Pete,
Thanks for the info.  I read post 17 and I'll try testing things out a little before potting to be sure a) it works and b) that I know the correct amount of water for my mix.
Timothy

Pete,
I love your SIP ingenuity. What great ideas you present. I've done a similar design and used metal lathe instead of the plastic fence as the aeration deck. This is also the material that Bills figs uses (thats where I copied it) and a 8 foot by 3 foot piece of that is about $8.00 at Home Depot. The lathe works well but is harder to cut and sharp to work with. I am also using burlap as my shield.
All great ideas. Keep them coming professor.
Coop

Timothy,
Please keep us updated on your SIPs. Thanks.


Coop,
Thanks.
I have tried the Expanded Metal Lath, and do not use it for that exact reason, too many sharp edges and much more difficult to shape. But it holds up quite well to wet locations without rusting out. The Garden fence is $11.00 for a 40 inch wide by 25 feet long roll at Home Depot.

I have made and tried some of the 2L soda bottle SIPs, but I dont drink enough soda to keep up with the demand!

Here are two other similar designs I have been trialing.  The first uses 16.9 oz (500ml) water or ice tea bottles, constructed just like the above 2L soda bottle SIPs.  I reduced the size of the wick to 5in x 3/4in, split in half to almost the end.  I did not use the bottle cap however, but cut an inch square piece of plastic bag (my MG potting soil bag), stabbed a small slit in the center of the plastic, threaded the wick end thru it, and put in in the bottom of the upside-down bottle neck.  This does not fit tight, and allows a little more air to go up thru the bottom of the soil chamber.  I used my knife to make a series of 6 or so small slits in the bottle 1.5 - 2.5 inches up form the end of the soil chamber for more aeration.

The second design uses 2 plastic drink cups, either 32 or 44 oz size, stacked together.  I put a soda bottle cap in the bottom of the outside cup to separate them slightly - it makes a small air space around the edges and increases the size of the reservior slightly.  I used a knife to make a slit at the bottom of the upper cup to feed the wick through, and several vertical slits around the middle section of the upper cup for aeration.  For these I used a 6 in x 3/4-1 in wick, also split down the middle to almost the end.  Making this design is so fast and easy.  In the future, I might try to get an opaque outer cup the same size as the inner one to block light to the roots, but I really like the clear inner cup to get a look at root development and more essentially, the hydration of the soil in the cup.

Initially I started 25 cuttings in Root Riot cubes and as soon as I saw either roots or leafing out of the cutting, I moved the cutting to one of the above SIPs.  I used 80% MG Potting Mix / 20% Perlite, with 1/2 cup of Espoma Plant-Tone mixed in 16 qts of the MG.  The potting mix was made slightly damp.  Since planting each rooted cutting into the SIP, I waited a week then have added only a little water to the reservior of each - 12ml for the smaller SIPs, 20ml for the ones in drink cups, with any water not sucked up by the wick to the mix dumped out after the first day. The cuttings have been kept in a clear tub with a bit of water at the bottom to keep the humidity up, the tub is covered with clear plastic wrap that I open briefly each day.  The potting mix is dry at the top of all of the SIPs, moist at the lower 2/3.  I have also transferred a few cuttings started with baggie/paper towels to these SIPS.  So far all look very good.  I have a few cuttings that I am trying to just root in them as well.

I know the smaller sized 500ml SIPs are only very temporary, and am waiting to see how the figs do with the transfer to a larger pot, hopefully will be able to very carefully remove these without too much root damage.  I like this system as it seems to allow me to very closely monitor the moisture of the medium, which seems to be the biggest problem in rooting/growing from cuttings.

Both cuttings were started in the Root Riots on 1/6, transferred to the SIPs about 17-18 days later, so have been in the SIPs for about 2 weeks.

  

Ed,
Thanks for sharing the details of your designs and results. The roots look very healthy.
I usually don't add Espoma fertilizer until they are in 1 gallon containers.
Only one question, What are/were the temperatures at the different stages?
Please keep us updated on their progress. Thanks

I don't drink soda at all, so I requested empty 2 liter bottles from friends. If I don't have enough bottles when I'm ready to start rooting cuttings I will visit my local redemption location and purchase them for $0.10 each from customers. Its still less expensive than the 32 Oz deli containers that cost $0.30 each.

Ed, this is definitely the way to go. I agree with the clear cup inside opaque cup concept as it answers all challeges: keeping the roots out of sunlight, watering without the need for a straw, monitoring root growth etc.

I would like to report good success rooting cuttings directly in mini-sips using root-riot cubes. You need a humidity dome over the sip until the cutting leafs out, of course. 
With this technique you have an all-in-one continuous, uninterrupted process that goes from cutting to small plant without messing with damaged roots, plant shock, overwatering, underwatering, gnats, heartburn, lumbago and the heartbreak of psoriasis :))

Frank (or anyone else versed in the matter)

What is the advantage over trying to just root it in the potting media in the SIP (I just started a few like that last weekend to see if it would work).  What exactly is the magic of the root riot cube over potting mix?
Are you using rooting hormone (i.e. Clonex gel or such)?

Thanks for answering the questions of a rookie, trying to learn as much as I can to avoid rooting disasters!

Frank,
Thanks for your commentary about your results and the health benefits : )
I don't think the Rootriot cubes will be of any benefit.


ED,
IMO, the only benefit of the Rootriot System may be in the use of Rooting Hormone. The cubes are sponge like and may hold too much moisture next to the cutting, increasing the chances of rot.
I did simple experiments with Burpee coir seed starting mix in seedling plug trays and hormone which resulted in 100% rooting.

Pete - I am assuming this from your description - you dipped cuttings in or brushed on Clonex or similar brand, then put the 'painted' end in the loose mix, in a tray with cells but no 'plugs' or peat pots, correct?

What do you use for larger cuttings that don't fit so nicely in the cells?

Reading your concern (and others here) about rotting from the RR cubes after potting in mix, I have been extremely frugal with my water in my SIPs described above.  Others seem to have done well with them, though.

Like so many people that have used root riot cubes (thanks again to Rafed for having introduced them to the forum), I found them to be remarkable rooting machines, with or without clonex. Almost every cutting is guaranteed to  have thicker and longer roots very quickly . 
But like some others, I had problems with the potting phase. Perhaps they retain too much water and cause root rot. Perhaps the clonex dirverts all the energy to producing roots and not enough for the leaves. Whatever  tthe cause, I won't ever repeat the conventional cupping phase of rooting again.
The mini-sip eliminates 90% of the pitfalls. Once the cutting is placed in the mini-sip (with or without a root riot cube), it takes only one initial application of 2-4 ounces of water from the bottom to last up to 6 weeks until rooting and leafing occur. You can't screw it up even if you tried.

Wouldn't it be great if we could marry the two systems to take advantage their positives while eliminating their negatives?

Hey, that Larry Hall guy stole my idea of the kiddie pools. I started collecting them last fall when they were on sale.

I have a question about using grow bags and winter storage. It seems to me that it would be more beneficial to put the grow bags in pots for winter storage as it would protect the roots from cold temperatures and slow dehydration. Has anyone used grow bags in a cold climate?

Ed,
Yes, that is exactly what I did, dipped the bottom end in Dip n Grow, planted in a seed starting tray with a high dome. I first used a 6" high dome then I purchased 7-1/4" high domes which allowed me to root cuttings up to 8 inches long. The 1020 tray with the 6 inch dome was 100% successful. The later 1020 trays with the 7-1/4" domes were almost 100%, there were a couple of  purchased cuttings which were dead and didn't root. 

For larger cuttings I use the Long Fibered Sphagnum moss in baggie method.

The Rootriot cubes are almost the same consistency as a sponge, they will hold more water than the surrounding potting mix, which may do more harm than good, if the container isn't watered carefully. One reason for my advocating the mini-SIP is that by following a simple watering procedure, the "watering balancing act" can be eliminated, adding cubes reintroduces that "worry".


Frank,
My preferred method for pre-rooting is the Rootriot method, minus the Rootriot cubes. I had an almost 100% rooting rate using Burpee Coir Seed starting mix instead of the Cubes in standard seed starting plug trays and 7-1/4" high domes. One thing I noticed from the Rootriot feedback and updates was that the cuttings were drying out under the domes, so I misted the cuttings (not the mix) daily, until they rooted. Then they were removed easily from the mix and cupped.
 

I agree that the mini-SIPs will help to not only increase cutting success rates, but also eliminate much of the anxiety when watering in the first weeks. Thanks again for starting the Mini-SIP discussions.

I plan on testing rooting directly in the SIPs with a coir based mix. If the optimal temperature and humidity are maintained for the initial rooting period and a few weeks post rooting, the cutting growth should be continuous and uninterrupted.


Milehighgirl,
I have only used homemade grow bags for cuttings and they were up potted to gallon pots. I am fabricating several dozen colander sips, but they are in 5 gallon buckets. Grow bags could be placed into plastic shopping bags or larger plastic bags for winter storage, but I've no experience with them.

Doug (SCfigFanatic),
Thanks for commenting.
What did you use for your wicking fabric?
What is your potting mix recipe? and,
What was your watering routine? Thanks

The Pellon Thermolam fabric can be easily left in the potting mix when the cutting is up potted. The protruding end of the wick is cut off, the bottle cap is unscrewed, and the fig plant is planted in its new container.

Doug (SCfigFanatic),
Thanks for the reply.
I'm posting to hopefully add to the discussions in the forum community, my success rates are already higher than 90% for growing out cuttings.

We both agreed and posted about the easy means of saturation of potting mix in the SIPs and how the wicks can just as easily remove excess water. We also agree on the cost effectiveness of the 2 or 3 liter SIPs, but I disagree with your conclusions about the use of SIPs.

IMO, If used properly with properly sized wicks and standardized (planned) watering procedures, their use will help to increase the success rates for most members, with most potting mixes. Also the 2 or 3 liter Soda Bottle SIPs will work without a fabric wick if the planned watering procedures are followed.

<edit> added Hyperlink.

Doug (SCfigFanatic),
My understanding from your posts is that the Mini-SIP is ineffective for use as a means of watering and growing fig cuttings, and that there are much better ways to achieve that goal.

From testing several procedures with hundreds of cuttings, I've found that bottom watering is most effective, but only if the bottom of the container is not saturated, the wicked Mini-SIP incorporates all the advantages, maintaining aeration and an even water distribution in the mix.

I posted info on the 2 liter SIPs without fabric wicks, they are not as flexible, with the use of different potting mixes as the Fabric wicked SIPs, but they are fully functional for this use due to the bottles' neck design forming a "soil" wick.

<edit> added Hyperlink.

Doug (SCfigFanatic),
I apologize for the misunderstanding. My confusion was based on my interpretation of your statement,

Doug (SCfigFanatic),
You're welcome...

Update:  2/13/2014

The 2 liter SIPs that were planted with cuttings are growing well, due to colder ambient temperatures (60 -70 deg F room temps), they are growing slowly, but are healthy. One observation of note is that most of the roots are growing "down" towards the bottom of the planter and the roots are being "air pruned" when they exit the aeration holes. The next batch of 2 liter SIPS have already been modified with additional aeration holes to take advantage of this. The plants with the most aggressive root growth have already started producing multiple side roots after the root tips have been "pruned".
      .

Pete - just curious, what are you using to make the zillion holes in the sides of the upper chamber? 

And how far up the sides are you going with them?

ED,
The holes are made with a soldering iron like this one... http://www.harborfreight.com/30-watt-lightweight-soldering-iron-69060-8913.html . They can be purchased at some "Dollar Stores" for around $2.00. The holes take only a few seconds each, and one planter can be perforated in less than a minute, and it takes less than 2 minutes to completely make one 2 liter SIP from a 2 liter bottle.

Greenscaper...
Original Build Sequence with written instructions... http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/2519983658/in/set-72157604735985648
Pictoral overview of Original Build Sequence... http://www.flickr.com/photos/greenscaper/sets/72157604735985648

The  holes are approximately 1/8" - 1/4"  and extend from the neck of the bottle to approximately 3-1/2" up from the bottom of the planter (cap). They are only open to the reservoir, which allows the roots to grow into the reservoir where they are "air pruned" or manually pinched.

I am Starting another simple test of 2 Liter Soda Bottle SIPs this weekend 3/1/14, before the start of my planned seasonal rooting. I will be using the cuttings that I have just received from Encanto Farms in the test. In all there will be nine (9) cultivars, eight from Encanto farms and one (Violet de Bordeaux) obtained locally. There will be 2 cuttings of each for a total of 18 in wicked 2 liter SIPs. Their progress will be documented in a new topic... Rooting Fig Cuttings in 2 liter Mini SIPs. I'm using these cuttings to test the reliability of the mini-SIP for Starting and growing out fig cuttings. I would appreciate comments on experiences from anyone currently using the 2 liter mini SIP design (with or without wicks) to grow cuttings.
 

The 2 liter SIPs will be used for pre-rooting and growing out the cuttings. Once prepared, the cuttings will be planted directly into the SIPs, in a Peat-Coir-Pinebark-Perlite mix, 1-1-2-2 ratio. All The "lessons learned" with earlier rooting tests and the first group of test 2 liter SIPs will be incorporated into the new test batch. The SIPs will be built with the split wicks, increased holes in the aeration platform, the cuttings will be sealed with wax and buried as deep as possible in the mix. The planned procedure will be as follows.

Hi Pete

Looking forward to the update on this experiment.
A few questions:
What are you doing in the "Hydrate for 3 days" phase - soaking in water or super moist paper towels?
No rooting hormone this round?
When you are 'misting', that is the cutting or the potting mix or both?
I assume you will add water to the reservoir only when the mix dries out(not the surface).

Thanks,

Ed

This is brilliant in its simplicity.  Great ways to re-use plastic!

Do you have any problems getting the plants out for transplanting?