Kings Mix Soil INGREDIENTS: Coco Fiber, Perlite, Aged Forest Materials, Sphagnum Peat Moss, Coco Chips, Fish Bone Meal, Basalt, Feather Meal, Bat Guano, Dolomite (pH adjuster), Rock Phosphate, Kelp Meal.
Kings Mix is supposed to drain VERY well - maybe too well for rooting?
Dip and Grow rooting hormone
12" deep tree pots and those small, shallow strawberry basket sized type pots and 1 gallon black plastic pots and other pots but I think those 3 or more applicable in size.
Tree Wound/Grafting compound
Do I have all that I need? Checking because I am attending a pruning/tree care class in town tonight and can possibly pick something up (if I can find it…)
@fruitnut, I saw someone’s technique the other day were instead of placing the cuttings in media, he just laid them on top of the media and pushed them down a bit so they had good contact while still being on the surface. Have you ever heard of doing so or tried that yourself?
Thank you! I will see if I can locate that ahead of time, so I can pick it up before the class.
Should we score the bottom and/or scrape up nodes before dipping in hormones?
I know warmth is better and not to have in direct sunlight, so I was thinking I should put them in a plastic covered dome that I keep our avocado tree in. It is more shaded there. We put lanterns in it if it starts dipping close to 32f, to keep it above freezing.
I don’t expect it to get close to freezing again, but you never know up here so we pay attention. For sure we are safe after June 1st.
You can order it online pretty easy. Amazon has it for example, as do specialty places.
Parafilm is not necessary, but it’s helpful because it keeps the cuttings from drying out. Importantly, parafilm is breathable. Plastic wrap is not. It would be better to not wrap them at all then to wrap in plastic wrap imho.
Figs were pretty easy. Gently scared the ends. Dusted rooting hormone. Stuck them about 4 inches in potting soil. Got 21 on the grow pad. And another 14 in 2 community pots.
I tried rooting in pure DE based on Drew’s postings here. Of 6 cuttings, 5 rooted and hoping the last one will root as well. Even when I had buried couple of nodes in the DE, all cuttings rooted at the cut end, like the one shown here. If you are in PNW, try rooting outside the weather is pretty conducive, you probably can get away just sticking them in potting soil.
Mine were kept along with other vegetable starts under the lights. Try to put them someplace where they can escape afternoon sun. Wrapping the cuttings help.
It’s not. It’s meant to hold the graft together. Think thick Saran Wrap. No you don’t want that. You can put the cuttings in the fridge in a plastic bag until the tape arrives. Amazon can get it to you fast. ,I once ordered 7pm Sunday. And it was delivered Monday by 7am. prime membership has its advantages. Free shipping on that too.
You can root them without parafilm, but I advise against it. You need to acclimate leaves and it’s really easy to kill plants doing it wrong. You don’t have to worry about that with parafilm. When you get the tape cut off a two inch or so piece and slowly stretch tape till it breaks. Ok now when applying to cuttings stretch but not enough to break. Cover all above ground only, well you can put some in ground. No exposed bark above ground. Make sure at least one node is underground as hormones are around nodes.
