Saw a thread about airlayering with the rooter pots and the need to tent with foil to keep the rain out.
Got back home yesterday and went to check on a several airlayers I had started a couple weeks ago.
These had been covered in foil to prevent sun but not tented on top to keep out the rain.
Long story short (too late for that??) the 7" of rain we have had over the past 2 weeks killed a Ginos black and MBVS that I had started.  Thank goodness they were sucker/offshoots and not the main trunks.  Did not kill the entire stem, just what was in the pot onward.

Moral of story?

Cover your airlayers to prevent rain/excessive water from entering!!

I wrap my air-layers in plastic and seal the ends with black electrical tape. The foil goes on last for heat protection.

exactly what I do with my regular, larger airlayers.  This was trying the new small "rooter pots"

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/For-those-using-rooter-pots-6426990

I learned my lesson with the Rooter Pots. Cover all the way around
and on the top, tight where the stem enters the cut with aluminum foil.
I still like using the pots.

lesson learned here as well

Or do air-layers in climates that don't have rain in the summer.

Make a few holes at the bottom for drainage & air.

Thanks for starting this thread, Greg.  I just started my very first air-layer this week and it has rained every day since.  I will check it tomorrow and hope, hope, hope, it's not too late to protect it on top with foil.

It rained HARD in Dallas today.  Haven't had a chance to check on mine.. hopefully it'll be okay.

Another 1.5" yesterday. 
I went out between showers yesterday after work and redid/covered a couple aairlayers that were borderline but not in distress yet.

Jon, I suspect that was tounge in cheek  ;o)
VERY unusual for August, normally 100+ and drought like conditions.
Is 64F as we speak.


Jules,  was my main intent in starting this thread so others could learn from my mistake and not suffer the failures.

not having much luck this yr with air layer. one that i put on over a month ago still doesn't show any sign of roots. i might have to take a branch off and start rooting it.

Pete,

been a strange experience for me.
My MBVS just explodes with roots and is ready to go within a month.
My Sals C has been nearly 2 months with nearly no root growth.

greg, this whole yr has been strange.. i hope next yr will bring better weather and better result. i'm still hoping my figs will be ready before the end of sept. i was thinking middle of this month, but most of the figs are still green and not showing sign of swelling. it's just one here and one there.. i was hoping good size harvest this yr...

Pete, about the same here but with plent of growth with a
few exceptions.

It has been a strange year for me too- I have had several successful air layers on smaller diameter branches and smaller trees. I started a few large air layers on a huge tree in my neighbors yard that have been on for a month. So far no signs of roots and the moss is almost always soaking wet from all the rain. Hopefully we can still get some warmer weather to help with the rest of the air layers this season.

checked again today, and it took. but roots are not dense on this one. will need few more weeks...

going to check my Sals C this weekend and see if anything is happening yet

i think hot dry season is ideal for almost everything fig related. even the air layer.. it's been too mild, and too rainy. tho, vegetative growth on my 2nd yr trees are great. it's 61 outside right now.. it's like autumn already..