Greetings Fig fanatics:

I've been thinking quite a bit about the cuttings I have either on their way or sitting in my refrigerator.   I've read several posts about how to root them, but for everyone it's slightly different.  Each of us must find the best way that works for us in our own situation.  I decided to do a pre-rooting trial using some spare cuttings.   I wanted to find out what is the fastest, easiest, most successful way to root in the fall with an inside system.   I've tried the wrapped cuttings in a bag method, but I don't know if that's the route I want to go. 2 out of 3 of these cuttings grew shoots and leaves instead of roots. I had them wrapped properly in a dark warm place.   I thought, even if they do root, I still have to plant them later. 

I'm skipping the rooting in a bag method with media also.   I feel that while it may work, its just adding another step as once they do root, you have the shock of taking the plant out of those long tubular bags and placing the disturbed root mass into a new container.

I'm trying 4 different methods using cuttings that I soaked in a 5% dip n gro solution for 1 hour.

Materials:

4 Hardy Chicago cuttings 6-8" long:  Stored for 2 wks in the fridge.
4 Celestial cuttings 6-8" long:  stored for 3 wks in the fridge.
4 Texas Everbearing cuttings 8" long:  Taken of the mother plant today from my garage.
9 Blue plastic cups
Sphagnum Moss (Lowe's)
Fafard 3B + perlite
Tags:  Aluminum cans cut into squares, primered and painted.
Brass wire
Gold Paint marker
9 Clear plastic soda bottles
1 Ziploc bag
1 sheet of newspaper-like paper
1 plastic tub
1 fish tank thermometer.

Treatments:

a. Rooting soil similar to Fafard, but I added a little more perlite.
b. Rooting in moistened sphagnum moss only.
c. 50%/50% rooting mix & sphagnum.  Sphagnum being moistened with the 5% dip n gro solution.
d. Bagged cuttings wrapped in sphagnum moistened with the 5% dip n gro solution.

All treatments are put in a clear plastic tub and put in front of my SE facing window.

Treatments that I could have done, but didn't (not enough cuttings).

e.  baggie method, just to see the time difference.
f.   no rooting hormone in each of the above treatment.
g.  cuttings that have been held longer in the fridge.

I'm simply trying to find the best way for me.   I realize everyone might do things a little different, and I've seen some great posts, but I don't want to always be guessing if I'm doing it the fastest and best way.  I also wanted a trial run at it before I root my extra special cuttings.  Hopefully I find more answers than questions.  


I will updated this with photos as needed.

thanks for viewing.