizer on larger fig trees. I have noticed that when mixing it with water, if I have a cut on my hands, that stuff burns like crazy. I imagine it burning the small roots of a cutting. You don't have to worry about that when using the fish juice.
Click to expand...
Oooh…I did buy the Alaska fish fertilizer, but don’t think I can handle that smell inside the house…
 
If the plants are outside, the fish juice could attract critters. I don't have that problem here.
 
ETXfigs said:
I use it outside but even after I wash my hands, my dogs follow me around thinking I have treats, Lol. You could use gloves.
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I use gloves, but my fig pots reek for a few days after using it, and that even with open air dissemination, lol. Don’t think I could manage that smell inside the house, where it would sit and linger for longer.
 
Millennial Gardener did a YouTube video last year that covered organic verse in organic for rooting cuttings. I thought it was well thought out
 
  1. No comment don’t use fig pops
  2. Half strength MiracleGro AP fertilizer at each watering
  3. What are your plans until the Spring? Your sunroom should work fine for now, but once cooler temperatures and less sun arrives, you’ll either be forced to use the grow light or have it go dormant.
 
I don’t water them until up potting…Usually about 6 weeks in. If your pop is tied tight it should be all it needs. I agree the fish fertilizer is kinda stinky inside. I use this from the hydro store on my Figpops after up potting. Looking good so far, keep it up!

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@MattK is way better at propagation than me maybe he will pop in with some fig pop advice. LOL he's the one that taught me.

@BucksCountyFigs I agree with @DCallahan looks like you still have enough moisture in your fig Pop bag. It's a great start you have there. I usually go a quarter the weakest recommended synthetic fertilizer solution to start. I also recommend getting the water droplet PH kit made by General Hydroponics. The smallest one comes with the vial, and usually doesn't cost more than $10. You will need to buy small pH Up and Down bottles also no more than $10 each. What's the weather like right now for you? I would put them under light not super strong yet an LED or T5 should do the trick. Keep the light up high to start. Also when adding Gnatrol 1 to 2 teaspoons per gallon a few times should do the trick. I personally don't use it every fertilizing application. Once they get into the sunlight they're usually ready for up potting in 2 weeks to a month. But because of the time of year you might have to keep them indoors till spring as mentioned by @bushdoctor82 If they tolerate one quarter the weakest strength fertilizer then you can move on to half the weakest strength. You picked a tough time to start your fig pops. But they look ☆((fantastic))☆. When the color starts to change, and they feel lighter you can water with a turkey baster from the top, or poke some holes, and bottom water, but not yet.. BTW what is the propagation medium, you can't let peat moss get thoroughly dry. I usually do a mix of coco peat X peat moss, and Gary's best top pot mineral soil. How many Fig pops do you have? A picture of your propagation table would be great. You might want a small Greenhouse. I've successfully up potted over a hundred cuttings this year all from fig pops. LOL but I lost some as well I'm hardly an expert.
 
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bushdoctor82 said:
  1. No comment don’t use fig pops
  2. Half strength MiracleGro AP fertilizer at each watering
  3. What are your plans until the Spring? Your sunroom should work fine for now, but once cooler temperatures and less sun arrives, you’ll either be forced to use the grow light or have it go dormant.
Click to expand...
#3 has been the million dollar question, I rooted a lot of green green and a couple dormant cuttings. Honestly, I expected some failures, so actually so far, I have way more rooted cuttings than I anticipated as this point.

It was suggested to treat these as houseplants the first first winter. I don’t know if the will maintain in sort of a suspended extremely slow growth phase, or if they will start getting leggy. I do have a grow light that I can use in my basement if need be to avoid this and
Figless said:
@MattK is way better at propagation than me maybe he will pop in with some fig pop advice. LOL he's the one that taught me.

@BucksCountyFigs I agree with @DCallahan looks like you still have enough moisture in your fig Pop bag. It's a great start you have there. I usually go a quarter the weakest recommended synthetic fertilizer solution to start. I also recommend getting the water droplet PH kit made by General Hydroponics. The smallest one comes with the vial, and usually doesn't cost more than $10. You will need to buy small pH Up and Down bottles also no more than $10 each. What's the weather like right now for you? I would put them under light not super strong yet an LED or T5 should do the trick. Keep the light up high to start. Also when adding Gnatrol 1 to 2 teaspoons per gallon a few times should do the trick. I personally don't use it every fertilizing application. Once they get into the sunlight they're usually ready for up potting in 2 weeks to a month. But because of the time of year you might have to keep them indoors till spring as mentioned by @bushdoctor82 If they tolerate one quarter the weakest strength fertilizer then you can move on to half the weakest strength. You picked a tough time to start your fig pops. But they look ☆((fantastic))☆. When the color starts to change, and they feel lighter you can water with a turkey baster from the top, or poke some holes, and bottom water, but not yet.. BTW what is the propagation medium, you can't let peat moss get thoroughly dry. I usually do a mix of coco peat X peat moss, and Gary's best top pot mineral soil. How many Fig pops do you have? A picture of your propagation table would be great. You might want a small Greenhouse. I've successfully up potted over a hundred cuttings this year all from fig pops. LOL but I lost some as well I'm hardly an expert.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know it was such a bad time to start rooting cuttings, but I needed to learn before dormant cutting season started + it’s hard for me to wait when I’m excited to try something, lol.

The good thing is that those two cuttings were older dormant cuttings a friend had in his fridge for a long time, so he gave me them to try. I also got to try rooting some green cuttings from a branch I got from a person trimming her Chicago hardy.

The prop medium is this ProMix one. I know it’s not the HP that most folks use, but I got it on clearance for $18, and it works great so far. I also added some perlite and some peat moss.

I have them near a window in the living room, and I have a really strong led light that I just got but haven’t decided where to put it, but I also have a multi-armed grow light I got off Amazon that I will use now with the ones with leaves near the window; thanks for the suggestion!

I don’t have a propagation table, lol, I just tuck them around the living room on little tables near the windows. Right now I have about 20 fig pops going + 3 outdoor sand ones + 20 Chicago Hardy cuttings that I scored and did rooting hormone but just stuck in a planter (they are leading out and look great).

When you say maybe to get a greenhouse, you mean an outside one or an indoor grow tent?
 

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Looking good girl!

1) Still good on the water.

2) Half strength fert EVERY time you water (but not yet).

3) That light is perfect for now. Once you have leaves, they will gradually need more light than indirect lighting or they will be spindly.
 
Thank you very much for the tips!

What do you personally look for to know when they need to be watered? Or do you not water them at all until the roots are plentiful and they are ready to come out of the fig pops bag and go into a pot?

And I will add the lower level grow light (see link) that I have to the fig pops that have leaves and that currently have window side seats.

Grow light from Amazon:
 
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