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Fig cuttings won´t root

Hi, 

i´m new to this forum, and i really like this place :)

I have a problem with my fig cuttings. I tried to root them in water ( yeah, i know, i read here that the water rooting method is not the best one, now i know better) but except little white spots, there are no roots. I put them in water in February ( the wooden cuttings) , and the green one month ago. My question is: Are the cuttings doing right? I´m afraid it´s too late for rooting, do you recommend any other method to change? OR: Should i put them to a pot with soil?

 Thanks for your help!
amsman

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They look like they should root nicely if you put them in a potting mix now. What I've done with some success is after getting those root initials (white spots) is to slightly predampen some potting mix or coconut coir... put the cutting in a clear cup and add the dampened mix..... then put a clear bag over the cup and twist tie around the cutting. That way the moisture is locked in so you don't need to worry about watering for 3 to 4 weeks. Put in a warm location but not in direct sunlight and you should see roots in a week or 2 hitting the cup wall.

Good luck.

Follow Tyler's advice, may take a little longer for the roots to reach the cup though. Good luck.

  • Rob

They look fine to me.  Not dead or rotten.  Put them in a 1/2 or 1 gallon pot with potting mix now, stick them in the shade.  Make sure they are moist.  If you mound up soil around the bottoms a bit then excess moisture will wick away into the soil and will also moderate temperature.  In a couple months you should have a fig tree or three

Forget the water method. What has worked great for me has been a very porous soil on the bottom half of a clear cup, then top full of just perlite atleast 2 inches (blocks out the fungus gnats). Place that into a plastic bin and the roots will go nuts after just a week. These are about 13 days old. Humidity is crucial.

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Hi amsman,
Welcome to the forum.
Your cuttings are still healthy.
Here is my water method:
Put them in water for 3/4 weeks, changing water every other day.
Put them then in a gallon pot and in a half shady position.
Watch them grow !
In the summer I have good success with that method.

Check this out:

http://figs4fun.com/basics_Rooting.html

Many of us scratch the bark just enough to reveal some green and then add clonex or KLN or other rooting hormone.

Now that it so hot, I have been sticking them in some water and changing every other day.   Seem to be doing better than the mix method for now.   Could be that it is 97 during the day with dew point in high 70s.  I keep everything in the shade.   I just got some Keiki paste and did the scratch thing for the first time.   Will let you all know how it turns out.  Joyce

I know that plumeria growers swear by water rooting. They are particularly slow and troublesome to root. Similar idea, using Superthrive in the water which you change every 2 days for no more than 3 weeks. The goal is to get those white nubs, and then place the stick in a growing medium. 

Have no idea if it would work for figs or not. They don't seem to have as much trouble with rot, as I have rotted too many plumeria cuttings by sticking in soil too soon, while no fig cuttings have succumbed.

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