NOTHING but the Potting Mix.

I want to share this last method that worked for me with no failure.

I still deep the cut ends of the cutting in melted Paraffin to prevent Rot, Disease, Mold, Fungus and Infections on open ends.

Material needed:
   
* Potting Soil  (Home Depot)
* Clear Containers (from Smart & Final)
* Plant Cuttings (from F4F Members)
* Water (preferably Filtered, specially Reverse Osmosis)
* In the first watering I also add liquid Vitamin B1 for strong rooting (from Home Depot)
* No Rooting Hormones, No other Chemicals and No Pesticides!


I chose this particular brand and type because it has 30% more Moisture Control and 6 months worth fertilizer. 
 

After making 4 holes under the potting container I fill it with Potting Soil and stick the cutting in the middle of it.
Then water it and put the top cover loosely , which is another Clear Plastic Container with NO holes on it.
 

With some situations, like bigger cuttings or branched cuttings, you can get creative and find different hight and size clear plastic containers for cover just like in the pictures bellow.
 
      

Place the covered containers in a sunny corner in the backyard but make sure they get some shade as well. (I use my portable Palm Trees for shade.) The heat of the sun makes the cuttings root very fast, I have seen some cuttings root  in as little as 4-6 days. You don't need to water them for a very long time, since there will be very minimal moisture loss due to evaporation.
Every few days you can open them and check on the cuttings and let the dew drip back in the container with soil and cover it again.
After they have rooted, you slowly start removing the top containers and let the top growth sun-harden to be ready to face the world (Outside Elements).
Sometimes you might see one starting to welt a little, just put the top cover container back on it and in short time it will be back to normal.
After 2-3 months you can up-pot them into 1 Gallon pots.

That's it! :)

. I have produced my most valuable cuttings this way and haven't lost any.
. With Baggie method there was a lot of fungus, mildew, mold and rot to deal with. Was too much work.

Looking great!  You are in the groove, as they say!

This is a good guide! Thanks!

welcome, it really is easy method, no hassle.

Thanks for sharing your rooting method, Aaron.

It's been discussed many times here on the site on the best method of doing cuttings and I can tell you from experience Miraclegro potting soil is one of the worst things you can use all it does is generates gnats Do yourself a favor and do a search and go with one of the soil less potting mixtures, 

Otmani I have stated this several times and agree with Dave, the best choice is to use an inert medium, perlite, peat moss or vermiculite. I use 2/3 coarse sifted perlite and 1/3 peat moss. Never seen a gnat in my life.

I'm with Dave on this one too.  Miracle Gro has been full of gnat eggs in my experience.  (And gnat larvae eat new roots, resulting in loss of cuttings).

Mike
 

I.C.
Thanks for the improvement suggestion Dave.

Probably different people at different time have different experience.
Some years ago when I was using Schultz potting soil, I encountered gnat infestation issue the first time and loss of some cuttings. I have been using Miracle grow ever since and I do see some gnats but I would not call it infestation. I easily control it by using sticky "PIC Window Fly Trap" in the plastic storage container with rooting cups. I love watching the gnats stuck to the sheet never to get up again.

Ottawam your lucky that that worked out for you, last year I used Miraclegrow and without exaggeration I lost over 50 cuttings the gnats started and I used every chemical possible  Sticky traps, Gnatrol, Neem oil, mosquito dunk, just to name a few and the gnats won No more soil with organic matter in it will I use for cuttings

I have no idea what gnats look like in person but...do you guys think the environment/heat plays a role in their survival? Where I put the clear plastic containers for rooting gets very hot and I provide some shade. The rooting happens in max 3 weeks...I mean, you can see the roots touch the exterior wall of the containers.
Maybe in cooler climates where rooting might take longer and the rooting media doesn't worm up as much the gnats will multiply. I don't know.

i found this organic gnat control on ebay btu or somthing of that affect. it really worked great.

I don't see the need to use soil at all. Peat moss with perlite works beautifully, is completely immune to gnats, and once I have strong roots and leaves, I can transition to 1-gal outside rather quickly. Why even take a chance with soil-based medium? I know that inert media have little to no nutrition. I counter this by watering lightly with a solution based with rooting enhancer and liquid fertilizer and cal-mag for nutrients. By rooting in a sealed humidity chamber with a temperature probe, I provide an ideal environment that makes my outside environment irrelevant.

Peat moss, perlite and pine bark fines are great, at least for me, but then again, I am different than most, I start all cuttings in 1 gallon pots and I live in area where it is warm/hot and humid most of the time. I am sold on a pine bark fines mixture.

Hi Everyone! I'm new here and thrilled that I found you, so I can learn more about growing figs.
I bought a Celeste fig and a dwarf back fig last year, rooted some Brown Turkey fig cuttings (from my sister) and that was enough to get me excited about growing figs. I over-wintered them in an enclosed porch and planted the Celeste this spring; it's doing great!  I live outside of Doylestown, PA and my soil is heavy clay. A lot of things don't survive the extremes that come with this soil. Does anyone have similar conditions and what is the best variety for my zone 6 clay? Also, I know this sounds crazy, but if I microwave the Miracle Grow soil, will it destroy the gnat eggs? Will it destroy other beneficial organisms in the soil? Needless to say, I have a lot of Miracle Grow soil on hand. I never realized that it was probably the cause of my gnat infestations. Thanks, donna

Alan,
Harvey was also saying to avaid MG because it holds too much moisture, and I do see how it can happen.
The reason i chose this particular type was because of the moisture control and (they claim)6 months of fertilizing. Once I give the first initial watering I cover them and hardly open again until I see roots. If I open its because I am checking for mold, but havent seen them either, because I try to clean the cuttings again before rooting.
This has worked for me and the results have been phenomenal so far. And I understand it may not be the case with everywhere in the country.
Im sure there will always be room for improvemet.

Aaron,
Thanks for sharing your procedure.

My easiest rooting to date...
Multiple cuttings, 15 total planted directly in 5 gallon bucket with pre-moistened 5-1-1-1 mix.
Left on a covered porch after the daytime temps were above 70*F., nighttime temps were 50*F to 60*F. They were not sealed, treated, covered or watered, but were planted deep, most cuttings are over 12" long. They are now being acclimated to full sun and watered every 2-3 days with dilute Miracle-Gro fertilizer.  Currently at a 73% success rate, 11 out of 15 cuttings have rooted and are growing.
  .

Any fast draining well aerated soil less potting mix or medium will work for direct rooting


Donna (Figgiepudding),
Welcome to the forum community.
Its probably best to start a new topic with the same message that you posted as an introduction.

Fig Trees will grow in almost any soil once the roots are large and healthy enough. The recommendation is usually to get a good healthy established root mass before planting in ground, especially in colder zones.

Potting Soil has actual soil with soil microbes and possibly insect eggs and larvae. Although there are many beneficial microbes some are harmful to young roots and cause rot. For rooting cuttings a Clean or Sterile mix usually increases the success rate, and yes, the mix can be heated or microwaved before using. If you read thru the "Start Here" topic at the top of the 1st Page you will find lots of info and a means of searching the forum for your specific interest. Good luck.