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My setup isn't working great

So here are some pictures of how I've been growing my cuttings.  I think my lights are too powerful and it's burning the leaves.  I thought if I got fluorescent bulbs that would keep the leaves from burning, but it doesn't seem to help.  It's not the heat of the bulbs (they don't get very hot at all), but I imagine the intensity of the light.  The leaves are as you see below.  They get dark in the center and some of them turn yellow.  I imagine someone on this forum has had experience with this.  

Any tips?  I've started pointing the bulbs up more so they aren't pointed directly at the plants.  Btw, all the pictured cuttings are 7 months old.  They are the survivors.  About half died.  Another thing, I don't turn the lights off at night.  I don't know if this could be the cause as well.

Thanks for any help!

Link to the pics: http://imgur.com/a/kcT7X

I think most of us use the linear flourescent bulbs like T8s.  These put out very little heat and have never burned leaves in my experience.  It also doesn't seem necessary for cuttings that have been going for 7 months to be in a humidity bin.  The bin should only be necessary for a few weeks if that.  Last year I didn't use lights at all on figs but simply used south facing windows before transitioning them outdoors in the Spring.

How hot are those metal cones on the light getting?   I removed the cone on my clip lamp so that the light goes all around.  The only time I've had a burnt leaf is if the leaf touches the bulb.

i never used light set up before. the leaves on you pix show sunburn. i root in my study that has south facing window, and that seems to be good enough until spring comes around.

I've read on this forum that figs want a ton of light, but I guess there is a limit to that.  I figured I could bombard them with light and they'd just grow faster.  Doesn't seem to be true. 

I have used T5 and T8 bulbs and have had the leaves very close if not touching and they have not burned. Maybe the twisted fluorescents have a higher concentration of heat because of the spiraled bulb. I have even had lady bugs lay their eggs on the bulbs and they hatched!

Quote:
Originally Posted by alanmercieca
Regular fluorescent bulbs, and energy saving fluorescent bulbs kill off vegetation very fast, I tried that last year 


Do you mean just bulbs as opposed to tubes? 

I'm having the same thing happen with the leaves turning, and then falling off. I'm using a regular desk lamp with a daylight bulb, some of the plants don't have any discoloration and others do.

is it possible the leaves have not acclimated to the light intensity like when taking new cutting out to the sun in spring?

IMHO which is not so humble sometimes you need to water those figs more. The soil looks really dry and pulled away from the sides of the container.

It appears that you just came from vacation. The soil in the pots seems to be on the dry side. Keep it moist and you may see better progress.

Are you using fertilizer? Fluctuating moisture levels can cause nutrient levels to get rather high.  Using a light amount of nutrients dissolved into water on regular basis is no big deal if flushed through and salts aren't allowed to build up, but if the soil is only moistened with nutrient water repeatedly and then allowed to dry out, the overall nutrient levels or salts can get quite high. The area where the light is most intense will have the most cellular activity and resultant focal fertilizer burn. I think your burn is from this scenario and not from lamp intensity. This is one reason why I avoid feeding my babies much until they are big enough to withstand a good dousing of water without drowning.
And if your not using fertilizer or soil with fertilizer in it already...then what do I know. But I have seen this happen.

Hi,
Because your trees have grown up, you should now to move the lights upwards. You should attach the lights at one meter or more ( at the roof of your room ) sothat the trees keep growing up - they look like willing to grow to the side because of the position of the lamps .
Your trees lack water . I would put a wooden piece of one centimeter thick (or less 1/2)  under each pot and leave some water in the container.
The leaves look thick - it can be from the cultivar - or your room temperature is a bit on the low . How is your room temperature ?
IMO, Having such a setup near a window would help .
IMO, the pots are now too small, I would up-pot .

Did I mention, that last year I lost my 3 little trees that I had in my flat ? :)

Interesting thread. I use t5s on 24/7, they have not burned any leaves yet but I am only 4 weeks on cuttings that have now leafed out.

ya know.. if i remember correctly, the leaves burn less if the soil is well watered. 

I always keep mine on a 12 hour light diet as well. I think everything needs to rest sometime.

Been away for a little while and didn't realize how much I miss and enjoy your replies Pete :) LOL.

T-5 and T-8 tubes work fine for me. I keep the lights as close to the top of the figlets as possible without touching them.

Those pots looks dehydrated, make sure they are always moist , otherwise just raise the lights a bit and measure the temp with thermostat, make sure the heat doesn't reach 42C, or whatever that makes up in F.
Otherwise they seem like doing well.

So just to follow up on this, it was all about the water.  I just wasn't watering enough.  I read so much here about over watering and I was so determined to make sure I didn't do that that I under watered them.  I've since started watering them around every 4 days and they are much better.  My outside figs were also suffering from not enough water.  I water them every other day or every day if it's summer.  I don't know why there's so much stress on over watering here.  Are there people who are watering several times a day or something?

It just got mentioned already!
There seem to be water deprivation (at lleast when pictures were taken). Keep the pot soil moist to minimiaze the issue you are having.

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