Winter Rooting Methods
- Thread starter Opiem10
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Steven J.
Well-known member
Nice tip on compacting the soil. I also heard Brian from ProfigUSA mention compacting the soil for fig pops. It sounds like something I will have to try.
figologist
Well-known member
Here's my detailed indoor technique -
I have used Promix Bx plus 20% coarse perlite for the last couple years rooting indoors and have had no fungus gnats. Make sure your rooting area is free of any other plants and don't bring anything inside that was growing outdoors. Notorious figs 2.0 rooting YouTube video is one of the best ways to root figs indoors.
Figsee
Well-known member
Coir holds waaaaay to much water
DCallahan
Well-known member
That's the recipe that i'm using. Basically makes up the formula of Promix HP.
Bofig
Well-known member
these looked similar to fungus gnat larvae but seemed much smaller. The bags I opened up had a strong mushroom smell and white mold on them in some corners. I just assumed that was the mycos they add to the mix but definitely the whole batch I purchased was bad for rooted cuttings.
BucksCountyFigs
Well-known member
So before I tried fig pops, I tried sand propagation.
9/08: This Panache cutting was in a sand prop box for over a month, and did practically nothing!! The tiny pinprick of a bud turned green, but did not swell. No leaves, and no roots.
10/10: I got fed up with the sand prop box for this panache cutting, so I took it out of the sand and put it in a fig pop bag to see if I could salvage it.
I also read that some people find the older dormant cuttings have a tougher time in the sand prop box + that sand propagation is better in the warmer months. (Note: my other propagated plants did fine in the sand, it’s just that the fig pops do so much better for me personally, and much faster).
10/19: It worked!! In 10 days, Panache now has roots and little leaves!
9/08: This Panache cutting was in a sand prop box for over a month, and did practically nothing!! The tiny pinprick of a bud turned green, but did not swell. No leaves, and no roots.
10/10: I got fed up with the sand prop box for this panache cutting, so I took it out of the sand and put it in a fig pop bag to see if I could salvage it.
I also read that some people find the older dormant cuttings have a tougher time in the sand prop box + that sand propagation is better in the warmer months. (Note: my other propagated plants did fine in the sand, it’s just that the fig pops do so much better for me personally, and much faster).
10/19: It worked!! In 10 days, Panache now has roots and little leaves!
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betdempster
Well-known member
Ok so I'm brand new too and I have rooted 9 cuttings - one doesn't count because it was very fresh from my in ground tree. All are in 4x9 tree pots so I can't see the roots but all are solid in the promix HP and don't wiggle and have leaves. EXCEPT for my two Smith cuttings. All of them except for my in ground tree came from one trusted figbid seller and all had nice green cambium. I know varieties are all different but do Smith take longer to root? It's been 5 weeks but my others are well leafed and the two Smiths bare still sticks. I can be patient if I need to but when do I give up?
Here's what I did. Moist promix HP with the mushroom stuff in it. Wax on the tops. In the dark for 3 weeks on a warming mat in a small tabletop sealed plastic green house to keep it warm and humid. At 3 weeks all had leaves but the Smiths and it's nice and warm here so they are out on the porch in the shade during the day and looking nice except for for smith still in the greenhouse house on warming mat looking like sticks.
Any ideas?
Here's what I did. Moist promix HP with the mushroom stuff in it. Wax on the tops. In the dark for 3 weeks on a warming mat in a small tabletop sealed plastic green house to keep it warm and humid. At 3 weeks all had leaves but the Smiths and it's nice and warm here so they are out on the porch in the shade during the day and looking nice except for for smith still in the greenhouse house on warming mat looking like sticks.
Any ideas?
BucksCountyFigs
Well-known member
I258 is commonly mentioned as a more difficult to root one, and I have heard Smith mentioned a few times too. But hey, you never know, I heard black Madeira, and yes, while it was much slower than some others, it is coming along well.
superdave336
Well-known member
Keep in mind top growth does not mean roots! They can have plenty of green top growth and no to little roots. It’s all about the roots. I’d rather have no visible top growth with good roots, the leaves will come eventually. Another bonus of fig pops or clear cups, etc. you can see root development.
DCallahan
Well-known member
For me Smith is one that is on the harder side to root. Takes longer to develop roots. And when cuttings take longer it's more time for things to get off kilter. Such as if your mix is too wet it's in it longer making a bigger chance of developing rot. Longer time/ bigger chances of gnat larvae being an issue.
ETXfigs
Well-known member
That is true. When I saw just a little green growth, I got over confident. I up potted them way too soon. I did get 9 out of 12 success but here is a pic to show how early I up potted.
ETXfigs
Well-known member
When I first got my cuttings and was reading about all the propagation methods, I thought these guys are making it way more complicated than it really is. The truth is, you can put a stick in the ground and grow it into a fig tree, but all these methods that the long time knowledgeable growers use, will just give you a much higher success rate. When you have really good cuttings like CDD Rimada or Angelito you are going to want every one of them to grow. My advice is to listen to the advice given in threads like this.
grasshopper
Well-known member
I tend to use whatever I have available at the time to root cuttings, indoors or outdoors, including the MG all purpose and moisture control, which can be infested with gnats. Gnat is a nuisance; not sure it kills any cuttings but having them fly around indoors in winter is just nuts. So, microwave or bake the suspected medium before starting is a good idea. Any medium bag that has been stored outside is a potential bug nest.
Good quality fresh cuttings tend to help, a lot. But it is inevitable to get some lesser cuttings along the way. That is when your skills would make a difference between a live plant and a dead one. I found some problems can be fixed if spot early on like too much water or not enough. Having a clear container helps if you are new to rooting cuttings. It gives you feedback quickly what you did right or wrong.
Fig cuttings can be rooted in many ways successfully. Find the way(s) that work for you is an exercise worth going through.
Good quality fresh cuttings tend to help, a lot. But it is inevitable to get some lesser cuttings along the way. That is when your skills would make a difference between a live plant and a dead one. I found some problems can be fixed if spot early on like too much water or not enough. Having a clear container helps if you are new to rooting cuttings. It gives you feedback quickly what you did right or wrong.
Fig cuttings can be rooted in many ways successfully. Find the way(s) that work for you is an exercise worth going through.
BucksCountyFigs
Well-known member
You mentioned microwaving or baking any bags of medium stored outside, which normally sounds like a great idea hypothetically, but…
Just a heads up that I noticed my bags of soil stored outside for a few months had a ton of baby earthworms in them (so no microwaving or baking for me, lol).
I do use some of this stored soil for the up potting, so before bringing it inside, I give it a couple of waterings with mosquito bits, and no gnats so far (fingers crossed).
Just a heads up that I noticed my bags of soil stored outside for a few months had a ton of baby earthworms in them (so no microwaving or baking for me, lol).
I do use some of this stored soil for the up potting, so before bringing it inside, I give it a couple of waterings with mosquito bits, and no gnats so far (fingers crossed).
jobe05
Well-known member
Personally, I like the KISS method. Theres only a few things that can kill a cutting. Of course there is always that bad cutting.... which can happen.... For me, the next is to much water..... the next is the up potting of young roots. I like the Fig Pop method, but the failure with them is the up potting. So why not just start them in a 4x9 tree pot? They take up a little more space, but no up potting needed till they go out side in the spring. By then you have some pretty strong root growth. I use Peat and Perlite, about 50/50 to 40% peat and 60 % perlite. I wet the soil so that when I squeeze it, no water drips out, but the soil stays together to a degree. I label the pot, put the cutting in..... sometimes I score it, sometimes I use a rooting hormone, sometimes I do nothing, and they all seem to work the same. Once the stick is in the pot, I put the pot in a 12x16 clear bag, bunch it up above the cutting, and put a rubber band around the bag and cutting. The cuttings then go into a clear tote (I think it 105 qrts size from Walmart). Put the lid on it, which will hold in any moister that is put out by the 4x9 pots. This Method will hold the moisture in the soil for a couple of months. I never have to water, or over water...... it's like set it and for get it.... I can generally tell when they have rooted based on the size of the new growth. If the leaves are about quarter size, and don't grow anymore, its not rooted. Once leaves start growing, it has rooted. If you learn to read the signs, you will never need to look at roots to know. Once they come out of the bags, the first feeding is seaweed/Kelp and Myco+. This gets watered from the top down, on the sides of the pot only. You pick the pot up, tilt it, pour some water feed mix down the side, turn it 180 degrees, do it again. Only a couple ounces of water per watering. Makes those roots go looking for food at this point, thats how roots grow, they go look for food.... After a few waterings like this, they will go into a bin and bottom watered, adding 1/4 amounts of fertilizers for a couple weeks, then 1/2 amounts for a few weeks, and so on.
betdempster
Well-known member
That's great info! Thank you! I was so worried about losing them with up-potting so I figured I would start them in 4 x 9's. But then realized I didn't know how to tell if there were roots and knew leaves didn't necessarily equal roots. Thanks you the tip about the leaf growth. Some are bigger than that and growing like crazy - like look at them in the morning and by evening it's surprising that it's the same plant- and some leaves are 2.5 inches across now so I guess from what you're saying I'm overdue for feeding some of them And I'll try exactly what you have there. I had no idea what I was going to feed with so I'll look on Amazon for kelp. I really appreciate the help!
grasshopper
Well-known member
Yeah, I used mosquito bits and dunks before, in addition to sticky cards. You have to catch the larvae at the right time of their life cycle and keep going at it to clear them out. And try not to kill the cuttings by overwatering.