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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > An observation on rooting
 
 


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csteele

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 

I just wanted to share this observation from my experience of rooting figs for the first time.

I've been rooting cuttings of Marseilles VS Black and Sal's EL is moss and obsessively checking their rooting progress everyday.

Marseilles VS Black showed its first root at 35 days, Sal's EL showed its first root in just 10! 

I'm sure you've all noticed differences in how long it takes different varieties to root, but I though it interesting that these two varieties seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum. 

Craig
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Growing: Marseilles VS Black, Sal's EL, Valle Calda
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FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Hi Craig.  It is interesting to see how different varieties behave.  Also consider the condition of the cutting at the time of rooting.  Welcome!
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Frank
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bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
condition of the cutting is very important, at least to me. i see some cuttings that look like have been stored very nicely, yet do not root even after 2 months. but ones that were taken right before shipping rooting as soon as i received them. one of the cutting i received about a week ago, has massive roots and in the cup along with 4 other varieties that came with it. while two other varieties that came in back in dec. are not responding what so ever. they are going to go into trash can this afternoon. 

of course, there is difference in varieties and some does root late. but as long as the cuttings are fresh, they root better for me. i know lot of other members do not have any issue with stored cuttings. it seems i'm not having much luck with them. 
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Pete
Durham, NC
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"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
bigbadbill

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
I agree. I've rooted thousands of cuttings and without a doubt, the fresh ones respond much quicker than stored cuttings. I know others have found the opposite to be true, but consistently, it is always fresh over stored. The only way I have seen otherwise has been a fall fresh cutting vs. a stored spring cutting, but that makes some sense to me.
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hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Cuttings dry out during storage, if they are stored dry. If they are stored with moisture they are more likely to root sooner, also more likely to rot unfortunately. If you have stored your cuttings dry they should be rehydrated in sphagnum moss or perlite etc.

It also matters where the cutting came from on the tree. Cuttings from the sunny side of the plant are more vigorous because they have larger buds and more energy. Horizontal/basal growth will usually produce roots faster because more natural rooting hormones are in those pieces, often they already have hard brown bumpy roots along their undersides (horizontal) and bottoms (basal).
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bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
shouldn't keeping the cutting in the baggie provide enough moisture to rehydrate them? even with water squeezed out of the paper towel, inside of the baggie is nicely "wet". i would think being in the baggie with moisture for last two months should have been enough to rehydrate the cutting.
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Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
ascpete

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
Craig,
There will be different rooting times for different cuttings due to the large number of variables under which the plants are grown and the handling of the cuttings. Nutrition, Water, Temperature, time of year and storage conditions, etc, all play a part in rooting times.

Pete,
I agree with Brent's point about rehydration. I have hydrated stored dormant cuttings for a few days (2-3 days) in wet (dripping wet) Long fibered sphagnum moss in the refrigerator and it has decreased the rooting times for older stored cuttings, sometime as much as 10 days. Which would indicate that for stored dormant cuttings an initial period of hydration may be beneficial, since one of the reasons for the baggie stage (paper or moss) is hydration.
csteele

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Lots of good information here. Thanks for the responses.

I did a little digging on when the cuttings were taken and learned that the slow-to-root Marseilles VS Black was taken back in November of 2013 while the speedy Sal's EL was a recent "fresh cut".

So this seems to correlate well with what some of you are pointing out: fresh cuttings tend to root faster.
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Growing: Marseilles VS Black, Sal's EL, Valle Calda
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milehighgirl

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 

Although I can't find it right now, I believe the UC Davis website said that due to poor rooting results they will no longer send green cuttings. This would seem to be opposite of what the results of members have had.
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Looking for: Becane, Dalmatie, Doree, Florea, Hanc's EBT, Italian 258, LaRadek's EBT, Longue d'Aout, Marseilles White , Negronne, Nordland, Sal's EL, Strawberry Vert, ...anything cold hardy and short season. (Willing to pay for cuttings)
jdsfrance

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Hi bullet08,
Because you tend to have some funny strains, I would throw them in a big pot all stubborn cuttings side by side, and put the pot outside in the garden.
Sometimes they will grow ... when they want. I once had 3 cuttings in ground from April to July before seeing leaves coming out of the ground ...

Milehighgirl, green cuttings is not the same as fresh cutting .
Fresh cutting is a branch cut in the last days.
Green cuttings is a branch taken while the tree is growing - typically in July - or wood from which the bark is still green as opposed to grey. That wood is still not hardened.
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bullet08

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
jdsfrance, i know it's old method and reliable method to some just putting the cutting into a pot, or ground in spring and they root and turn into tree. actually there is a story about a prince in korea who when to sleep with his ginko tree walking stick shoved into a ground and when he woke up, it has rooted and turned into a tree.. but no such luck for me. i have to monitor progress of each cutting till they root and transfer to cup to monitor further, than move to 1 gal. 

at first, i didn't try sticking them into a pot and hoped for the best. they didn't work for me. maybe the climate here doesn't agree. 
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Pete
Durham, NC
Zone 7b

"don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill
"the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher

***** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. *****
***** and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...*****
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