Noss,

I am using the ones that are 3 inches deep and 3 1/4 inches across the top. These fit "perfectly" into a 16 oz plastic cup. IMO, you DO NOT WANT the peat pot to go deeper in that size plastic cup. There are several reasons for that. One reason...........you WANT TO have a void between the bottoms of the 2 cups that you FILL with rooting mix. This is an important part of the design of the method. This will prevent "air pruning" of the roots that will penetrate through the peat pot. Nice roots will form in that space between the bottom of the peat pot and the bottom of the plastic cup. So, you DO NOT want to use too deep a peat pot.....in order to get rid of that void on purpose.  

When rooting mix is put into that void....it becomes a good thing!! Look again at the pictures below and see how nice those roots are that have penetrated through the peat pot wall and which grew in the space. Notice how well those roots hold on to the rooting mix that was placed in the void. Look at the picture of me holding the peat pot after I removed it from the plastic cup. To me that is the desired "ultimate root ball" and what I strive to obtain when I root my fig cuttings.  It WILL NOT get damaged when you plant it.

Dan..   I am fairly new and more of a "lurker".
But, I have used your info on this forum and it has worked excellently for me!
  When you first mentioned the 3in. Jiffy pots , I started using, as the "not distrubing" roots seemed so logical.
 Anyway, we people in the background listen to you knowledgable "old-timers"!!!!    Fredfig

Fred,

Good to hear that some of this information is helpful to others. Thanks for the feed back. The simplicity of the method is very deceiving. It solves several of the issues that we "indoor" rooters face. 

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Thanks again, Dan.

Did you post a thread about how you root green cuttings?  If not, would you do so, or at least tell us what you do and what success you have?

noss

Noss,

I took a bunch of summer cuttings the other day for conducting my rooting experiments......still big into fig propagation research. Took quite a few pictures of the mother trees. Each was loaded with figs. I almost got sick from eating all of those delicious figs. I am now in the process of rooting those summer cuttings. I am taking pictures as I go along and will post pictures of one of the methods that I normally use. The rooting success rate is pretty high and almost foolproof. Too, summer cuttings will root faster than dormant cuttings. Now is a real good time to take summer cuttings in our area. As it is right after their first flush and just before the SECOND flush.

Earlier in the season I broke a small branch off one of my Rond De Bordeaux trees (lawnmower accident again) and rooted it without any problem. Trimmed a small branch from my Beal tree (which did not come from UCD BTW....so no FMV) and it rooted too.  Also rooted a couple of trimmings from an heirloom black Italian fig that I discoverd a couple of years ago and only recently planted in the ground......should have taken pictures of these recent rootings. 

Thanks, Dan.  I'll give you a call, then.

noss

dan,

one more question.

you mentioned following.

"In the past, I have started some cuttings in baggies and started some in water........just until I see roots initials develop on the cuttings. Then I put them in the peat pots/plastic cups as seen in the picture."

does that mean you no longer use baggie/water to start the root initials now? just go straight to peat pots/plastic cups with hardwood cuttings?

i have number of hard to root cuttings coming in on feb. from different sources. i want the best possible way to root them and turn them into trees.

i would be ideal to cut out baggie/water and go straight to soil mix. but not sure if that's what you meant.

thanks,
pete

Would love to get some fig cuttings for rooting that will do good in Zone 5, 50 miles south of Chicago.

There are many ways to root a twig. And yes, you sure can skip the baggie and/or water steps for initial root formation and root them straight into whatever material you want.....including potting soil, potting mix, peat moss, spag moss, perlite, vermiculite, sand, regular dirt, etc. etc. etc.  You will lose some level of control during rooting under those conditions......and that is perfectly fine for many people. However, I like to "optimize" the rooting conditions and rooting parameters that are within my control to insure a higher success rate. When I have a rare cutting or a limited amount of wood, I want to use a very simple, almost foolproof, and very reliable rooting method.......that is what I am working on. Most people are quite happy with a 60% success rate (as measured by actual "trees" that are ready to be planted into the ground)......I am not satisfied with that success rate. I want 100%.......and IMO, that definitely is possible whenever you have a source of good quality cuttings to begin with.

This particular "Peat Pot Method" eliminates the root shock that often occurs whenever you move your cuttings from their rooting cups and into their final larger container. IMO, this is a breakthrough technique and WILL SAVE a lot of cuttings from dying from transplant root shock. There are other advantages to using this particular technique that I will not get into. IMO, it is a VERY GOOD rooting technique.

FYI..........I am now rooting actively growing SUMMER fig cuttings and not dormant "winter" cuttings. There is a difference and the choice of rooting method can vary.  All will be clear when I post those pictures that I am now taking. As I just recently stated in another thread, IMO Clonex rooting gel MIGHT BE beneficial (don't know for certain yet) for rooting "SUMMER" cuttings. I saw no advantage to using it for winter dormant cuttings. There are very good scientific reasons why it might work better for summer cuttings than it does for those dormant winter cuttings. I am experimenting with this as I type this info.  More later.........

Right now my personal preference for rooting winter dormant cuttings still remains starting in baggies and/or water just until roots initials form....then place them in rooting cups (with peat pots where deemed appropriate). That personal preference may change based on some of what I am now seeing. I do not want to go into any more details until I post pictures....

Also FYI........a very reliable SUMMER cutting rooting method is very very important to me in my fig research activities. I am an ardent and determined fig hunter who finds most of his new heirloom figs during the summer months when the fig trees are fruiting. I want to take cuttings whenever I find a promising tree and do not want to have to go back months later to take winter cuttings. Besides summer cuttings ARE MUCH EASIER TO ROOT and much less problematic.  Much more on all of this later.........

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Hello MacMike,

I see that you joined this forum today. Welcome to this discussion group of people who truly love their figs.

FYI, sometimes people appear on this forum, ask for cuttings, get them, and are never heard from again. You may or may not get a response to your request. After you have been "active" on this forum for awhile, generous forum members may be more prone to honor your request.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Dan i also do the summer cuttings.
Not to impose here with pictures i start thread for all to see if interested.

martin,

i know your post was to dan, but i'm interested.

pete

Dan, thank you for sharing your method here. Very detailed information, eliminating some of the guesswork for a summer rooting technique.

Martin,

I am finding the rooting of summer cuttings to be quite easy and very very reliable for many reasons which I will get into detail whenever I post the method. IMO, it may turn out to be the best way to root cuttings whenever you have access to a mother tree.  IMO, it is quicker and at least as reliable as air layering.........maybe more-so. Still developing data and experimenting with the technique.

Part of the reason why it works so well is that you are preserving the "internal" pipeline that already is established in an actively growing cutting. This internal pipeline has to be re established when you are working with "dormant" winter cuttings.   Another IMPORTANT reason......absolutely no mold issues to contend with.....and fewer hardening-off issues. Like I've stated, I really like what I am seeing.

FYI......Black Beauty 10, special Celeste, special Southern Brown Turkey, and a new found Golden Celeste strain are all rooting real well by this method. I am taking pictures of their rooting for later posts. Took pictures of their moms too.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

No firm data on how much faster the method is over traditional methods. I've rooted so many dormant cuttings that I know that it is much faster. I sometimes change so many variables in an attempt to learn as much as I can, as quickly as possible...... that I get lost in some of the important details.

Summer cuttings HAVE MORE ENERGY RESERVES than dormant cuttings. Also fyi in case you do not know......I am working on the development of a relialbe single node rooting technique.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

No.

Dan
Semper Fi-cus

Interesting dormant technique Dan.  Will definitely try this for the next batch of dormant cuttings.  Was actually thinking last night that it would be nice to have a method that started in a cup rather than a baggie.  Though the baggie technique (1 and 2) worked wonderfully for this beginner!   
    Martin...if you have not yet posted your Summer Cutting technique and any photos, please do...I need to learn about it.

Thanks, Sara

Thanks Dan!

BIG Big hint folks............on my latest development on the "Peat Pot Method" for rooting dem figs. I will be using these to root some very late season "summer" cuttings. Of course these will work well for dormant cuttings too.

http://cgi.ebay.com/120757615547?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%3A80%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp4712.m570.l1313%26_nkw%3D120757615547%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1

Rafed........I believe newly rooted cuttings (that were started in these peat pots) will keep in these containers over the winter. These pots are construced of both wood fibers and organic peat. And are lime treated to neutalize the acidity. The added wood fiber gives them extra strength while still allowing the roots to easily penetrate. (Personally,  I would plant them in a larger container before storing for the winter.) I will know for sure about performance in a few more months. They should "air" root prune the starts until you can get them planted in a larger plastic pot. (Can wrap with aluminum foil or burlap to minimize air pruning ...if desired.) These won't take up much room in the house....if you choose to overwinter them under grow lights. These starts should ship easy and cheap too.  Anyway........ when the time comes, just plant the entire peat pot in a larger plastic pot or in the ground......without any transplant shock whatsoever............from twig to planted tree.

IMO, this is a neat breakthrough technique in the rooting of dem figs.


Dan
Semper Fi-cus

bump. there has been few questions regarding this method lately.