Originally Posted by
THEVICSTERQuote:
Originally Posted by MariannaMiller
Vic,
Think my problems were being used to rooting roses in a much lower humidity area and using the wrong rooting medium. First I got mold in my ziplock and then to salvage my cuttings before they were too far gone, I rinsed them in a mild clorox solution and planted them in a potting mix which retained too much water. When I first saw the wilting leaves (some did bud out before I killed them), I thought my cuttings needed more water not realizing that figlets will wilt if they get too much water as well as when they are too dry.
I just managed to root 2 of 4 cuttings I started in early September using the perlite/spaghum moss mixture recommended by the forum. The dice are still out on the other 2 cuttings but they are a slow growing variety and perhaps just need more time. I will know probably in another month whether one or both of them have taken. One looks promising and the other I have some doubts about. Think rooting cuttings is a bit like making a good pie crust. Once you identify the right feel for the dough (growing media) you can replicate the process easily but knowing what is too much and what is not enough is hard to identify just from a written description. Nothing breeds success better than success itself.
I bit the bullet and bought one too this afternoon. When I went to look up the listing for you, I found it had already shipped. Hoping to have much better luck this time. If its not an intrusion, I am curious as to what has attracted you to this cultivar in particular. We have Turks in the family which is how I became interested in some of the Turkish fig varieties.
WELL, THE TRUTH IS THAT I WANTED THIS CERTAIN TYPE BECAUSE OF WHAT I'VE HEARD AND READ ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF FIG.. IT'S HUGH FOR ONE THING AND FOR ANOTHER IT IS LIKE ONE OF THE BEST TASTING FIGS YOU COULD EVER GET.. THAT'S WHY I WANTED IT.. I'VE HEARD THAT NOT ONLY ARE THEY EXTREMELY SWEET AND SUGARY BUT ALMOST TASTES LIKE HONEY WHEN YOU BITE INTO THEM.. NOW THAT'S A FIG!! IF IT HADN'T OF BEEN FOR YOU, I STILL WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN ONE FOR MY COLLECTION... I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT GETTING IT AND ROOTING AND PLANTING IT... I TOO AM A BEGINNER WHEN IT COMES TO ROOTING ANYTHING!! AND I'LL BE LEARNING ALSO.. I HAVE WATCHED ALOT ON YOUTUBE ABOUT ROOTING AND YOUR DEFINATELY RIGHT, IT'S A VERY FINE BALANCE ON THE WATERING ASPECT OF ROOTING THESE FIG CUTTINGS..
THE GUY SAYS JUST A QUICK SPRAY OR TWO AT THE MOST AND ALSO HERE IS SOMETHING ELSE HE HAS SAID:
There are many ways to start a cutting. Air layering is the most guaranteed way but if you just have a cutting, there are many options. I'll outline an approach.
The cutting: Cuttings taken when the tree is dormant from December through February. Cuttings need to be stored in a freezer bag in the refrigerator. They need to be in a bag with a slightly damp material such as long fiber sphagnum moss or a small big of newspaper. Kept too wet, the cuttings will rot.
If you have the luxury to get cuttings taken later in the winter time, just before bud break, your successes of rooting will increase. This is because the plant is starting to make fresh energy and sap and because the cutting has not be languishing in someone else's refrigerator. Improperly stored cuttings can lead to fungal issues, the number one reason for cutting failure.
Figs can also be easily rooted during the growing season but that is another discussion.
Okay, if you get cuttings early in the dormancy season, you will need to store them in the refrigerator for at least 4 to 6 weeks to help break the dormancy cycle. If you get cuttings later in the season, you can proceed toward rooting them.
Rooting: You will find many recommended ways to do this successfully. The basic principals are as follows:
Soil - must be well drained. Some folks use pure perlite, and some use a 50/50 mix of coarse perlite and a high grade potting soil such as Fertilome's Ultimate Potting Mix (UPM). Others have rooted them in chopped sphagnum moss.
Rooting stimulants: You don't need rooting hormone.
Container - I use small clear plastic cups with multiple drainage holes in the bottom and sometime a few on the sides. Clear cups allow you to see the roots.
Lighting - No direct sunlight, but a good strong diffused light is good or a grow light.
Temperature - 70 to 78 degrees is good.
Humidity - this can be helpful so that the stick does not dry out. I have rooted my plants in a big plastic bin with a grow light on top. Some water in the bottom helps maintain some level of humidity, but the open top allows for some air circulation, also critical to thwart fungus.
Watering - another critical component. Do not over water, even though tempted. There is a bit of a delicate balance since if it dries out completely, that will also kill it.
There are many methods! In the old world, they will take two or three foot cuttings and bury them in the soil an inch or two. You can also take a pile of cuttings in the fall and cover them with a large pile of leaves. Uncovered in the spring time you will find lots of roots that have formed, ready for transplanting.
In regards to putting figs in the ground - once dormant, fig wood can easily take about 20 degrees F and even cooler if the plant is in deep dormancy. Some figs here in Kansas have taken about 10 degrees and survived, surprisingly. However, figs in pots are at risk since the roots might freeze at 22 degrees or lower. In the ground, roots are very protected even though the top will freeze off if temps are really cold.
One more tip - when growing figs in cold climates, the key to having a reasonable crop is to protect at least a portion of the trunk of the tree during the winter. If the tree freezes to the ground, then it will spend all of its energy making branches and leaves, sending out figs late in the season that will not ripen property or in time.
Mulching can be good to keep the base from freezing, but beware of voles. If you have voles in your area, they will eat up the bark and outer layer of the roots. I've learned the hard way and now set a column of at least 1/2 inch hardware cloth around the trunk (probably a 6" diameter) and set into the ground several inches to keep the chewing varmints at away.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I GUESS THAT ABOUT COVERS IT ALL... I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU TO ROOT YOUR NEW (SAME FIG KIND AS MINE TREE)>>>> WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP EACH OTHER INFORMED ABOUT THE GROWINGS... I AM GOING TOMORROW TO HOME DEPOT AND GETTING THE MIXTURE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AS THAT'S THE SAME THING THEY SAID ON YOUTUBE.. ALSO I'M GOING TO BE GETTING A LONG CLEAR PLASTIC TUB AND PUT SOME HOLES IN ONE END OF IT SO I CAN DRAIN THE EXCESS WATER OUT. I'M ALSO GETTING A GROW LIGHT TOMORROW AND PUT MY THERMOMETER PROBE I HAVE INSIDE THE BOX TO MAKE SURE THE TEMPERATURE IS CORRECT.. HAVE TO COVER THE TUB BACK EVERYTIME TO KEEP THE HUMIDITY HIGH BUT NOT BAKE THE CUTTINGS... JUST HAVE TO WATCH THE WHOLE PROCESS DAILY... I'M GOING TO BE GOING TO CALIFORNIA NOV 19TH FOR ONE MONTH SO IF YOU DON'T HEAR FROM ME, THAT'S WHY.. MY WIFE (GOD HELP ME) WILL BE TAKING CARE OF MY CUTTINGS AND SHE'S NEVER DONE IT EITHER.. WITH GOD'S HELP AND MY WIFE'S, MY CUTTINGS SHOULD BE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD WHEN I GET BACK.. I'M SPENDING THANKSGIVING WITH MY SISTER WHO LIVES IN ANAHEIM... (SOUTHERN CA.) I'VE HEARD ALOT, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO BACK ON F4F AND ASK IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW LONG THE ROOTS NEED TO BE BEFORE I CAN PLANT THE NEW CUTTINGS.. I'M GOING TO HAVE ABOUT 6 DIFFERENT CUTTINGS THAT I'VE BOUGHT IN THE LAST 3 DAYS.. WOW.. AND AWAY WE GO!!! I MUST ADMIT I AM A FIGAHOLIC.. LOVE THOSE THINGS TO EAT RIGHT OFF THE TREE... CAN'T WAIT... I HAD A BLACK MISSION FIG TREE THAT WAS ABOUT 3/4 FT AROUND IN CA. AND ABOUT 6 FT HIGH AND HAD SO MANY FIGS ON IT I COULDN'T KEEP UP WITH THEM... MAN I WISH I WOULD'VE HAD THE HINDSIGHT THEN TO TAKE THAT TREE BEFORE I SOLD MY HOUSE THERE IN CA... I'M A CA. TRANSPLANT HERE IN TEXAS.. WELL, I'VE BENT YOUR EAR LONG ENOUGH..
MAY GOD BLESS.
VIC.