Bagging propagation is not new to me .
I have created this method for my plumeria propagation since 2007 . It will work for everything. For figs, it will be easier. Cheapest . Cleanest. Simplest. Less time consuming . No fail

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/HKKMPlumiesBagging/14bbaf63-5a59-439d-970b-b4844b917dbc_zpst9fhr37r.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/HKKMPlumiesBagging/9a9b66d8-8c5e-4f0b-b2df-71e6f2c49720_zpsqpthpicw.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/HKKMPlumiesBagging/781399d9-daa8-436e-b498-33cf14013206_zpsayddkk1w.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/HKKMPlumiesBagging/1c5358cf-e6f2-47a3-92d3-fe22720d1ebe_zpsvm8ehcp9.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/HKKMPlumiesBagging/e09ed6ec-7920-4114-80bb-a988ab83d944_zpsw5kbploa.jpg[/IMG]


Rooting Fig cuttings are easier because they are smaller than plumeria 


-----------------------------------------------

Need to have :
Clear Plastic bag

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/20151216_163915_zpslxuaemie.jpg[/IMG]

Rubber band 

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/20151217_220521_zpslrisnzmw.jpg[/IMG]

Soil

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/20151217_220456_zps20yzaqkj.jpg[/IMG]



Cuttings 

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/20151217_220616_zpsverwtvfp.jpg[/IMG]


Rooting hormones (optional), any brand:










Instructions : (to be continued)

Nice technic. I will try this technic. But still waiting for my cutting to arrive 1st. How long usually it will rooted like that?

Could you give some more detail on your method please? Why is there newspaper on some? How moist is the soil? What temperature and humidity? What kind of lighting? Thanks

Get ready ? Let's roll !

Instructions:
1) Put the cuttings into a cup of water at least 6 hours ahead so they can drink to their heart's content in order to be able to endure the next several days without drinking

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/8f36868e-246b-4c72-8a90-269c3eed8430_zpsalpyrio9.jpg[/IMG]
(these are my Pronte Tresa cuttings)


2) Cut off the plastic bag at the 2 bottom corners



Cut off the zip thing on the top , otherwise you could not tie the bag top





3) Fill the soil without pressing down it




4) Put a cutting down into the bag of soil



Note :
- a) fig can root easily without any rooting hormone , but it does need some long waiting time
- b) for the people who want to race with time ----> make it root faster by dipping the cutting into a rooting hormone of your choice . Anything works . However please dust away the excessive hormone powder. Too much, it will cook the cutting !
- c) for people who is allergic hehehe to chemical, you can leave the cutting in water (bottom down) , but change water every 3 days , until you see some bumps like these


Callus (stage1)



Callus (stage2)



Very first roots (stage 3)


At any stage above, you can put the cutting in the pot of soil and the plant will grow by itself . However, in winter rooting, I prefer to put the cutting in bag . Reason ? so I can go to Greece .... to look for Ponte Tresa heheheh without worrying about my cuttings at home


4)
When the cutting is set in the middle of the filled soil, gently press the soil around it down (not too packed) then fill more soil , leaving space to tie a rubber band around the bag top . Along with the cutting growth, you should loosen the rubber band one round at a time




For easy rubber banding, you should hold the closing end and turn the bag up side down and make rounds . That way you dont hurt the cutting , and make it tight . Pull the rest of the rubber band over the whole bag to keep it in place




The rubber band will close the opening so no mold will be formed during the process.

Why a rubber band, and not a plastic tie ?
Along with time, the cutting will grow and the main trunk will be bigger and bigger. The rubber band will expand accordingly to the size of the new cutting growth, when the plastic tie would kill the growth

Put a name tag




5) To give the bag some heat, I recycle an used packaging envelope to wrap around a number of bags together



6) Without adding any water in the soil in the beginning, the heat created by that envelope will make the soil perspire . Therefore, the soil will be moist all time




If you add water, the cutting will be rotten






(more to come .....I am not finished yet. hehehe)

[QUOTE=SuperMario1]Could you give some more detail on your method please? Why is there newspaper on some? How moist is the soil? What temperature and humidity? What kind of lighting? Thanks[/QUOTE]

I will answer your questions soon in my narration . Please be patient . I will talk in details in my bagging propagation techniques  

Keep it rolling Mai Mai (Lolita), very interesting, great details and more to come. Thanks for posting.

Lolita...Thanks, so far very good Instructions!! Take your time but don't leave us hanging... ; )

Very interesting

Looks like a no non-sense approach. Keep the information flowing. Thanks for sharing!

Bag rooting techniques (continued)

7) Light can slow down the rooting process, so we have to block light with newspaper or anything that light cannot go through . Both ends (top and bottom) should be open




Wrap the light shield cover around a group (or individual ) of bags, then tape the whole thing to keep them in place (a)






8) Put (a) in a carton box , then into a zip plastic bag ---> b . Place b at the kitchen window , room temperature






Using a toothpick to pierce 4 tiny holes for air escape when the cuttings are sweating in the plastic zip bag . This evolution creates humidity to keep the cuttings fresh at all time .and forms tiny water drops at the zip bag sides.
Excesssive water will run down the bottom of the zip plastic bag and will be soaked by the carton box . So no standing water . Humidity stays constant to help the cutting get into
budding . 





9) Once in a while, we can open the outside cover to observe the roots development . Here some roots are at the bottom of the bag




Here some of them are on the side of the bag





10) Buds are leafing . Some are fast, some are slow depending on the variety .
Every 2 days you should open the zip bag a few minutes so the cuttings get some fresh air . They need to enjoy the real world too, otherwise they would feel bored and start to drop leaves . Oh no ! should not let them do it , because every leaf coming out is a precious one . Why that dropping leaves ? What is happening ? ----> humidity is more than needed .





11) Let's take some out to look how nice they are , but please do not let them out too long because the leaves would wilt. Don't try to help by spraying some water . At this time of period, they do not need your help . Helas ! they want to go back to their niche .
















The fairy story is not finished . Will come more ....

Very interesting.  Thanks for showing this technique for rooting cuttings. 

I have used ordinary, natural, burlap as a plastic bag substitute. When cuttings eventually grow roots you just have to plant burlap bag into the soil/mix and the roots will grow through the burlap and into the surrounding medium.  Roots are never disturbed.  Plant the rooted cutting on top of a buried egg for added nutrition, as the egg returns to its elemental state.  (No...the egg doesn't stink....). 

Check out: "Burlap Bag Rotting Method,  Plumeria Care" ....for step-by-step directions.  Fig cuttings can be rooted using the same methods that are used for rooting Plumeria.

Have fun.

Frank

Bag rooting techniques (continue)



12) When the cuttings start to have more leaves, you can group 4 of the previous bags into a larger zip plastic bag (3 G size) . I recycle the dry clean laundry bag . Turn it up side down to tape the small opening (used to be for hanger). Observe that I threw out the carton boxes and replace them with plastic ones, so they will be more stable. No more excessive water happen , but they have more air space for growing higher . .
Put a stick of bamboo in the center of the whole thing and pull the laundry plastic bag up to the top of the bamboo stick and tie it with a rubber band .
Do not forget to poke some holes (about 10 holes with a toothpick) around the plastic bag





This way you can go on vacations for 2 weeks up to a month without worrying about watering the young plants, because they will grow happily by themselves being fed by the nutrients in the soil ...



What happens if :
- You take the bag outside of the zip bag too long ----> The young leaves are still very fragile, not ready to adapt new environment yet. The newly rooting cutting needs full protection . So suddenly being exposed to the real world, the leaves are frustrated and would wilt . Bring the rooting cutting back where it belongs . With humidity in the zip bag, leaves might drop but the cutting will bud again .
- You move it in/out too often or change location many times -----> leaves would drop ----> tip of main stem turn gray/black ---> is the plant going to die ?
Observe to see if there is presence of roots in the bag . Yes or No ?

- If Yes ----> the plant wont die . The tip stays still for a while but the plant is still alive . It does take some time to develop new growth (buds) on the different angle of the grey tip
In this picture, you see 3 new buds are forming for 3 future branches





if No -----> something wrong here . Cutting might be rotten in the bottom
Pull the cutting out.
If the stem base is dark/black/wet, cut off that part . Take a new bag of soil, insert that plant to root it again .
Else the problem is due to excessive humidity . Take a fork and poke the zip bag ONE TIME to allow more air escape .

The chopsticks used in the bag is to keep the leaves not touching the zip bag. Otherwise the leaves will be mushy and drop . Mold would start on dead things








In the kitchen, under the light at sink area .
2.5 G size zip back can hold a dozen (or more) of rooting bags . Found 2.5 G zip bag at Albertson's grocery store .
For bigger size bag, Walmart carries Jumbo bag that can hold 100 rooting cuttings during the whole winter .
To save money, simply use any bag available in your home (ie paper towel bag, tissue bag) big enough for the play








To be continued .... soon

We appreciate you taking the time to share this with the fig community. 

Brilliant!  Your knowledge and explanations are wonderful. Thank you.

We have really enjoyed your photos and very descriptive procedures, thanks Mai Mai, please keep them coming.

Great tutorial. I was doing something very similar, but lazier. You've motivated me to adopt some of your improvements.

I'd also add that rooting "hormone" is mostly antifungal powder and if you're careful about preventing mold then you don't need it, at least not with figs.

Bag rooting techniques (continued)

12 bis) 
In bag rooting method you do not need to water the cuttings when they are in the zipped bag . Perspiration creates humidity (more than enough) that is why every other day you should watch to see if there is any excessive water running down the walls of the zip bag. If so, poke a few more holes to the zip bag for evaporation to ... exit (I dont find the right word yet, hehehe)

.
Weening time ?

Be gentle with them . For them to be introduced to the real world, prep time is needed . Cut a small opening to the bag for more air to penetrate .

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/a6515366-ff83-433a-80e5-b26b35c651b5_zpsslfy9t8n.jpg[/IMG]

Leave it for 2 days , then make the hole bigger. Finally leave the bag totally open for 2 days . Mist the leaves with water . Watch if the plants are happy, take them out (Otherwise if you see something abnormal , ie leaves start to wilt, close the bag back for humidity to revive them ...)  

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/67b7046f-d180-4079-94e9-2aa4aa59b810_zps5jtp7ipo.jpg[/IMG]   




When the cuttings show some roots, no matter if they just have a bud or few leaves, you can take them out of the zip bag. From now on, they are no longer cuttings , but young plants 






Wrap each bag with a piece of newspaper so light does not harm the roots , then place the young plants under a neon light (I use T12, 40 watts for a few hundred plants) . If you use 100 watts, the plants cannot handle that heat because the leaves are very fragile at that stage .





Now it is time to water them . Mist them gently every 4 hours . Reduce water mist when leaves become dark green .




Note : In my case, I prefer to leave them in the zip bag longer - until they have 6 leaves , because I do not have time to run forth and back to mist them . If I have to go out of town, I will place them in a larger bag , then adjust the height of the neon light .


For the plants to grow healthy, they need 4 necessary elements : sun, wind, water and nutrients .
Here we have light as sun (!), water, nutrients (in soil) , so we need wind . Without ventilation, leaves will be soon loaded with bugs underneath . So you need to have a small fan nearby as wind

- In case somehow your plants get leggy, adjust the distance between the plants and the neon light . Move the light down , or move the plants up . Distance should be 1 foot , so young plants do not have to stretch out . We do not need the plants to grow tall but grow bold and healthy until they get ready to be potted
- in case their leaves get wilted, no matter what the reason is, hurry them back into the zip bag for humidity . They will strive back . Fig trees are TOUGH. Yes.  

'  
13) When do you take the plants out of the zip bag ?
When you see the roots are fully developed





Gently use a razor blade to cut the rubber band and gently slide the bottom of the bag to open it . You see the soil in the bag is very dry but the roots are healthy







I use the plastic sandwich bag for this one




Pot it up !




Once potted, leave the new tree in a shady area , 60 degree F. Give it a good drink . Spay/mist water TO THE LEAVES ONLY once in a while and when Spring comes, let Mother Nature takes them under her wings .

Feed the tree with Osmocote (grain type) , and water once a month if temperature get is over 60 degree F
Under 60 F , water once every 2 months . If temperature drops down to 20 F, hurry them into garage .
.
Gradually bring it out in the sun when those plants become... trees (not a plant anymore ) .
Let the tree grow to full force to bring you joy and happiness when you to taste their first figs (the fruit of your own labor)



(to be continued) 

Lolita, your rooting technique is brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing in detail, with photos accompanying. This is great help for a newbie as myself,
LJ

14) Ouf ! there is a plant which roots are overgrown but no leaves yet, just a tiny bud .

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/d6022315-27b2-4b6f-b267-e5fc9bf0bd5b_zpsrdnxao1m.jpg[/IMG]


Remove the plastic bag 
[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/7f8cca9a-b0e4-4aeb-b1db-b1e4258af51b_zpsckwij4ua.jpg[/IMG]


Remove 80% of the soil an 90% of the roots 

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/df875e43-ff70-4a6c-a131-6ab07bbee029_zpszxbs2eqn.jpg[/IMG]


Bag it back ! Many people said that if you disturb the roots, the plant would die . Not for figs . They are TOUGH. Just a stick, it can root, how it cannot live when it has roots now ???? 
Here it is in a sandwich bag so the roots can have more room to grow 


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/20151228_211701_zps3uyjslrd.jpg[/IMG] 



I am not finished yet. Will come back for more soon . Mailman knocks at the door !

Mai, Thank you for your time describing the technique. I do not agree with you on the last step here. If you are rooting in the spring and have lots of roots and no leaves, that is the ideal time to plant in 1 gal and move outside . You do not need to wait for the leaves to baby them later, they will appear later. Why do you put it back in the bag?

Greenfig,
Winter just starts, we have few more months to go before Spring comes . The roots are overgrown in this tiny bag. It cannot stay there any longer . it needs to live ! I trimmed 90% off and put it back into another bigger bag so it keeps continue to grow during winter time . By Spring, it will be a very strong tree, ready to take off FAST and you will get more cuttings from it .... for sale hehehe . With bags, light weight, you can stack 100 of them in a basket and hang them anywhere 
If you pot it now in 1 G size pot, where to store them if you happen to have 2000 or more of them ????

What is the room temperature the cuttings are rooting in?

Dry potting soil ehh? Interesting. I have a bunch of zipocks and disposable fig twigs (abundant cuttings). This ain't my first rodeo but I will try it. Looks easy...

Dennis,
Room temperature ----> 70 F to 75 F

Jennifer,

Soil in the bag (moist ) that you just buy from the store  , not dry not wet
Save the unused soil for next batch by keeping the original bag well tied so the soil inside always moist when needed

Hello,

very nice technique..

 i intent to use transparent plastic storage boxes instead of the plastic bag. i know that each cutting has its own pace but lets simplify a bit as for u to clarify something pls in terms of timing of the project. pls correct me if you disagree in the steps i intent to follow:

i will, in general lines, follow ur steps...

lets say i start today with the baggies without hormones etc...and use the closed box (in a dark room). i shall aerate every 2 days

once i see roots and leaves (lets say in 3-4 weeks) i shall cover the small bags with newspaper and put the whole box closed again under the lights. i shall still aerate every 2 days, till they have 6 leaves and good roots (lets say in another 2 weeks) time at which i should be opening gradually to have them acclimatized. then out they go from the box but still under the lights. only then u mist lets say once per 2-days, until they fill the bag with roots, (lets say in another 3 weeks). then u re-pot, give water monthly and mist weekly and have them again under lights till march? whereby u put them in a shady place with good ventilation. and in april u gradually put them in the sun and water weekly?

thats how it works time-wise?

thanks

andreas
  

Wow Lolita! What a labor of love. Your care for and connection to the plants is palpable. I so appreciate all the details and time you spent putting this together for us. I have to ask what do you do with all these healthy plants? I'm going to try your method today as we are leafing to Cabo for 2 weeks and I am bountiful with cuttings anxious to be trees! Blessing of abundance and peace for all in 2016. Jodi

Great technique for varius reasons; saves on soil, saves on pots, saves the roots when transplanting! I will try it. Whats a good size bag to start? Also where to buy them for a good price?
Meg

".... i intent to use transparent plastic storage boxes instead of the plastic bag....." 

The plastic storage boxes are fine . But in case that the roots are overgrown, the plastic bags are easier to cut off then re-bag the trimmed new plant . And plastic bags are cheap . You can buy sandwich bags at One-dollar stores


"................... with the baggies without hormones etc...and use the closed box (in a dark room). i shall aerate every 2 days  "

My method does not need darkroom . You can leave them at the windowsill until Spring , unless you have a lot of cuttings . If so, just leave them in the heated garage under a good size neon (T12). Or course in a bigger bag for humidity 


" ....once i see roots and leaves (lets say in 3-4 weeks) i shall cover the small bags with newspaper and put the whole box closed again under the lights. i shall still aerate every 2 days...."

..if you soak the cuttings in fresh water 1 week before sticking them in the plastic bag, usually in a few days they will bud and roots start to form in the bag . Leave them alone . This is the critical time because if you disturb them by taking them out or move them around, the tiny new roots underneath would break apart and the rooting process will start anew . 

Yes, wait until the second week to take them out and cover the plastic bag individually with newspaper .
Why with newspaper and not with a black pot or a black plastic bag ? -----> not only newspaper can block the light to protect the new roots, but  newspaper will also absorb the excessive water so the rooted cuttings are not standing in a pool of water (that make them rotten) . Secondary, humidity needed will come from that wet newspaper to make the cutting leaves fresh all time for the young trees to grow .

Energy of the healthy stem will feed the roots and vice versa to produce more leaves. In brief, there is a cycle of humidity in that zip bag . That is the miracle of a cutting in a zipped bag . 


" ... they have 6 leaves and good roots (lets say in another 2 weeks) time at which i should be opening gradually to have them acclimatized. then out they go from the box but still under the lights. only then u mist lets say once per 2-days, until they fill the bag with roots, (lets say in another 3 weeks) ...."

Once the cutting is rooted (that you can see through the bag) , fig roots are very aggressive . In ONE week , they will be overgrown, and they search a way out through the 2 openings in the bottom of the bag .
This is time for you to free the young tree from being root bounded

Follow my # 13 section .  

excellent
thx again lolita. and happy new year btw.
just to clarify. when i speak of plastic transparent storage box i mean that this will replace the big plastic bag u use as humidity chamber. i will place the small baggies therein,thus easier to open and aerate at will

anyways i shall proceed with the technique asap. i ve got in the fridge cuttings of 20 top greek varieties i got from greece last july. i hope that 6months will not prove too much for them

regards
andreas

I have started this method, with some modifications, on many of my cuttings. This is after they have begun showing signs of root buds and/or leaf sprouting after either being in water or sphagnum moss. As I had no large 2.5 gallon bags, I put them in a cardboard box, base wrapped in trash bag, with clear plastic wrap over the top! The local Walmart doesn't carry these large bags, either, so last night found some on Amazon. They are the 3 Gallon Ziploc Big Bag Double Zipper Large 5 Count for $6.69.

I liked the fact that I could get a small number of these bags per box, as I only need a few, and there are even larger sizes of bag available in this brand. To get the free shipping, I added them onto an order for clip on shop lamp, plus grow light bulb, for the little figs. When they arrive, I will transfer the bundles into one or more of the bags for better humidity.

Thanks again, Lolita, happy new year!

Lolita do you know the humidity in your room? I noticed the potting mix I got today looked a lot drier than yours does as well.

70 - 75 degree F.

 

Just received nice words from nick bigbadbill and I would like to share it with the forum .


" Hi Mai,
I just wanted to thank you for sharing your bagging technique. I am notorious for killing my cuttings with kindness ( watering). I have been growing fig trees for about 15 years and have been actively rooting them over the last five years. I have tried every technique on the forum with moderate success ( about 50-65%) but never what I thought was acceptable. I tried your rooting method when you posted it on both forums. I tried to follow it to the letter and within a few weeks I am already getting better results! I wanted to thank you and ask if I may pass this along as a great rooting technique to others- I will give you credit of course. 

Thanks, 

Bill 
__________________
SE Pa, zone 6b 

https://www.facebook.com/offthebeatenpathnurseries 

I am using your bag rooting method too with great success! It is the way i will do it from now on.Good job!

Thank you, Grant ! that method not only works but it saves you a lot of room  

I use it for anything . I had hard time rooting Guava (the one with huge fruits) from cuttings . Usually people grow them by seeds, but it takes 3 years for the plant to bear fruits . Recently I bought a tree on Ebay with red pulp . I took some cuttings and amazingly they are rooting ! With plant coming from cuttings , it will have fruit within a year, same taste as the fruits of the mother tree .

So what would be the main difference between this bag method and Jon's bag method that is posted on the Fig4fun page? His method would bury the whole cutting in the bag so that you don't have to worry about the top drying out. Have you tried that method and this is a refinement of that method in some way?

http://figs4fun.com/Rooting_Bag_New_Style.html

[QUOTE=lolita1234]

Thank you, Grant ! that method not only works but it saves you a lot of room  

I use it for anything . I had hard time rooting Guava (the one with huge fruits) from cuttings . Usually people grow them by seeds, but it takes 3 years for the plant to bear fruits . Recently I bought a tree on Ebay with red pulp . I took some cuttings and amazingly they are rooting ! With plant coming from cuttings , it will have fruit within a year, same taste as the fruits of the mother tree .

[QUOTE=kyle3728]So what would be the main difference between this bag method and Jon's bag method that is posted on the Fig4fun page? His method would bury the whole cutting in the bag so that you don't have to worry about the top drying out. Have you tried that method and this is a refinement of that method in some way? http://figs4fun.com/Rooting_Bag_New_Style.html[/QUOTE]

I dont know anything regarding Jon's bagging method . I created my own method since 2007 with plumeria and I was very successful with it . 100% success, no fail . I was writing a plumeria book at the time and there was a chapter about bag rooting and how to make the plumeria bloom in Winter , of course in bags .
My book , The Plumeria Queen, was about to be published then my husband suddenly became very ill that I have to put everything aside .  

I did not read Jon's but I have one question : Soon or later the top will come out , so what is the purpose of the bag for ? You can bury the whole cutting in anything, for example sand in a box , or just wrap it in saran and leave the whole thing in a bubble envelope . Forget it, have nothing to worry about it . A week later, you open the bubble envelope and will see the whole cutting covered with roots, thin like hair ... 


my technique is just burying the base for the cutting to root ONLY at the base (roots are growing strong) pushing the top into budding at the same time. The clear plastic allows you to see the rooting process , the top end is closed so no water in no water out but the soil is always moist, no bugs . 

My method saves you space, time and labor . It also saves you money, and headache dealing with the bugs , etc etc . 

[QUOTE=LJFiggy]


I do have a question....Have you ever used your technique with mulberry cuttings? Some people say they are pretty easy to root, while others find it really difficult to nearly impossible. There are also many different techniques, as with figs, but I do think it sounds like mulberry cuttings are more tricky. 

[/QUOTE]

LJFiggy,
I am positive that it will work with mulberry cuttings . 
never say the word IMPOSSIBLE . everything in this world is possible if you are ... bold enough 

[QUOTE=lolita1234][QUOTE=LJFiggy]


I do have a question....Have you ever used your technique with mulberry cuttings? Some people say they are pretty easy to root, while others find it really difficult to nearly impossible. There are also many different techniques, as with figs, but I do think it sounds like mulberry cuttings are more tricky. 

[/QUOTE]

LJFiggy,
I am positive that it will work with mulberry cuttings . 
never say the word IMPOSSIBLE . everything in this world is possible if you are ... bold enough [/QUOTE]

Thank you!! :)

Another pm from a member that I would like to share with the forum : 

"Hi Mai, 

I know I already thanked you for sharing the rooting method, but I need to do it once again because I am really reaping the rewards from this method! I have grown figs for a long time, but this is hands down the easiest, quickest rooting, most fun technique I've ever used. I've even started using it with haskap, grapes, elderberry, raspberry, and pomegranate cuttings ( I hope it works on them, too!). I wanted to share just one pic of the method in action. 

I feel it is necessary to thank you again because I want to stress the act of generosity you exhibited to all of us on the forums. I'm sure it was time consuming and took a lot of effort to post all of the steps and answering of the questions. We ( fig enthusiasts) always remark about others' generosity when they send us an "extra cutting or two", or a thoughtful trade in plants or even a gifted tree. However, in my opinion, this is a much greater act of generosity because it allows others to have similar success in rooting. It would have been easier to keep this rooting technique a secret and reap the benefits yourself, but you shared with everyone and that is admirable. 

I don't have much to offer, but I'd like to offer anything I have in unusual edibles/fruits for your kindness and generosity. I grow plants of galangal, ginger, turmeric, pomegranate, figs, Haskap, hops, gooseberry, lingonberry ( probably wouldn't be good for your area), red raspberry, etc. you can take a look on my Facebook page - off the beaten path nurseries- ( just a hobby and a dream right now, but maybe someday I'll make it more than just a passion) if you want to see pics of what I grow, but anything I have I'd be happy to share with you for your generosity. I even credit you there for sharing this method. Just let me know if I can share with you. 

I am enclosing one pic of the technique in action! Thanks again, Mai. 


Bill 

Attached Images
  

__________________
SE Pa, zone 6b 

https://www.facebook.com/offthebeatenpathnurseries 

Dear Bill,

What you said is very true .
"Bag rooting techniques" was ONE of the chapters in my Plumeria book (that I am the author) supposed to be published in 2007 . With all the new ideas revealed in that book would bring me a fortune . Due to many unfavorable circumstances in my life, I did not have the chance to make it into reality . Recently, when I saw that many newbies were struggling with rooting , I decided to step in .
I realize that nothing should be kept secret for our own wealth, but sharing things (you know) is better .  

I have tested that bag rooting techniques with many things and that method never failed on me .

Your joy of success is indeed my rewards . May God bless our heart 

Mai

Great attitude Mai.

[QUOTE=ANDREASC]hello lolita,

once again.. great topic and great technique.. currently trying it with fig cuttings.. two weeks now and roots have reached the little plastic bag walls in the cases of few cuttings, e.g. vasilika mayra.. it is a vigorous grower...

may i ask .. have u tried this bag rooting techniques on something more exotic, e.g.passion fruits?

regards

andreas[/QUOTE]


My method of bag rooting will work with almost anything . Passion fruits ? no problem ! 
Citrus might take a little bit longer . 

Thank you Andreas for your nice words

Mai,
Thank you for sharing so much with us. I believe as you believe...that sharing your knowledge with others is best. So, I think you should continue to strive to fulfill your life dream of publishing your book. Aftrall, your technique, in a published book form, will most definately help MANY MORE people when its published! I say "BE BOLD" and do it! :-)

Mai-
Your technique is superb! Thank you for sharing your process with me.
I have one question regarding the plastic bag.
Why do you cut the corners off of the bottom of the bag before putting the potting soil in?
Is it to allow absorption of any moisture that settles on the bottom of your plastic tents?
Best regards,
Leon

[QUOTE=leon_edmond]
Why do you cut the corners off of the bottom of the bag before putting the potting soil in?
Is it to allow absorption of any moisture that settles on the bottom of your plastic tents?
Leon[/QUOTE]

1) for drainage if excessive moisture happens to be there (soil is too wet when you fill the bag) during rooting process ---> base stem wont rot
2) for new forming roots to breath . You will see some roots crawling out of those 2 corners 

Thank you for clarifying my question Mai. Leon

Hi Mai, 
Thank you for sharing such a  great rooting method . the potting mix I got looked the same you showed in the photo but its very dry almost no moisture .your cutting bags look moist in the photos. I might be wrong but just making sure if thats ok .

If the big (of soil) is freshly bought from the store, the soil is moist enough to use  . But if the top end of the bag is open for quite some time, then the soil is dry due to evaporation . In this case, you just spray a little bit of water to make it moist but not wet 

When the plastic bag (for rooting) is tied with a rubber band, perspiration (of the cutting stem) makes the soil look wet but in the reality it is not .   

Mai, it may be because I live in the Northeast and the air is extremely dry here this time of the season, but I find the moisture level to be extremely different from bag to bag of sealed potting mix.  The two bags I bought this weekend were 10lbs different, which is more than 1 gallon of water.  I posted a video on the bagging and cup methods and in it I weigh the two bags if you would like to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tquvgwXw0UE

Yes I agree with Meg about the book Mai. I self published a book of heirloom recipes and old family pictures paired with stories of the antics of my 6th generation Arizona family. It too was a labor of love. I am so glad I did it. I have sold almost all of the copies and am going to do it again. I am sure your book would be so well received Mai. If there is anything I can do to support you in this, please let me know. I hope you are having a queenly time in London with your granddaughter. Enjoy some scones, Devon cream and jam for me! Warmly, Jodi

I think you have a good point. My bag is only 14lbs which is 25.5 lbs (~3 gallons) lighter than your heaviest one. 10 lbs (~1 gal) lighter than your light one.

I'll probably end up adding over a gallon of water to my bag to get it "moist."

[QUOTE=lolita1234]...Soil in the bag (moist ) that you just buy from the store  , not dry not wet
Save the unused soil for next batch by keeping the original bag well tied so the soil inside always moist when needed[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=johnnyq627]....I find the moisture level to be extremely different from bag to bag of sealed potting mix.  The two bags I bought this weekend were 10lbs different, which is more than 1 gallon of water.[/QUOTE]

Be careful with the water . Better dry than wet  

boy i am learning quickly about to wet, killed off two of my cuttings that were leafing out. It is very upsetting losing cuttings as a newbie :(

8 years ago I used to make cloners for sale on Ebay, but since I found out that the bagging method (that is used to root plumeria and other stuff back in 2007) was faster, cheaper, cleaner, less space involved  I decided to get rid off all of the cloners . I still have whole bunch of pumps and hydroponic accessories that I packed them in 3 huge boxes when I moved to Oregon in August 2015

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/ccd778bb-7a38-405c-ab5f-ada11931b336_zpscwbjwzer.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/aeroponics%20system/14caccc3-7beb-4c53-bc2f-95075780163e_zpsy4ivze4x.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/aeroponics%20system/aeroponics3-1.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/aeroponics%20system/8bfdcbf0-b433-47a0-805f-04aaeae2385e_zpsi7h7u2c3.jpg[/IMG]


My old time

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/aeroponics%20system/calamondin8-1.jpg[/IMG]




[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/aeroponics%20system/hydroponics-1.jpg[/IMG]


[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/aeroponics%20system/hydroponics1-1.jpg[/IMG]

How my fragile rooted cuttings survived when I was out of the country more than 2 weeks ?

They all are potted and stayed in bags as shown below    

 [IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/2165949d-bac7-46ec-b0a8-9be380220187_zpsmt5lvzyk.jpg[/IMG]

I used umbrella or florist bags that give my plants more space to grow and plenty of humidity needed . The advantages of using these bags are you can hang them anywhere without worrying about watering them daily .




[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a133/hongkhackimmai/75337e92-58ee-4af0-ae8b-f87d436ac02c_zpss3byg16h.jpg[/IMG]

The bag on the right holds a cutting that has been buried in sand. You can see trace of sand on the stem . I was hurried at the time because I had to pack my luggage to fly away the next day , so I had no time to remove that sand




More pictures to come

How about some pictures of your single node Ponte Tresa plants you were able to root.

Mai, I just love how you document your techniques.  Great Job and thanks for sharing!

I am currently doing this method on MBVS and RdB!  To me it seems like one of the easiest methods on the forum.  Not sure how well cloners work but I'd be willing to try them also.

[QUOTE=sbmohan]Hello Mai, Thanks for posting the bag rooting technique. I was very skeptical and hesitant to try out your technique, but decided to try it out. I tried 4 of my cuttings following your method and all of the 4 rooted in about 4 weeks and they are now starting to push buds. It is 5th week now. I tried doing it on a larger batch, and this time, just 10 days into the process most of them are starting to push buds but no visible sign of roots. Is this normal since the first batch I tried leafed out after the roots were formed, while the second batch is already leafing out with in 10 days? Should I worry or just let them do their thing and give them more time? One subtle difference is, the first batch was soaked in water for about 8 hours, while the second batch got a soak for about 13 hours. I left them longer before I bagged them. Any advice will be very helpful. Sincerely appreciate any feedback you can provide. Regards, Mohan from NC.[/QUOTE]


Hello Mohan B,
different variety acts different way .
10 days is too early to judge . Please give them more time and they will root . Remember that the first 4 cuttings rooted in/about 4 weeks . if too much humidity happens, then use a toothpick to punch 2,3  more holes.   

Keep in mind that disturbance is number 1 killer . So please do not open the outside bag often when the rooting process is going on ...

[QUOTE=don_sanders].... I'll probably end up adding over a gallon of water to my bag to get it "moist." [/QUOTE]


This is the result :


[QUOTE=don_sanders;n72672]I tried to follow everything but I must be missing something. I put paper around the bottom but perhaps not enough. Maybe that was one of the keys. Most of the moisture seemed to be rising. They were receiving light through the window and I had added more holes to lower the humidity.

I went ahead and tried checking a couple of the vigorous rooters. I didn't notice any progress. In the end, I went ahead and moved them all to moss.

3% look like they started to root but those roots dried up. 6% rotted but I think those were bad cuttings to begin with. The rest didn't seem to have any changes. No initials or roots yet even with the clonex.

I don't think I gave it long enough to really test this method but I don't want these to fail while I figure this out. I'll have to give it a try again when I have some spare cuttings.[/QUOTE]




Conclusion :
Your soil was too wet when you bagged the cuttings !
When you just bought the bag of soil from the store to your home, it is ready to use for bagging . If you add more water, you make it ... wet . By adding 1 G of water to the bag, your judgment of moisture is .... incorrect .
Your cuttings wont root if the soil is wet. Fig does not like wet feet


..

I didn't actually add that gallon of water.

That quote was me speculating how much I would need to add the moisture level of another poster's store bought bag of moisture control potting soil.

My bag was only 14lbs which was 25.5 lbs (~3 gallons) lighter than his heaviest one. 10 lbs (~1 gal) lighter than his light one. If mine was to wet, his was definitely to wet straight from the store.

The level of moisture can vary considerably from the store.

Here is a pic of the soil that I used. It may have been too wet but seemed pretty dry. Didn't clump or stick to my hands. I wanted to add more water but fought the urge with the warnings about being too moist.

Sorry, Don, if you did not add any water .

Mai, Here is the first batch 5 weeks old and rooted. They are starting bud out. The second batch is only about 12 days old and they are already budding out. The difference is, the first batch was soaked for 8 hours and the second larger batch was soaked close to 15 hours, but again the cuttings are all different varieties. One things I like about this method is the potting mix already has right level of fertilizer and I don't have to worry about Fertigating them anytime soon, which is one of the reason I loose my cuttings due to excess moisture. Also, no gnats. That is awesome.

Your bags look great, Mohan !
Your success is my joy .
I am happy today , and I keep counting my blessings from the Fig God (see my Atavar ?) .
Write to me if anyone has a problem with my bagging techniques. I will do by best to analyze the situation to help

Hi Mai Mai,
I do have a problem after following your method. All the cuttings have been soaked in water more than 2 days. After bagging them, I open the big bag for a few minutes every two days. There's mist in the big bag and small soil bags as well. However the cuttings seem drying out. Here are some pics attached. There were several cuttings which had little leaf out but now all wilted. I don't understand did I make it too wet or too dry? Thank you for your advice!

Two more pictures. One has the wilted leaf. The other looks dry too.

you forgot to erase this one Lolita

Johnparav,
You should respect all the people who are coming to this thread for their needs .    

[QUOTE=rhymehong]Hi Mai Mai, I do have a problem after following your method. All the cuttings have been soaked in water more than 2 days. After bagging them, I open the big bag for a few minutes every two days. There's mist in the big bag and small soil bags as well. However the cuttings seem drying out. Here are some pics attached. There were several cuttings which had little leaf out but now all wilted. I don't understand did I make it too wet or too dry? Thank you for your advice![/QUOTE]

If the cuttings get that dry, it means that humidity is somehow not enough . The leaves get wilted for same reason . 
I keep reminding people that disturbance is number 1 killer . Maybe you open the bag too often or too long ????

After reading about what you did , you are the last one that should be lecturing about respect .
You can erase all the threads you want . The cats out of the bag .
Don't worry I won't waste any more time on you .

John

I like the fact that your method seems to do well while you are out of town. What's the longest you left your cuttings unattended?

Johnparav, I don't know why you said that. For whatever reason, Mai shared her knowledge and success, and helped a lot of people who loves figs and gardening, just like you. She deserves respect and appreciation.

[QUOTE=tennesseefig]I like the fact that your method seems to do well while you are out of town. What's the longest you left your cuttings unattended? [/QUOTE]

Tennesseefig,
my rooted cuttings were home alone for 16 days without my attention .
When I was back, some of the roots were overgrown and turned brown . That is fine . Today it is 72 F at my town, so I bring them outside and plant them in 1 G pots

Will post pictures tomorrow

Rhymehong 

You don't know why I said that because Mai erased 2 threads that she started with close to 150 posts from many members . 
She erased those threads because there was information there pertaining to unscrupulous actions on her part , showing what she is really about .
And now she is pretending like nothing ever happened .
There are quite a few people on this forum that try to build up a good reputation by being helpful with their final goal being to profit at any cost .
But alas the threads have been erased because she doesn't want you to be informed .
You are also a recent member so welcome , but be careful who you trust , because when big money is involved watch out .

John

[QUOTE=rhymehong]Hi Mai Mai, I do have a problem after following your method. All the cuttings have been soaked in water more than 2 days. After bagging them, I open the big bag for a few minutes every two days. There's mist in the big bag and small soil bags as well. However the cuttings seem drying out. Here are some pics attached. There were several cuttings which had little leaf out but now all wilted. I don't understand did I make it too wet or too dry? Thank you for your advice![/QUOTE]


Hi rhymehong,
I kept thinking about your case overnight and tried to figure out the problems .
Were your cuttings fresh when you bagged them ?

If the soil is dry (that is okay) but the cutting is not fresh then the cutting is not able to breath normally -----> condensation will be very poor causing low humidity ---->  cutting is struggling to root  
If the cutting is able to leaf out but due to low humidity ---> leaves wilt

As I can see now your cuttings are very dehydrated . Please take the cutting out of the small bag to observe the condition of the cutting at its bottom end .

If it becomes soft or mushy (it can be, due to being in the closed bag too long without getting any air--> suffocation), you cut off that part until you reach the hard part .
Else, you scratch the stem to see if it is still green or not ----? Yes ? ---> there is hope
No ? then the cutting is gone

I hope that your cuttings are still green because they are still in dormant state . However, they might be very dehydrated for some reasons that we do not know .


Since the cuttings are very dehydrated , if I soak them in water (room temperature) the cuttings are like pieces of dry wood, it will take them a long  time to absorb the water by themselves . Same thing will happen if you try to root them with different methods . The chance will be 20-50 % or it will take an eternity for them to be back to life

If I am in your shoes , I will do something (that might scare you or others) like this ---> I will take a tall cup of water, microwave it for 1 minute . The water will be hot hot but touchable,not boiling water. Immerse all the cuttings in that hot water to wake them up . Along the way, they will absorb the water faster 

After that initial try, the next day you turn the cutting up side down (tip down, bottom up) and let it stay in that position for 6 hours . Then turn it again back to its normal position . You will see that the tip turns green with a happy face . 
Why we have to do that ? (question first, answer next hehehe, that is my way (trademark ?) LOL  
Just because the dry cutting is like a very dehydrated person ----> so dehydrated that he/she could not do a thing !
Yes, the cutting does need your help
Change the water - room temperature- every 2 days until you see some white bumps , then bag them up again .
I can assure you that the hot water wont kill the cuttings)


That is what I can think that far . It is up to you to decide .
Good luck to you . May God bless your good heart ...
Mai


Note : this hot water treatment should be used with dehydrated cuttings only, not for cuttings that have been stored in plastic bags for a certain period of time

Mai's method of bag rooting and waking up cuttings has always worked for me.I have rooted some of my most treasured cuttings this way.Thank you Mai for sharing your method with us.

Grant

I have a little set of rules I try to use before I open my mouth or use my send button.  I ask myself "Is it true?"  "Is it necessary?"  AND  "Is it kind?"  My thanks to all the generous, tolerant, wise people that have shared their experiences for the benefit of others, including Mai and so many others.  Remember the heart of the figs and let there be peace in the fig forums, so there can be more peace in the world.  Have a blessed nite all.  

Someone once said, "he who is without sin, cast the first stone". If Mai wants to continue contributing to the forum in a positive, helpful way, I have nothing against it.

Ignorance is bliss i guess . She's counting on that .
I prefer to be informed .

John

What do you need to be informed in this thread ???? Who do you think you are to demand me to ask for your permission when i am giving away my time and sharing my knowledge to people ? If you want to destroy this thread because of your narrow mind, then you are doing a wrong thing to the public. My bagging method has drawn more than 3,600 viewers at ourfigs and almost 2000 viewers at this forum
Are you having some psycho problems ???

Your bagging technique is a very interesting thread, many members have been helped, especially the new members.

Jodi and Figgysid, I like your way of thinking. Mai's method has been a great help to me and I am personally grateful for her time and effort.  I can see that she did it with good intention and it took some time to put it all on here.  Thank you, Mai.

This bag method goes way back in  here on Figs4fun    http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/rooting-in-a-bag-new-style-4551910?trail=50&highlight=bag+rooting+techniques

Dave, i never saw what Jon did before. I did not get my bagging method idea from Jon or anybody else. I joined this forum sometime in September and i did not have time to read everything in this forum or other forum. I even do not know who Jon is and what his nick is ! Same thing with the other forum
My bagging method started since 2007 with plumeria, and at the time noone did the bag rooting.

So if Jon did come up with the idea of bag rooting, that is just an interesting coincidence, i guess

Thanks for bringing this up, Dave. I saw that post when I first came on this forum and I think Jon did a great job with showing photos of the bag-rooting method...as he does with everything on this forum.  It's an great forum.  And, I know also, that there are variations of the bag-rooting method.  I was trying to express that Mai's postings were helpful as she answered questions for everyone and posted often. Mai's post became an interactive learning experience that was interesting to see develop daily.  This was especially good for members like myself who are new at fig growing and have constant questions.  I learn something new from all posts  every time I'm on here!

[QUOTE=lolita1234]What do you need to be informed in this thread ???? Who do you think you are to demand me to ask for your permission when i am giving away my time and sharing my knowledge to people ? If you want to destroy this thread because of your narrow mind, then you are doing a wrong thing to the public. My bagging method has drawn more than 3,600 viewers at ourfigs and almost 2000 viewers at this forum Are you having some psycho problems ???[/QUOTE]

Why did you erase those other 2 threads Mai ?
Maybe you can explain why close to 150 comments needed to be  wiped out .
Should we ask KK2210 to repost what you are trying to hide from everyone ?
KK2210 alleged that while you started a thread claiming how terrible it was that people were destroying the poor Ponte Teresa tree for cuttings , that you were actually the one who was advising at least 1 if not 2 others to go to the tree and cut it up so you can corner the market . KK2210 posted text messages between you and he , where you were coaching him on what to do . Then the two threads that contained the texts suddenly disappeared . What hypocrisy to tell others to leave the tree alone while you were the one doing the damage.
Your actions speak much louder than you words .

Thank you Jodi, I like that.


[QUOTE=Jodi]I have a little set of rules I try to use before I open my mouth or use my send button.  I ask myself "Is it true?"  "Is it necessary?"  AND  "Is it kind?"  My thanks to all the generous, tolerant, wise people that have shared their experiences for the benefit of others, including Mai and so many others.  Remember the heart of the figs and let there be peace in the fig forums, so there can be more peace in the world.  Have a blessed nite all.  [/QUOTE]

Good rule to follow Jodi, everyone should follow your ways of words.

Thank you Meg, Blackfoot and Waynea.  For me my experience in this forum has only been one of generosity, wisdom and genuine human kindness.  I have said several times and it is still true, I am absolutely blown away by the old fashioned "neighbors talking over the garden wall" sharing here of these amazing and wise plants and their stories.  I think the figs are the wise ones, we are just trying to be as enlightened!  Here's to everyone having their best fig year ever in 2016!  Go figs. ;-)

I have developed this bag technique since 2007 , and I would like to share some of the pictures of my work

 
Hundreds of the plumeria cuttings were stacked on the shelves in garage during winter time








Hundreds of them were moved to the light in another area when the cuttings start to leaf out
In a 10 x 10 room, you can root more than 5,000 cuttings . You hang them in baskets , you stack them on step ladders. You put them on tables, the tallest first then the smaller on top of the bags (of the previous ones)  and so on ....  the smallest on the very top ---> layers of rooting bags . You also make layers on the floor too ....

  

































During winter time it will break your back to move all the 35, 45, 55 G pots to the shelter  . You can remove the trees out of their pots , trim the root ball as much as you can and BAG THEM UP ! No watering during winter time, just poke some holes for some air.
I can assure you that the trees will not die . Believe me . Figs are tough . The trees will rest in their bag about 45 days then start to produce new tiny roots . And so on ... until Spring arrives, then pot them up so they can thrive to their fullest force.  




   
If I am not an expert in bag rooting, how could I be able to answer all people's questions ????






















With this picture you can see how the soil is . What I mean by dry is this dry . NO WATER SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE BAG OF SOIL THAT YOU HAVE FRESHLY BOUGHT FROM THE STORE  


If you readers follow my instructions exactly as I have posted, your chance of success is very high. If you make any modification, you might not get the result as expected

Greetings To All,

I've been a member since 12/8/15, started to try and root cuttings on 11/5/15.  My first introduction into adding figs to my summer gardening and planting hobby began a few months earlier when I bought some locally grown figs from a fellow member I meet through craigslist.  Through our discussions and his guidance, I decided to enter into propagation in order to take away some cabin fever I develop over the winter months.  My first attempts at rooting were using the damp moss technique back in October.  I cut off about a half dozen cuttings from my potted figs (Brown Turkey, Black Mission and Bensonhurst - 2 each). Over the course of 2 to 3 weeks, they all rotted.  Starting on 11/5/15 I placed 15 cuttings in clear plastic cups using a 50/50 mixture of vermiculite and perlite.   Eight rooted and seven rotted.  I potted the eight but because they rooted so early, it is a huge question what if any have survived a basement confinement even though I tried to do all the right things with lights and all, but that's another story.  Starting 11/23/15 through 11/30/15 I cupped 50 more cuttings but this time used ProMix as a rooting medium.  This time I had 31 root and the rest rotted.  Again, I question how many will survived the winter basement confinement.

Both times I analyzed what went wrong and what changes needed to be made.  I talked some more to my local contact and a great piece of advice was to join this forum.  I have to say, this has been the biggest help in getting me get up to speed.  So I read the threads carefully to see what was tried, what did not work and what had good results.  After another month and getting through the holidays, I had gathered another 85 cuttings.  Most were low cost Ebay specials of mostly unknown varieties.  My goal was to figure out rooting techniques, not necessarily acquiring specific varieties and especially not anything rare.  Until my skill set at rooting gets better and by a lot, it would be foolish to waste money as a gamble.  Out of the 85, over 50 rooted and have been potted.   Most of them are flourishing strongly which was due to uncovering them from their storage containers for several hours each day.  The one thing I did this time was to un-cup any cutting that did not show roots in 2 weeks after cupping.  I cleaned the cuttings, inspected them and re cupped in new and less moist soil.  I think that helped a lot although the information I gained from inspecting gave me a huge insight to what was happening and to see if rotting was a big issue; which in a lot of cases, still was.  This was going to be my last cutting group for this winter but the failure rate just gnawed at me.  In this forum I finally came across Mai's article on the plastic bagging technique.  A lot of things I learned from my failures, posts on this forum and especially Mai's take on her rooting method made a light bulb go off in my head.

I believe the reason for so many failures and especially rotting failures came from three specific things: humidity too high, temperature too high and medium too wet; everything rot loves.  I believe Mai's method will address all those issues.  On 3/4/15 I took the 45 new cuttings a received over the prior month and did the plastic bag method.  This time I made the potting medium just damp enough that one could tell it was not dry.  Compared to how moist I had my medium before, I would have considered this medium dry, but it isn't.  Although I did place the bags in a covered container, this time NO heat mats were used.  Another thing I like about this method was the saving of space and potting medium.  I can easily place ALL 45 bags in one storage container whereas before, with cups, only 19 could be placed in the storage container.  The clear plastic cover has a small 2" computer fan mounted on top that runs every 4 hours for 15 minutes to keep air flowing and humidity down.  The DC voltage has been lowered to keep the rpm down.  I have a wireless temperature/humidity unit in the container so I can constantly monitor the numbers.  The humidity hovers between 50% to 80% depending on the fan running, whereas it was not uncommon to hit 100%, the temperature hangs round 68 to 73 degrees whereas it use to be around 80 to 85 degrees and the moisture in the form of dew or water droplets is virtually non-existent.  Roots and I mean strong roots have form on 2 cuttings so far.  This is far less than before but that was expected since I have reduced humidity and temperature.   This is fine as long as rotting is eliminated and besides, time is not a priority.  A day ago I took half the cuttings out of their bags (I know that is a no-no, but I had to see for myself) to inspect them.  The main thing I was checking for was rot development.  I am very happy to say there was NONE.  Nubs were forming but no roots so far.  I will now leave them alone.  I am writing this at this time because I have a very high degree of confidence that everything is going great and according to plan.  One final thing, no rooting hormone was used.  I have not seen any difference using it in my previous tests. 

This is my first post and I know I’m a newbee to this figs thing but I find them so fascinating.  Then I was treated to a right off the tree ripe fig and I was hooked.  WOW!  What a flavor treat, and I thought Fig Newtons were good.  Anyway, I, in no way, am making a point that this is what anyone should follow.  I post this as information only and anyone can take what he or she wants out of it or not.  I only hope that it may give some insight and helpfulness to someone.  I certainly want to thank everyone on this forum as I have found so much helpful information from everyone posting.  There is no doubt my skill set increased greatly because of all of you.  Thank you.     

Ron, Your observation regarding humidity, temperature and soil  moisture are spot on. Thanks for taking time and posting your experience and experiment precisely.

I would like to amend my post above to make sure I give credit where credit is due.

I stated above that a local contact was a great help in getting me started and in fact is the key person who introduced figs by way of a local craigslist ad for his figs.  I did not say who that person was because I did not know his handle on this forum and I could not say just Bill since there are several here.

I want it known that the reason I got into figs and the reason I'm on this forum is credited to BIGBADBILL.  I just received a message from Bill today, thus, I learned is forum name.  

My first figs were some of Bill's potted varieties.  He gave us a sample of a couple ripe figs which my wife and I never had before.  My thought of figs was in a Newton, and I like them.  But now they have real competition for my eating pleasures.  Bill spent quite a bit of time showing us his operation, explaining various varieties and flavor differences and propagation via rooting.  Loaded with that information, We went home and I surfed the web reading about figs, rooting and even growing in zone 6b.  I was always under the impression that figs came from the arid desert regions and especially NOT from areas that had SNOW.  I also learned that the chances were great that I would not have to wait many, many years to harvest figs as my long term projects are not more than a year or two out anymore.   So, as they say, the rest is history.

Again, Thanks Bill - BIGBADBILL.  I'm glad to be here and it made winter much more tolerable this year.   


 

[QUOTE=lolita1234]If the big (of soil) is freshly bought from the store, the soil is moist enough to use  . But if the top end of the bag is open for quite some time, then the soil is dry due to evaporation . In this case, you just spray a little bit of water to make it moist but not wet 

When the plastic bag (for rooting) is tied with a rubber band, perspiration (of the cutting stem) makes the soil look wet but in the reality it is not .   [/QUOTE]

I think also the VOLUME of dry mix matters (I am using the same MG moisture control mix), which is a function of the size bag used. I began using the Mai bag technique, but opted to buy a bigger bag (4" x 6"), thinking this would give an even bigger root ball and i could transfer directly to a trade gallon container. What happened was the cuttings began to be dessicated by the volume of dry mix. Yes, the bag showed moisture droplets, but i eventually figured out--after about three + weeks of NO roots evident--that maybe nothing was happening. When I pulled  out a sampling of different sizes and varieties of cuttings, all had no activity, for good or bad. The cuttings were perfectly preserved, if a little dry above the rubber-banded neck. So, a little rehydration, a scissoring down the top of the bag, a removal of some of the volume of the mix, another light application of Dip n Grow...and back to the bag with the cutting. It's been just about three weeks, and some are starting to show roots. Of the 21 I originally started this way beginning in early February, two just succumbed to rot in the last couple days. Most are still in that awkward "are they doing anything?" phase without roots

I strongly counsel using the slimmer size/volume bag that Mai uses for this reason. Even if I encounter additional fails among the cuttings currently of unknown status, I chalk it up to my having previously dried out the cuttings in an excess volume of near-bone dry mix that seems to have actively drawn moisture away from the cutting

As a noob, my go-to for root-starting has evolved to the orchid moss sphagnum start--either loose in plastic shoeboxes or within ziploc bags--then up-potting to the 3-cup setup. At that point, the rooted cuttings continue to reside within humidity bins until there is significant top growth, and then moved to the windowbox. That's the choke point--the window setup will accommodate only 32 of the 24 oz. 3-cup setups at a time. Currently, I will only have STARTED all of the 182 cuttings I procured this year by mid-April as a consequence (I started with the first 41 cuttings just before Christmas). Mai's/The Bag Technique would allow for at least twice as many starts in the same space, and therefore twice as fast throughput overall. And the missus would get her space back to display the various Mexican Day of the Dead paraphernalia she seems to enjoy looking at while "slaving away" at the sink. I'm the one who does the dishes, and I say I'd rather look at baby fig plants! I don't say that out loud of course. But I think it--boldly!

I've hedged my bets by trialing the bag technique only with those varieties for which I have in excess of three cuttings. For reasons of time and space, I really hope the balance of the bag starts--now totaling 31 cuttings of about 10 different varieties, some just started the last couple weeks--have a high success percentage. Intuitively, it seems like it should work just as well as the loose sphagnum setup

Hello. This is my first post and I would like to thank you for that great informations you share with us. I started your method and would like to look at picture in attachment. What is your comment about leaves? Is that normal? Cuttings are 4 days old.
Thank you

This was really informative.thank you.

[QUOTE=Grega]Hello. This is my first post and I would like to thank you for that great informations you share with us. I started your method and would like to look at picture in attachment. What is your comment about leaves? Is that normal? Cuttings are 4 days old. Thank you [/QUOTE]

Existing leaves from a cutting should be pruned off prior to rooting.

I tried this method for the first time this year.  I'm pretty impressed.  I'm trying different methods to find the most reliable methods that requires the least hassle and space.  This method doesn't have the least hassle, but it takes little space and seems very reliable.

The main change I made was to wrap the tops of the cuttings (the entire part outside of the bag) parafilm or buddy tape (used for grafting).  This allows the scion to retain its moisture without needing to use humidity chambers.  Also, there is no need to baby the newly established plant after rooting to help it adjust to lower humidity when potting it up.  

I put the cuttings in their bags in a spot in the house with decent, indirect light, and normal room temperature (60-70 F).  I'm sure they root more slowly at those temps than warmer ones, but they root nevertheless.

I found some handy bags that hold one cup of potting mix.  The are sold as "portion control snack bags" and are 3.5" x 6" inches.  (They were at my local Target.)

I used a bagged, soilless cactus mix (E.B. Stone) and added no water.  There was enough moisture in it straight out of the bag that condensation would form on the inside of the rooting bag, but it looked pretty dry.

In summary, wrap the top portion of the cutting in parafilm, fill a bag with potting mix, stick the cutting in, close the bag with a rubber band, and viola, you're done!  Wait till you see roots and leaves.