I'm finally allowing myself to start my cuttings. I bought Root Riots and Clonex. I'm thinking that you put Clonex first then paraffin, is that right?

I can't speak for others but I don't wax the end I treat with hormone before putting it in the root iot cubes.

@Rhonda, correct, if you are using growth hormone or rooting hormone it better be under the paraffin in order to be effective ;)

I've never put any sealant over the end that is supposed to root although I put parafilm over the top part of the cutting (unless there is a terminal bud there) to reduce the chance that it would dry out.  Do the roots have any problem penetrating the paraffin?  That would be my concern.

Unk Pearl Harbor that came to be has wax on top and bottom. i can see the bottom getting callused and putting out roots fine. 

The Clonex is pretty slick.....I have my doubts the wax would stick.    How did those cuttings do that you got in the mail that were exposed to the very cold weather when they were left in the mailbox?  

i had two set of Unk Pearl Harbor that came to me. the first ones were weird.. they looked like prunes. i assume that was due to temp difference between there and here. the second set was in perfect condition and they are rooting like a champ. which reminds me to move them into cup soon... 

WillsC, I haven't started them yet but I plan to in the next day or two. I started about 50 yesterday.

Milehighgirl - thanks for starting this thread.  Aaron, that's good to know - cheers.

I just did a bunch with dip n grow then dipped in melted candle wax sitting in a coffee cup warmer. The candle is Apple Cinnamon. The rooting box never smelled so good. I only dipped in wax about ½" to ¾". I did not dip terminal buds.

This is the first time I've sealed cuttings with wax. We'll see how it goes.

candle way huh? hm, interesting. let us know how they root.

Milehighgirl,
Rooting hormone should to be applied to a fresh cut to be most effective, since it metabolizes within days. I seal the top ends with wax when rooting and seal the both top and bottom end for long term storage only.
Good Luck.

What I did was to scrape a few sections on the bottom to expose the cambium (as Rui suggested to me), then I put rooting hormone on the scraped areas. After that I dipped, but I was unclear if I should just dip the very bottom or go up a way.

Now after only a couple days I see sections of mold forming. Has anyone experimented with dipping the whole cutting in wax? When I buy grafted grape vines they appear to have been dipped entirely in wax. Is warmth the mechanism that triggers the cutting to put out roots? If so, it would seem to me that a cutting dipped entirely in wax would have less a chance of mold, especially if it was dipped in a solution of chlorine prior to wax.

good observation Rhonda, I was actually looking for a big enough metal container to melt Paraffing in it for the same reason you are mentioning, but...you can always wash the molded areas and throw them back in zip-locks.

Last year was my first for rooting cuttings and I did it in green sphagnum long fiber moss. I broke so many roots trying to separate them that I wanted to try something new. I didn't have any issues with mold last year.

My first experience with grafting, about 6 years ago, I painted the pear scion in wax after grafting. The scion stayed soft and pliable all summer long, even to the point that I thought the grafts had taken, but they never pushed any growth. I was hoping someone here had experience with dipping and rooting fig cuttings.

I use clear totes as a humidity bin.  I am starting my cuttings dipped in Clonex then into a 4X8" bag filled with damp Perlite (no wax or Parafilm).  I have a pipe going across the top (width wise) of the bin to elevate the lid a bit to maintain 75% humidity.  I do not have any issues with dehydration.  If I close the lid, the level jumps very quickly to 99% which is way to high.
  

how long until roots show up James?

They started going in on 03.17 and the last ones started on 03.31 . None have roots to the edge, however I dropped two of the early ones and saw small roots starting to show. One thing i tried this year to minimize mold growth was to the extent possible bury as much of the wood as possible. I had several three node cuttings which were much too long, but you can see most tips are right at the surface.

I used the same type of bin last year for both this method and the Root Riot system (instead of the dome). I did not have the hygrometer last year and struggled with mold... Especially on the cuttings dipped in Clonex.

oh yes yes.... you are absolutely right Jenn, I saw my aunt had one from JCP... I'm going to ask her if I could barrow for one week, that's IF I receive my cuttings from UC Davis;/

I am using a Little Dipper I got with my Crock Pot. One negative thing about the hands and feet one is it takes a long time to melt, but on the positive you can pretty much dip the whole cutting. I had thought that the heat might harm the cutting until Rui posted hot water rescue.