I used an old oxi clean bucket and a half gallon plastic ice cream container from a local place, both with drainage holes cut in the bottom. Pure optisorb this time for media, buddy tape for the wrap.
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Looking good so far!
They probably wonāt but they certainly can. The most important thing right now is to trust that theyāre doing what theyāre supposed to and donāt tug, wiggle, or excavate to check for roots. This is about as easy as not scratching a mosquito biteā¦
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Hereās an update on the current batch of fig pops. Weāre at about 4 weeks now, and the leaves are pretty well unfurled. Iām also starting to see some lateral root development, so itās getting close to time to safely transplant them to pots. In previous years, the leaves have usually been about at this level of development or a little farther, and the roots a bit farther behind. Iām not sure how much of the difference is these particular cuttings and how much is my new grow tent setup. These start off with part of the bag covering the top for humidity control, but I cut the top off once the buds start to grow in earnest.
A few things Iād like to point out:
- There is still plenty of room for root expansion in these bags, so theyāre safe to stay in there for a little bit while the roots mature.
- You can tell by the little droplets of water that there is sufficient moisture. I havenāt added any water since I started these 4 weeks ago, and I probably wonāt have to for at least another week. If you get your moisture level right at the beginning (I like a little less than @oscar 's suggestion of being able to wring out a couple drops), you donāt have to worry about watering.
- Notice how small these are. One thing I like about this technique is it requires a much lower soil volume than most other methods, so cuttings that donāt make it donāt waste a lot. You can also fit a bunch of these in a small space. The small volume also lets you see roots a little sooner than with other clear container methods, which can be reassuring.
- Since Iāve set the soil moisture properly at the beginning, and the bag keeps it stable, I can use the same potting medium I plan to grow the rooted cuttings on. This way, I donāt have to fuss with the roots too much when I up pot, and the roots wonāt have as much work to adjust to the new environment.
- The rubber bands keep the cuttings immobile. The whole bag moves as a unit, so you have to try pretty hard to disturb any developing roots.
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Looking great, you are on your way to a massive fig orchard.
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Last December after cutting my CH Fig back for the winter protection monthsā¦ I saved several nice cuttingsā¦ and have some of those rooting now in my basement.
But I had several tip / terminal bud cuttings that I just stuck deep into a nice bed in my garden. I made a brick stack retaining wall around them and covered them with pine bark mulch.
Couple pics belowā¦
Well that was mid Decemberā¦ and today is March 2.
I had to take a peakā¦ gently re.oved the pine bark mulch to check two of the cuttingsā¦
One of the two has a nice green budā¦
I covered them back up and will keep them protected another month or so.
They have had all winter to rootā¦ this is encouragingā¦ hope a few of these make it.
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If you did not have rodent damage, most of them should leaf out. You have a milder climate.
Also, the more damaging is the wind, not cold. Rodent and rotting are bigger threats than cold.
@RedSun ā¦ never had rodent problems hereā¦ other than rodents will eat ginseng berries when they ripen in the fall.
Never had rodents or rabbits gnaw any fruit tree or berry bushes hereā¦ I guess in TN they have plenty of other more favorable things to eat over winter.
@zendog ā¦ my fig cuttings were started on 2/13ā¦ so today is day 20 for them into the rooting processā¦ going to give them a month before moving them to sunshine. Right now they are in the darkā¦ cool basement with bottom heat 74-78 degrees.
I have the tips wrapped in parafilm and the buds look to have swollen some even without sun.
I have a nice double window in the basement that faces due southā¦ so after a month rooting in the darkā¦ going to move then to the sunny window.
I have 3 mulberries rooting tooā¦ going to do them the same as the figs.
Mine are in 4x9 black tree potsā¦ wish they made those clearā¦ so I could see if I have roots yet or not. I have checked the bottom a couple timesā¦ no roots have made it out the bottom holes yet.
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Some people wash fig cuttings in diluted bleach before storage, and/or before rooting. Just wonder if anyone does that.
I can see that bleach washed cuttings would be free of harmful mold etc before entering storage. I just wonder what it does to get bleach washed before rooting.
Iāve stored cuttings deep in my garden. Never washed. No mold over the entire winter. Maybe the soil has some anti-fungal agent.
I never have. Some of my online friends and I, we soak cuttings in a hydrogen peroxide solution, that helps to prevent molding, I think that itās that and the acidity that makes the rooting success higher and faster. Some liquid rooting hormones that people use that work good, are also acidic. I hate the smell of bleach so I never tried using it. Some sellers soak cuttings in fungicide or bleach before they mail them. Cuttings from the south eastern USA has plenty of fungus on them if they are not soaked in something to kill it.
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In the past when I had some cuttings or scions getting mold I would scrub with a brush the has Dawn soap on it and then rinse wellā¦ the problem always cleared up for good with that. So for rooting I do that in advance.
I am rooting a few figs now, I have not done that in a long time. It looks like the techniques have gotten more refined in the last few years. I just put mine in a bag for a couple weeks and plant when root nodes start to form.
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I get that with the cleaning before we store cuttings. But what is the need when we start root cuttings? Most of the rooting media is naturally anti-fungal.
Iām not sure if the bleach or hydrogen peroxide can prevent the molding deep inside the rooting pot. That can be caused by over-watering etc.
Iāve had cuttings get moldy in sterile media. If it is on the warm side mold is not uncommon, especially for things that take awhile to get going.
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All I know is I have seen a huge improvement with soaking in hydrogen peroxide right before rooting, and like I said I think that itās the acidity that helps with the rooting.
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I did bleach the batch that is in process. It worked much better than what I did before indoors without bleach- switched to diatomaceous earth and wrapping in parafilm. No humidity domes and impossible to overwater.
But what Iāve just stuck in the ground and hoped for the best, did fine, as long as a hardy type. Whatever is out in the environment is there and in my garden already, so it doesnāt matter much.
So you guys just soak the cuttings in bleach/hydrogen peroxide, no rinse, no drying. Directly into rooting media?
1/2 a cup 3% hydrogen peroxide to one quart water (4 cups water), soak the cuttings in water for 15 to 20 minutes, flip and repeat.
I let the cuttings sit on paper towels until the bark looks dry, then root them.
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I followed what I found I think on ourfigs and here- fresh cut at base, water to make sure cutting is hydrated, diluted bleach, scrub if wood looked grunky, after allow to dry on newsprint. Then wrap/score/IBA, dropped in a cup filled with DE. Iāve been treating that as a hydroponic sort of system- lights, flood and drain with diluted fertilizer, after leaves popped. I havenāt checked for roots, just assumed they would die before April if they didnāt root.
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I think bleach is just cheaper. But some people canāt stand to the smell.