Fig Grow Room Project 2015

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Charlie

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Posted 1444505554	Reply with quote #1

Decided due to some wicking tests done on sand and Oil Dry, plus the so far success of the wicking sand buckets, this is what I need to do, given available materials. Fastened four chains to eye hooks in a ceiling stud to hang the lights. Square bucket bottoms were cut at 4 inches height and set in to get an idea of spacing requirements. Ends up that twenty-four fit well under the lights with room to spread out some if needed. For now, the Wicking Sand Bucket Experiment fits under one light and the Oil Dry Experiment grow bags are each in their own bucket bottom with two cups of water added to each. Have twenty-four 2 gallon Root Pouch grow bags to match the number of bucket bottoms that will be added as time permits the washing of sand and transferring cuttings from the wicking sand buckets. After testing wicking ability of Oil Dry and sand, both at 4 inches depth in clear cups with perforated bottoms, sitting in about 1/2 inch depth of water, it was decided that 4 inches is good, or at least I think it might be good. It allows for about 2.5 inches of moist media and even a little dry at the very surface, while the bottom 1-1.5 inches stays pretty saturated. I think this will be better than the 2.5 inches total sand depth currently in the Wicking Sand Bucket Experiment that I think is staying too wet for most of the volume of media. Though that experiment is cool looking and has been fun and even working to some degree, it isn't practical for the lights I have now. Each plant must have its own base and be able to move up to the light that must be raised to accommodate faster growers like Valley Black. I can always use plentiful wooden spacers under the bucket bottoms to make this happen. This is all I have for now though future plans include reflective panels on all sides to maximize lighting. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Smungung

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Posts: 440

Posted 1444506383	Reply with quote #2

Very nice system. __________________ Matthew Mei Age:15 Zone 6A Secaucus, New Jersey Aquarist any questions pertaining to fish shoot me a message always willing to help! :) Gardener Fisherman

NoelG_123

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Posts: 180

Posted 1444515848	Reply with quote #3

Do you need a Medical Fig card to grow those indoors? Is this legal in your state? I know figs cure just about everything, though I'm not sure about glaucoma. Nice set up! :) __________________ "A fig by any other name, is a Newton."

coop951

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Posts: 596

Posted 1444525034	Reply with quote #4

Good luck with your next project Charlie. Looks nice and neat... and no gnats!! __________________ Coop Northern NJ Zone 7a

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444526577	Reply with quote #5

Quote: Originally Posted by NoelG_123 Do you need a Medical Fig card to grow those indoors? Is this legal in your state? I know figs cure just about everything, though I'm not sure about glaucoma. Nice set up! :) I might need a medical card for sure! __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444526629	Reply with quote #6

Quote: Originally Posted by coop951 Good luck with your next project Charlie. Looks nice and neat... and no gnats!! Thanks coop. Hoping the gnats won't have anything to do with this. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Frankallen

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Posts: 994

Posted 1444590995	Reply with quote #7

WOW, Charlie now that,s a nice grow room! You must have a very nice understanding Wife! I really like the way you have it setup. Wish I had an empty bedroom... Good Luck this cutting growing season! : ) Frank from Bama __________________ Frank from Bama- Zone 7-b Alabama .................................................... "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever". Mahatma Gandhi

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444599587	Reply with quote #8

Quote: Originally Posted by Frankallen WOW, Charlie now that,s a nice grow room! You must have a very nice understanding Wife! I really like the way you have it setup. Wish I had an empty bedroom... Good Luck this cutting growing season! : ) Frank from Bama Thanks Frank, she learned this summer that figs are awesome so she's all in which makes me want to do it all the more. Have discovered the bucket bottoms don't like to slide on carpet so I guess another oil drip pan is needed or maybe do away with the other drip pan and stick a sheet of white coroplast down under all the buckets so they slide and provide a bit of reflection back up to the plants. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444602221	Reply with quote #9

Spent after church making some of the 2 gallon grow bags and now am out of cuttings for the moment. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

jdsfrance

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Posts: 2,591

Posted 1444633753	Reply with quote #10

Hi Charlie, Is the oil dry for outside use only ? Some mentioned some smelling, does it have a smell inside ? I suppose that if the number of pots does not climb too high, the nuisance shouldn't be too high. I would still try to air that room a bit more ... just to be safe. __________________ ------------------------ Climate from -25°C to + 35°C Only cold hardy figtrees can make it here

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444646668	Reply with quote #11

Quote: Originally Posted by jdsfrance Hi Charlie, Is the oil dry for outside use only ? Some mentioned some smelling, does it have a smell inside ? I suppose that if the number of pots does not climb too high, the nuisance shouldn't be too high. I would still try to air that room a bit more ... just to be safe. Not that I know of, far as outside use only. This Oil Dry product has no odor compared to the Safe T Sorb tested in the NAPA floor dry thread. I washed 300 pounds of coarse sand yesterday and don't plan on using any more of the clay products, only these in the experiment. Now if by chance the cuttings in the clay product really take off and somehow perform way better than the sand, then I would have to re-consider. Too soon to make an educated decision. I'm really hoping that the sand will fulfill my needs. It's not too far to go and sift all I would ever hope to need for free or can get a dump truck load hauled in from the sand plant for $53 a ton in this size they call 10-20. That's a lot of sand. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

rcantor

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Posts: 5,727

Posted 1444667972	Reply with quote #12

You're gonna need a bigger warehouse ;) __________________ Zone 6, MO Wish list: Galicia Negra, De La Reina - Pons, Genovese Nero - Rafed's, Sbayi, Souadi, Acciano, Any Rimada, Sodus Sicilian, any Bass, Pons or Axier fig, any great tasting fig.

RegencyLass

Registered:1441763907
Posts: 136

Posted 1444689368	Reply with quote #13

Awesome set-up! __________________ ~RL~ Zone 5 Wish list: Saint Martin, Pastiliere, Panache, Dark Portuguese, Alma, Nero600m, Salce, Vista, Malta Black, Gino, Galicia Negra & Conadria.

Charlie

Registered:1404043833
Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444703390	Reply with quote #14

Quote: Originally Posted by rcantor You're gonna need a bigger warehouse ;) Well Bob it's not quite as many as last year! __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444704513	Reply with quote #15

Quote: Originally Posted by RegencyLass Awesome set-up! Thank you! Did some fig surgery this evening. Valley Black was removed by adding water to the bucket and shaking it to make the sand a fluid bed. It floated out easily and with all roots intact. It was severed into the three sections with growth. The one farthest left had barely a few small roots. A 2 gallon grow bag with sand at 4 inches deep, twelve cups worth, was made for each plant. A hole to allow the root ball to fit was scooped aside and the plant laid in, then gently sprayed with the sink sprayer attachment to cover the root ball. The whole Wicking Sand Bucket Experiment was dis-assembled and is no more. Here we have a few pics of surviving cuttings with a few roots... I guess we were growing a nice crop of algae in the sand. There was also quite a bit of it in the bucket reservoirs. I don't have a clue if this was good, bad or indifferent. Three varieties were clearly gone rotten. They all were the largest of all the cuttings and all were from the same source. They had some sort of mold and smelled really awful once removed from the sand. Vashon Violette, Gillette and a three lobed unk. So, here is what we have now that appear to be healthy. The smallest Valley Black with the tiny roots was trimmed of all except the topmost leaf since it has few roots to support the leaf it had before. And a final shot of the new and improved ( I hope) grow room project! __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

SuperMario1

Registered:1441853363
Posts: 441

Posted 1444742975	Reply with quote #16

Very cool stuff Charlie! __________________ Wish list: Galicia Negra, Violetta, Violette de Sollies, Dan_la's Black Beauty 10, Craven's Craving, Most important: YOUR FAVORITE FIG. A lot of people put emphasis on popular/exotic cultivars, which is great because it highlights some of the better fig varieties; however, I am most interested in the figs our members love regardless of pedigree. Currently Growing: a bunch of varieties.

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1444780547	Reply with quote #17

Quote: Originally Posted by SuperMario1 Very cool stuff Charlie! Thanks Mario! It seems they like being moved. Nearly 24 hours and no signs of shock. I think LdA has even grown a bit. Or maybe its the close-up photo. :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445175151	Reply with quote #18

A Battaglia Green cutting from an air layer, sent from Von, was set in sand on 10/11 and shows its first leaf this morning after I sprayed on the surfaces. Hello little one! :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445221273 · Edited	Reply with quote #19

Never give up on fig cuttings unless they are rotten or have gone bone dry. This Valle Negra root was just spotted poking up out of the sand. It was started originally in the wicking sand bucket experiment on 9/7 and transferred to grow bag with sand on 10/12. This particular sand I got from the sand plant is a bit more coarse than the sand which began with in the wicking sand buckets. It's better draining, doesn't wick quite as well and the top inch of sand is prone to dry out with the heat from the lights. So I have been spraying them twice daily for the past several days. Once these cuttings get roots down in the lower three inches, they should be ok since that is where it seems to stay moist enough from wicking. I don't spray the surface of the Valley Black plants that have good roots and they are doing fine. Don't panic! It looks that way from drying out. Below the level of sand it's nice and white. :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445427918	Reply with quote #20

Some stuff to update. Figo Preto started on 10/4... Valley Black did kind of slow down when the separation surgery was done but it's back to its former growing like mad... There's more heat associated with these light fixtures than I had anticipated. Two of them going is as hot or more hot than the 1000w metal halide last winter. So it has taken some days to get the watering figured out. Maintaining about 1/2 inch of fertigation water in the bucket bottoms. This usually takes just a little per day on all buckets except the taller VB's, that are sucking it all up within 24 hours. Morning and night before bed I am spraying the surfaces of all buckets except the VB's since they have deeper roots in the damp zone. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

eboone

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Posts: 1,101

Posted 1445446814	Reply with quote #21

I like the quality of that sand - wish I could find something that coarse around here. __________________ Ed Zone 6A - Southwest PA --------------------------- Short wish list: CDDG, LSU Red, Dark Greek (Navid), Col Littman's Black Cross. And any cold hardy early fig.

Smyfigs

Registered:1443660141
Posts: 1,658

Posted 1445452239	Reply with quote #22

Right, Frank?! I wish I had an empty room too and, an understanding husband. He is great but if I took a whole room like that maybe not. __________________ Meg-Hardiness Zone 10a Looking for... Socorro Blk Wuhan Jolly Tiger Lamperia Preta Herschtetten St. Jean Black Ischia "The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." ~ Mother Teresa "Do not pass by a man in need for you may be the hand of God to him." ~Proverbs 3:27~ "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:4

Smyfigs

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Posts: 1,658

Posted 1445452385	Reply with quote #23

Very nice setup for sure! I am learning so much here! Great photos! __________________ Meg-Hardiness Zone 10a Looking for... Socorro Blk Wuhan Jolly Tiger Lamperia Preta Herschtetten St. Jean Black Ischia "The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." ~ Mother Teresa "Do not pass by a man in need for you may be the hand of God to him." ~Proverbs 3:27~ "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:4

Smyfigs

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Posted 1445452557	Reply with quote #24

Yes, the sand looks great! If I went to buy that type what would I be asking for? __________________ Meg-Hardiness Zone 10a Looking for... Socorro Blk Wuhan Jolly Tiger Lamperia Preta Herschtetten St. Jean Black Ischia "The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." ~ Mother Teresa "Do not pass by a man in need for you may be the hand of God to him." ~Proverbs 3:27~ "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:4

GreenFin

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Posts: 684

Posted 1445453739	Reply with quote #25

This is awesome, Charlie, thanks for sharing your rooting adventures :) __________________ James, zone 6a Kansas (zone 10 greenhouses); wish list is in my profile http://www.FigCuttings.com

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445471885	Reply with quote #26

Quote: Originally Posted by Smyfigs Yes, the sand looks great! If I went to buy that type what would I be asking for? Thanks for the nice comments. This is called 10-20 at the sand plant. It's just a bit more coarse than filter sand which is also called coarse builders sand and it's available at any Lowes or Home Depot in the bagged concrete area or usually a construction site has a pile they might let you have a bucket full. Here is my sand sifter/washer, the one on the left. It's a 20 mesh (20 openings per inch) stainless steel screen, fused into the bottom of a five gallon pail and here's how you do it. I'm going to tell you the safe way and not the way I do it ok! Cut the bottom out of the bucket and don't mess up the straight edge. Get your electric griddle out and pre-heat it to 250 F. Get your screen cut a bit larger than the bucket bottom and get a piece of aluminum foil about the same size. Lay the foil on the heated griddle. Then lay the screen on the foil. Now grab the bucket and set it on the screen. No part of the bucket should touch the griddle, just the screen and foil under the screen. You can gently push down if you like or it might start to melt without pushing. What you're looking for is a bead of molten plastic on the inside and outside edge of the bucket as it melts into the screen. It won't take long. When you have about at least 1/8 inch thick bead of molten plastic on both inside and outside of the bucket, quickly pick it up by holding the top edge of the bucket and set it down quickly on a flat surface like concrete. OUTSIDE...do this out in the garage or outside, not in the house ok... The screen, foil and all with stick to the bucket as you QUICKLY place it off from the griddle and will harden on the flat, cool surface. After it's cool, peel off the foil and trim off the outer edge with tin snips and finish with a grinder if it isn't smooth enough to suit you. Aluminum will work for awhile but it stretches and wears out too fast. I got the SS screen online at Howard Wire & Cloth. I wash the sand in small amounts that aren't to heavy, usually a couple of shovels full at a time, outside with the water hose jet nozzle. Any sand that goes through the screen, I don't use. I should have thought to pre soak the sand in bleach water to kill any algae spores. This is river sand and is now growing algae, same as the wicking bucket experiment...but this may not necessarily be a bad thing. We will have to just go with it and see. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

coop951

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Posts: 596

Posted 1445473764	Reply with quote #27

Charlie, Your posts just get better and better. I love reading about all your techniques __________________ Coop Northern NJ Zone 7a

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445474451 · Edited	Reply with quote #28

Quote: Originally Posted by coop951 Charlie, Your posts just get better and better. I love reading about all your techniques Thanks Coop! Learning as I go with sand. Hoping as I go too. Still several varieties haven't shown a sign of life. I forgot to mention. These screening devices can be purchased online at Gold Prospector shop sites. Keen Engineering makes good "classifiers" that stand up to years of use. Still have and use the ones I bought over 20 years ago. If one can get the fusing of the screen on the bottom down, it's a lot less expensive. Remember many of these subjects were started in the wicking sand bucket experiment and that sand was the coarse filter sand. It had quite a lot more fines in it than this 10-20 and I thought it was staying too wet. Now I'm wondering if I made the right choice. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445647960	Reply with quote #29

Today was a good day to come home from work to new green! Longue d' Aout pushing up another green leaf to the right of the original. I'm not sure if this has been slow because of no roots yet or what? Valle Negra that's been having roots climbing out of the sand, pictured in previous post up there, finally showing some green. The whole top end of the cutting has risen up to the top of the sand level somehow. There was a small hump in the sand which I brushed away and found wood with green emerging. Wondering if a shoot has possibly emerged on the opposite side and pushed the cutting up??? Valley Black put in sand on 10/4. Had to dig down and investigate. Found a yellow bud swelling. Valley Black started on 10/11 had this leaf showing today when I got home from work. This is why I had to dig into the 10/4 VB sand and investigate. I got three Valley Black cuttings from brianm and now all three of them are showing. I'm fairly excited to have this new found variety and be one of the first to grow and test it! Will be a good test of cold hardiness if we make it to Winter of 2016 when I will leave a couple out in it but somewhat protected. If these put out plants at every node and I separate like the first one then there will be nine or ten to experiment with, I can't exactly remember how many nodes these other two cuttings have. Here's the original three VB's. Out-grown my 10" ruler. The small one with the barely root at separation has finally started growing. The middle one has nearly caught the largest. I really want to investigate in the other cuttings sand that haven't shown yet but will try to not. I would hate to break off a tender green bud. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Likeo

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Posts: 268

Posted 1445649518	Reply with quote #30

Your crazy about valley black!!! Anyway, will these be container figs or in ground figs? __________________ Figs: Conadria and Little Ruby

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445649616	Reply with quote #31

Quote: Originally Posted by Likeo Your crazy about valley black!!! Anyway, will these be container figs or in ground figs? I'm not crazy, the crazy thing is growing like crazy lol!!! Some of both. I like to experiment a lot. I might even just keep some growing hydroponic with fertigation in sand. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Likeo

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Posts: 268

Posted 1445649760	Reply with quote #32

Quote: Originally Posted by Charlie Quote: Originally Posted by Likeo Your crazy about valley black!!! Anyway, will these be container figs or in ground figs? I'm not crazy, the crazy thing is growing like crazy lol!!! Some of both. I like to experiment a lot. I might even just keep some growing hydroponic with fertigation in sand. Whats nice is that for any kind of fig you can have it in a container and keep at six feet (minimum!!!) __________________ Figs: Conadria and Little Ruby

Charlie

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Posted 1445703095	Reply with quote #33

Will be sending some of the broad leaf type Vasilika Sika plants to Gloria and Richie in a few weeks that were survivors of the single node experiment and thought it might be a good time to inspect the air layers I did on them back on 8/22 and put one of them in the grow room project over winter. The smallest one and also the first one inspected was started on a newly emerged, very green stem. Special Kitty cat litter mixed with compost 50/50 was used for the media. So this is the smallest one... It had zero roots! Not a single one, but it did have the white nubs. Now this next one was started on the same day on a bit older, larger stem... Both were trimmed of their lower leaves and put into a sand growbag, joining the grow room crowd. Letizia was washed of potting media earlier this morning and set. Poor little thing, I just couldn't let her go dormant. :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Frankallen

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Posts: 994

Posted 1445708394	Reply with quote #34

Good Job on your experiments Charlie! You help all of us, when you do this! Thank You so much! : ) Frank from Bama __________________ Frank from Bama- Zone 7-b Alabama .................................................... "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever". Mahatma Gandhi

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445719685	Reply with quote #35

Quote: Originally Posted by Frankallen Good Job on your experiments Charlie! You help all of us, when you do this! Thank You so much! : ) Frank from Bama It's good folks like you Frank, one of the reasons I do it! You're welcome! After a near brush with death, it has kinda sunk in I'm not going to live forever. I have done so many different things over my years and never really put much effort on any one for very long. Told a future fig lover just the other day..."I need to focus on something for the rest of my life and Figs are it". Headed to WalMart for another oil drain pan, drip pan or whatever they call it. Sliding these buckets on carpet sucks! Well, we're going to buy groceries but I bet a pan finds its way out to the car. :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445741524	Reply with quote #36

New drip pan score! On way home from buying groceries, wife hears it rattle in the back seat. "What's that noise?" Ummm a new drip pan for the other figs! "I didn't see you carry out a new drip pan! "Because I did while you were grocery shopping!" I'm just sneaky like that :) Some exciting new developments since just 24 hours ago. This Valley Black was just a little yellow bud under the sand yesterday about this time... This is the largest of the Valley Black with a new lateral forming at sand level... Look at this surprise from the next to largest! A whole new plant, Valley Black again, coming up from a buried node on the original cutting. Looks like this one will need surgery again soon... Not much going on here but still alive. If I was betting, it budded out before roots and is in waiting mode... Most of you know from my past experiments, I don't hold back on reporting fails. The one leaf pushed out by Battaglia Green has shriveled up. I suppose it may die but will leave it for awhile and see what happens. Investigation shows a still viable looking cutting under the sand. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445810802	Reply with quote #37

A couple new air layers moved into the grow room today. Hardy Chicago for one of our local friends. Over wintering for her to plant out in Spring. I owe the mother of this Beall air layer to a forum member from last year and will get it shipped off soon as it goes dormant. Special Kitty cat litter from the dollar store mixed with compost 50/50 was the media for all my air layers this year. It's being washed away gently with spray nozzle for transfer into sand. Notice the corrugated metal underneath. I use that for this and washing of sand in the screen bottom bucket. Close up of the root system. This was started on a newly emerged, green lateral so it worked out much better than the first broad leaf VS in a former post. First the sand is soaked in the grow bag. Then a hole, a bit larger than the root ball is scooped aside. The plant is set in the hole and water spray from the kitchen sink spray nozzle, as low as possible pressure is used to flow the sand into the root ball with little disturbance of the roots as possible. She's with her sisters now. :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Smyfigs

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Posts: 1,658

Posted 1445883773	Reply with quote #38

Charlie: I love your experiments! I love the detail and the hard work you put into all of your projects. I am learning so much. Thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm. It really makes newbees like myself get even more charged up about figs! Meg __________________ Meg-Hardiness Zone 10a Looking for... Socorro Blk Wuhan Jolly Tiger Lamperia Preta Herschtetten St. Jean Black Ischia "The best way to show my gratitude is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy." ~ Mother Teresa "Do not pass by a man in need for you may be the hand of God to him." ~Proverbs 3:27~ "He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted." ~Job 5:4

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1445908233	Reply with quote #39

Quote: Originally Posted by Smyfigs Charlie: I love your experiments! I love the detail and the hard work you put into all of your projects. I am learning so much. Thank you for your dedication and enthusiasm. It really makes newbees like myself get even more charged up about figs! Meg Meg, thank you! But that four letter word, you know w-o-r-k...lol. If it was work I wouldn't do it. This is how I escape from the rest of the world troubles. My relax and focus on for the rest of my life. I live to experiment with everything, always have. This time last year I was little more than yourself, far as experience and still am a fig novice mostly. I got my first fig tree in late June of 2014. Now, with tons of help from people here and there, mostly here, I have somewhere around 120 varieties between my yard and the fig trial where a lot of them went, I still have full access to them. Lots of varieties though does not make one a fig expert. I try to learn something new every day. Someday I might earn the title but have a long way to go. This is what really excites me! I come in from work and see Preto's one leaf has pretty much double in size it seems, since yesterday. It kind of just hung out for several days with little change. I don't have a clear container to see any roots but this tells me they are finally there. This is what the single node cuttings did last year. Now I'm praying it keeps growing up top and at an increased pace. The next leaf will probably make me worthless. :) __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posted 1446690516	Reply with quote #40

Been a few days since the last update so here's the latest photo's and ramblings. Figo Preto #1 pushing out a new leaf on the original bud and sprouting a new node shoot. We have a Figo Preto #2 now. She sprouted a few days ago. Abebereira seems to be coming along fairly quickly since showing up, though the leaves seem splotchy. Salem Dark also seems to be coming along normally. Longue d' Aout. another cutting has sprouted. I put multiple cuttings in some pots when the cuttings were small. This variety seems odd. FMV? Valle Negra with a few sprouts on two cuttings. Valley Black #3 that was the smallest of three after separation surgery. Seems it has gotten some roots finally and off to the races! In post #33 it was a couple of broad leaf type Vasilika Sika air layers, one with roots and one without. The one with roots, the leaves yellowed a bit but stayed on and it's finally pushing out its first new indoor leaf. The VS without roots, only white nubs, is still alive and I think the bud is swelling a bit. Or I like to think it is! :) Some thoughts. All the plants that were brought in, either the original leaves yellowed or turned a pinkish color around the edges. I don't know what caused this but they are all still alive and with new leaves pushing out. Sand. Most of the buckets are growing algae and have algae in the sand also. This seems to increase the wicking ability of the sand. I still have no clue if it's harmful to the plants or not. According to Valley Black it isn't so far. I'll update that post as well. Soon there will be new additions to the grow room as pruning jobs are done and new varieties join the project. I'm thinking about breaking out the 1000 watt metal halide. The T5's are becoming a tent configuration to make room for the Valley Blacks. Either that or cut their tops off. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1446862451	Reply with quote #41

Interesting that these roots on Valley Black sit in water a big majority of time and are penetrating the grow bag. I figured they would die in the lower portion that stays saturated. These photo's were taken just before adding the evening fertigation. Easy to see the water level they normally get and VB is getting it twice a day now. Fertilizer dosage was doubled today, from 1/4 tsp per gallon to 1/2 tsp per gallon. Reason for doing so, kind of have a feeling the algae is consuming a lot of nutrients and some of the newly emerging leaves are not as green and robust as previously was the case. At some point it may be time to cover the exposed wet areas with foil and stop the algae from growing. No light = no algae. Here's Preto #1 just because I like taking her picture and her little sister. :) Beall air layer brought in on 10/25 in a previous post. It had a green nub I thought would be a lateral limb but it looks like we have a figlet for the winter experimenting under lights. It stays on as long as it wants to live. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

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Posts: 1,214

Posted 1447615165	Reply with quote #42

Reaching the conclusion that algae is turning out to be a bad thing. It has formed a sort of network in the sand surface that results in increased wicking, making the sand too wet. Possibly even choking the media from being able to breath. Plan is to allow the trays that have this going on to dry up a bit and only ad water as needed instead of constant supply. This seems to only be affecting the very small, newly emerged plants and those cuttings which haven't sprouted any green. Preto #2 and #3 tried to sprout but fizzled out. Here's the latest pics. VS #2 below putting out a new lateral bud. Notice the sand surface has taken on a green, dirty color. That's the algae matting. It has formed a hard, crusty surface that when broken, reveals saturated green sand instead of clean, well draining sand. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

Registered:1404043833
Posts: 1,214

Posted 1448557973	Reply with quote #43

Sorted the figs by height so it's better for light adjustment. The taller ones just keep growing faster and it was putting the light too far away from the shorter ones. Yesterday I tested the Ph of the fertigation solution being used, now 1 tsp per gallon. It was 5.5 so added a tablespoon of pelletized garden lime, stirred and let it for awhile. It then tested 6.7/6.8. Going to use this for awhile and see how it goes. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Sas

Registered:1350079929
Posts: 1,364

Posted 1448650438	Reply with quote #44

Very impressive. Thank You for posting. __________________ Sas from North Austin TX Zone 8B Wish list: Becane

Charlie

Registered:1404043833
Posts: 1,214

Posted 1448838859 · Edited	Reply with quote #45

There was a bit of trouble. Algae was forming at the sand surface, increased wicking and causing the newly emerging cuttings to be too wet. I lost Preto #3 for sure, Abebereira #3 LdA #3 and two Valley Black that were started at the beginning with the others but for some reason never took off. Top watering with the sprayer stopped and sand surface allowed to dry, bottom water levels in tubs decreased. Then the crusty surface formed by the algae was broken up and surface allowed to dry. Have only been bottom watering now for several days on all plants, only after the water is gone. Preto #2 was nearly lost. Comparison photo shows it (left) on 11/04. It was starting to look sickly and a day or so later it was shriveled up and turned brown. Looks like it's going to pull out a miracle save! :) The other varieties that appeared to be suffering are now also doing ok. The larger plants were not affected at all. I guess they had enough roots and were using all the water I would give them twice a day for it to affect them. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

Registered:1404043833
Posts: 1,214

Posted 1449976902 · Edited	Reply with quote #46

After some pruning today I was finally able to do some much needed upgrade to the grow room project. Just too many plants crammed under two 2 x 4ft fixtures with the way they're growing. So I drug out the 1000 Watt metal halide from the single node project last year and made some space between the figs. That Hardy Chicago back in the very corner is putting on figlets. Discovered some spider mites a few days ago on Letizia and ordered a Pyrethrum TR fogger that came in today and will be released tonight when the light goes out. Edit...Almost forgot ya'll haven't seen the latest. Some single nodes and a couple of De La Caseta multi nodes were put into sand in landscape fabric pots on 11/27 and are about to break buds. These were covered with vented cup lids until a couple days ago. They sit in the same trays as the rest of the plants, four bags per tray and fertigation kept at about 1/4 inch depth. Sand in each bag is 4 inches deep. I started out with a weak fertigation for a day or two but got lazy and so they have just been getting the same as everything else. One tsp per gallon of the GH FloraMato 10-6-18. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

Charlie

Registered:1404043833
Posts: 1,214

Posted 1457307731	Reply with quote #47

The grow room experiment turned out to be a huge success this winter. Pretty much everything survived except for the complete wax dipped cuttings, Bryant Dark and CDDB. Preto #1 and #2 a few feet tall and even one Black Madeira still hanging on. Everything over 4ft tall has figs on and a few are in the 6-8 ft tall range. A pruned Valley Black has one lateral limb starting within arms reach of me now and stretches about 8ft horizontally towards the far wall, it's crazy! Continued daily fertigation and still every morning. Ran out of the General Hydroponics FloraMato 10-6-18 about 3 weeks ago or so, can't get it any more and have been alternating days with plain water and a teaspoon of Miracle Grow all purpose per 3 gallons of water, trying to just keep them healthy and not grow a lot more but they keep growing, just not like they were. Twice over winter I set of a Pyrethrum TR fogger for spider mites and am going to set off my last one tonight since I just saw some of the little bastards on Valle Negra. That is the only pest I've had to deal with. They probably come in on my clothes after working out in the yard. No fungus gnats all winter, not even a single one. They do not like pure sand media. Have vacation next week and plan to shuffle them all outside and into buckets with media, on the driveway for a few weeks so they can be shuffled back in the garage in case of frost. __________________ Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas

MStanleyross

Registered:1451670149
Posts: 108

Posted 1457312390	Reply with quote #48

Amazing results! Great set up. Thanks for sharing. __________________ Wish List: Sodus Scilian, Dall' Osso, Kathleen Black, I-258, Malta Black, Ischia Black, Persian White, Native de Argentile, Lampeira Preta, Sofeno Petro and any LSU or any duplicates you may have. Zone 7 East Tn.

Blackfoot

Registered:1437593776
Posts: 112

Posted 1457315401	Reply with quote #49

I have been wondering about this. Thank you for posting. __________________ Zone 7A NJ Wish List: Nothing now. I am in way over my head.

Jerry_M

Registered:1427223807
Posts: 344

Posted 1457357577 · Edited	Reply with quote #50

Great experiment. It's been fun to follow. Somehow I managed to kill about a thousand dollars worth of cuttings so far this go round. I think I'd better stick to buying plants that others have rooted. Hahaha __________________ Jerry Canyon Lake, TX 8b Wanted: Cajun Gold, Louisiana Honey, Schar Israel-114 grams

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