Pete, just to make sure I understand correctly, when you say you are using Dip n Grow at the dilution of 10x, do you mean 1 part of DnG and 10 parts of water?  Thanks for posting your results!

Yes. The 2oz Dip N Grow comes with a mixing cup with their pre-marked recommended dilution (5X, 10X and 20X). You're welcome.

My 16 oz bottle may have come with a cup that I lost but the label suggests 5 to 1 for hardwood cuttings and 10 to 1 for semi-hardwood cuttings.  A greenhouse propagation instructor at a college that made a presentation to a group of CRFG folks said that semi-hardwood cuttings have some flex in them.  Using 10 to 1 gives an IBA level of 1,000 ppm (and NAA of 500 ppm) which is pretty low.  A friend of mine that propagates commercially uses 3,000 to 4,500 ppm and sometimes up to 9,000 ppm which would be about the same as using Dip n Grow undiluted.  One grower of pomegranates in Texas wrote in his portion of a book that he uses Dip n Grow undiluted.  It would have been interesting to see two concentration levels in your experiment to see if it made much difference.  I'm not knocking your work, quite the opposite.  You're much more disciplined than me in getting everything so well organized.

The first few cuttings that I tried in Hormone developed an extremely large amount of roots. I was more concerned with not burning out the cutting by producing too much roots. I will test a few with a higher concentration, I will be starting a large batch of cuttings within the week. I will post the results.

I still do not know how the cuttings will perform, rooting is only a small portion of the plant's growth.

Pete,

From your results can you say that deep scoring is better than slices with rooting hormone?  And by better I mean more roots.

Pete,
  I think this is really great work.

  Back in posting #11 you said that you make your scores/slices about an inch long between the first and second node...
a) What's the reason you don't score/slice below the first node and the bottom of the cutting?  (higher chance of rot?)
b) Why don't you score/slice between any other nodes (e.g. to try to get roots growing over more of the surface that will ultimately be under ground)?  (note: posting 2 shows a pic with scores/slices between 2nd-3rd nodes, too, so maybe this isn't a hard and fast "rule" for you.  The node spacing was pretty tight on that one, though..
c) Why score/slice just an inch long?  Why not longer?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide,
Jim

Steve,
The deep scores developed large callused ares from which massive roots formed. The slice score increased the callus at the bottom cut end and the quantity of small roots that were formed on the side of the cutting. In answer to your question, the verdict is still out, I will first have to grow out the cuttings to at least 1 gallon plants.

I prefer the slice because it increased the amount of roots without increasing my concern about the cutting expending all its stored energy on forming massive roots.

On the first cutting that I tried the rooting hormone (Desert King), a large amount of roots were formed and only now is a bud swelling to produce leaves. The picture below was taken 12/23/12. its not completely visible, but it was a thick solid mass of roots, on a cutting that was only a few weeks old.




<edit> You're Welcome

Jim, Thanks.
a.  The end of the cutting usually develops calluses and roots are formed on the entire end, So no additional root formation is necessary IMO. note the closeup in post #23. The entire end of the cutting has developed roots from the callus. With the rooting hormone, which is mostly alcohol, there is less chance of rot. I may try a few scores below the bottom node this weekend, and post findings.

b.  I use 16 oz cups. I have tried deeper and larger cups, but it had not been of any benefit. The 16 oz cups will fill with a root ball "plug" that can be transplanted intact very easily. The plug is then planted deeper in the 1 gallon or larger container, and will develop roots on the new area that is buried. The 16 oz plug is usually up potted sooner to the 1 gallon container than larger cups. It is also easier to control moisture in the smaller container

c.  The scores are between the nodes, if the nodes were further apart than 1 inch then the scores were longer than 1 inch. I did not cut through any nodes, because the nodes form compartments within the cutting, isolating the sections.

Great info Pete, thanks.

Update...2/2/2013

Per my earlier observations the Rooting Hormone (Dip N Grow) has not aided in the growth of the fig cuttings other that decreasing the "rooting in bag" time. There is only a two (2) week difference in the development of the cuttings. There is currently no leaf growth for either group but there is continuing root growth.

Thanks for the update Pete.

Pete, thanks for the update.  The only issue I take with your conclusion is the use of the word "only" when describing the two week benefit.  That is significant, IMO.  I have over 100 cuttings and want them to get off the propagation mats ASAP so that I can start tomatoes.  If I was a commercial fig propagator, I would want to be moving through product as quickly as possible so I could get on to the next generation.

I'd like to see an experiment with undiluted Dip n' Grow be performed by someone.  A friend who runs a commercial propagation greenhouse uses IBA levels of 2,500ppm to 9,000ppm on different species.  I used Dip n' Grow at a rate of 5 parts of water to 1 part of Dip n' Grow which results in IBA of 1,667ppm and NAA of 833ppm.  Your dilution was twice ad great as what I used.

Steve, You're welcome.
Daniel, Thanks.

Harvey,
Thanks for commenting. The reason I started using (testing) Rooting Hormone was to get cuttings rooted as fast as possible. I had been collecting unknown fig cuttings and wanted to get them growing quickly. IMO for the average gardener (me), the additional 2 weeks should not be a problem. There may be a few fig varieties that could benefit from the application of hormone to increase rooting percentages, but to date most of the cuttings I have started without hormone in Sphagnum Moss have callused and started to root within 4 weeks.

I believe I promised you an experiment with full strength hormone treatment, I will start an experiment with 12 cuttings using full strength Dip and Grow (6) and None (6). I will Post the initial day 1 pictures today. The same fig variety will be used, and they will be placed in the same location at 75 deg F.

Doug,
Thanks for commenting on your experience. My experience (to date) is that it does speed root formation, but gaining that additional 2 weeks has not translated into two weeks of early leaf growth.

Experiment with undiluted Dip N Grow, started today. The grouping is as follows

The test groups are

Hormone undiluted (100%):
    A1...Scoring "single wide slice"
    A2...No Scoring

No Hormone:
    B1...Scoring "single wide slice"
    B2...No Scoring

There are 3 cuttings in each group.

I just started 80 cuttings (all from the same bush) in sphagnum moss using Dip n Grow at 5 to 1 last night.  I have them with some bottom heat "medium" not sure what that means.  I did not score any but I did cut them at a 45 degree angle.  I'm not sure if that means anything but I figured it would be more surface area for the hormone.  I would like to get these cuttings into 1 gallon pots in 6 weeks so that "2 week sooner root formation" is important to me.  Not using hormone seems a little silly since it is so cheap, effective, and for some people, reduces fungal issues.  I should point out that I have never successfully started any cuttings (of anything, including figs) and I do not know the name of the fig that I have.  I collected it from an Italian Restaurant.  The owner said his grandfather brought it back from Sicily many years ago.  It was growing outside unprotected all this time (NJ zone 6).  It was a very large bush 12x12'.  I have named it Italian Honey "Sorrento"  after the name of the restaurant.  If anyone could help me find the actual name that would be great.  I'll send you some figs and a plant when they are ready.     

Aaron,
The optimal temperature for rooting seems to be between 74 and 80 deg F. You can measure the temperature with a thermometer. As noted above I have been able to get callus and root formation within 4 weeks without hormone if the 75 deg F. temperature is maintained.

Please keep us updated on your progress and good luck.

Pete, I'm curious why you have less bud growth than I've experienced.  Rots are more important in the beginning than leaves, but I seem to having leaves on most of my cuttings at about the same pace as roots.  Here are two of my plants that are further along, both were prepared for rooting 21 days ago on 1/13:

Genovese Nero



Longue d'Aout

Harvey,
The cuttings are currently in an unheated room, where the temperatures fluctuate between 45 and 65 deg. F. My current outside nighttime temperatures are between the teens and single digits, and day time temperatures are in the 20's. I have not added any supplemental heating other than that used for the initial rooting and first two weeks in cups.

My comparison is between the two groups of cuttings, all other variables are the same. If they were at 70-75 deg F they would probably be further along. I am almost certain that your ambient temperatures are much higher than mine.

Other older cuttings have leafed out and are growing healthy but slowly, under the same conditions.

Okay, Pete, didn't realize your cuttings were allowed to go that cool after removal from the bag.  When potting them up I have kept them in my small heated shop (upper 70s) and then moved into my greenhouse where temps have fluctuated from the low 40s to about 90F for the few days they've been in there.  My greenhouse would get warmer but a cooling fan kicks on.  We had frost yesterday morning again so it still is getting pretty cool outside at night.  I'm being fairly aggressive in getting these plants moving along.

Doug, Thanks for the pictures and info.

Harvey,  I realized that your comparison did not take into account the ambient growing room temperatures. I did not specify them.

The cuttings are developing healthy root growth at these temperatures and I believe they will produce healthy top growth when they are ready (in their own time). My experiment as stated was to compare the two groups (Hormone treated and None) under the same growing conditions.

Note attached pictures of cuttings growing in the same room, same location, in a south facing window. These cuttings were started without hormone, and are about 4 or 5 weeks older, they are in 16 oz cups with a 70/30 cutting mix.

Update: 3/10/2013
Picture is of the cupped cuttings (they were just watered, they're watered once per week). The two trays of cuttings on the left are untreated, no hormone. The two trays on the right (very few with buds or leaves) are the Hormone treated cuttings.

The hormone treated are slower to leaf out.

The ambient Temperature is 45 - 65 deg F. (unheated room) and they're in a south facing window. All the cuttings (32) are still alive and growing slowly. Once the outside temperature increases, I expect the ambient temperature to increase and the growth rate should increase.

Thanks, Pete.  Do the treated ones still appear to have greater root mass?

You're welcome.
Yes the hormone treated still have a greater root mass than the untreated (none).
But the untreated (none) are slowly catching up.

Update 3/13/13

Picture of Large diameter Hormone treated cutting. Note new leaf buds breaking at the old leaf nodes, three (3) are visible in the picture. There are five (5) new buds total, one at each leaf node. The cutting was just watered with a dilute MG fertilizer solution (1 teaspoon/ gallon).

Update 4/7/13

Current picture of the Large diameter Hormone treated cutting.