Now What?

PapaFig said:
Yes - too much screen time.

>The biggest factor in running a successful project is to have someone enthusiastic and knowledgeable (or willing to get that knowledge).

Yes. Maybe right out of college while they are still eager. I spent a good bit of time teaching science in public schools w/GK-12 NSF program.

I used to sell a kits on ebay that included the following: cups, bags, mix, cuttings, fertilizer, and a basic printed rooting guide. As you mentioned, the heat mat could be optional and a south facing window is perfect for rooting cuttings.

And the end game is to send them home to be potted up after 90 days? (That's our usual rule of thumb for up potting, of course it varies).
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Yes, I hope to send them home as soon as I think they can take being up potted. Then start some more closer to spring for a random givaway.

It's interesting to hear that you've been doing this for years. I'm all ears if you want to point out any pitfalls I have coming up. Right now I'm wondering if I should remove the plastic bags and let the cuttings breath a little. I feel that I'm at a critical point now with giving too much or not enough water. As well as too much and not enough fertilizer.

Have you had any students see you years later and tell you about their fig trees?
 
I never did fig trees with them, sadly, I wasn't into it myself back then. I haven't run into any of my former students either, but probably because I'm in a different State than I was then.

How far along are they? 60 days? I might take them out of the bags yes. I would post on it on a thread. I'm still learning. Sometimes you have a good year and think you have it pegged and the next year it all goes wrong. But the roots can definitely go south due to lack of O2, IMO.

I put you 14 cuttings, mostly cold hardy like H. Chicago, Tx Everbearing and Celeste. Ones that stand a good chance in someone's yard, even inground. They should go out Monday.
 
PapaFig said:
I never did fig trees with them, sadly, I wasn't into it myself back then. I haven't run into any of my former students either, but probably because I'm in a different State than I was then.

How far along are they? 60 days? I might take them out of the bags yes. I would post on it on a thread. I'm still learning. Sometimes you have a good year and think you have it pegged and the next year it all goes wrong. But the roots can definitely go south due to lack of O2, IMO.

I put you 14 cuttings, mostly cold hardy like H. Chicago, Tx Everbearing and Celeste. Ones that stand a good chance in someone's yard, even inground. They should go out Monday.
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They are 40 days today. I had a couple with shoots emerging from below the soil line, so I removed the bag. It seems like I get a better idea of the soil moisture that way. I gently used my finger to scratch below the surface and it felt moist, but not wet.

Thanks for sending the cuttings. I'll let you know when they get here.
 
Resist with all your might the urge to water them. Once they push out leave and I know they have roots I like to go ahead and uncover them, just as the leaves are pushing out. That avoids the acclimation shock moving a leafed plant from extremely high humidity to normal levels.

I see you have it entirely bagged, so yes, you will need to remove those bags as soon as you see buds break. You can control this somewhat by light level, but don't go to zero light or full sun (pretty much ever, at this stage). Maybe if you are prerooting, but that's a different topic.

You said most are showing roots? And they look white? You have holes in the cups, in the bottom?
I hope the answer to all of those is yes.

Then feel the weight of the cups, don't water until they are noticeably lighter - resist!

When you do water, take a new cup and fill it half full of 1/2 strength fert and water and use it to bottom water. Don't saturate the media, just let it wick about 1/3 to 1/2 way up. Keeping the top dry will help with rot and fungus gnats alot. Speaking of which, I would put at least 1/2 to 1" of sand or DE (fine powder form) on top of the media to prevent issues.


That's all food safe, none "chemical" products (I guess depending on the fert.).
 
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In 24 ounce cups you should see roots in 2 weeks, they should be half way full of roots at the bottom. When they are 60% full of roots at the bottom with nice, healthy leaves and you can pull them out of the cups in one big plug - that's when they are ready to up pot.

I water them in with fertilizer at that point, keep in the the shade for 3-4 weeks at least, then gradually move them into more full sun. I lose very few once they are up potted. Maybe 10% or so. I lose more in the rooting stage.
 
RosyPosy said:
If they are all rooted, lower your heat mat temp as well, 74° should be fine, even 72°. You don’t want to heat existing roots too much, because you can kill them off. The heat mat is meant to get roots going, it’s not meant to be maintained at that temp the whole time. And it really becomes more about air temp at this point to get top growth going.
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When do the plants need to be taken off heat mat?
 

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RosyPosy said:
As long as ambient temps are over 70° before rooting, and over say 68° after rooting, they never never needed a heat mat. 🙂 So anytime…
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Good! Thank you! I’m about to pot up the first batch of cuttings and was wondering if I still needed to keep on heat mat.
 
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