Hello everyone, cuttings are starting to leaf and root in past few weeks. I'm at about 80/120ish showing signs of activity, probably a dozen or so varieties in all. How is the rooting going for you??

After starting off with a 50% success rate last winter, I think I have it finally figured out. Now I'm happy to say it's about 90%. I rooted about 25 different varieties and have many more baby trees than I was expecting to have. Ended up with around 65 rooted cuttings. Now I need to figure out what to do with all of the extras. Good problem to have I suppose..

What did you do differently to get a better success rate?

Not good, lost another rooted cuttings with three leaves last night. Watered it for the first time in almost two weeks and this morning it is completely wilted. Might give up on cuttings and just buy 5-6 trees this spring from Brugmansia or Adriano

Last year I was using the paper towel method. This year I went to spagnum moss and coco choir in plastic tubs. Also using a very light potting mix when I pot them. There was a little learning curve as far as the lighting was concerned. I'm using a 105w cfl and it was only 2 feet away. Burned some of the young leaves. Now they are all looking great since I moved it to 4 feet away.. This warm weather is helping also as I can stick them outside in a spot where they get 2-3 hrs of sun a day.

[QUOTE=brandon87]Last year I was using the paper towel method. This year I went to spagnum moss and coco choir in plastic tubs. Also using a very light potting mix when I pot them. There was a little learning curve as far as the lighting was concerned. I'm using a 105w cfl and it was only 2 feet away. Burned some of the young leaves. Now they are all looking great since I moved it to 4 feet away.. This warm weather is helping also as I can stick them outside in a spot where they get 2-3 hrs of sun a day. [/QUOTE]

FWIW, I start in damp sphagnum moss.  I keep the cuttings in moss in plastic bags in a dark, warm closet for 2-4 weeks; then I plant them into big plastic (e.g., iced coffee) cups filled with a standard planting mix.  Last year I had ~90% success with ~60 cuttings.  This year I only started a few weeks ago and will attempt only ~20-25.  But so far so good -- The first four were LSU Improved Celeste.  As of today, 3 of 4 are showing roots inside the cups.  Two of these art pushing tiny leaves. 

I swore I wouldn't start any cuttings until after the new year, but who can resist the allure of starting a new variety.  I've got nine new varieties potted, some with just a few roots, some ready to be up-potted.  I've got more cuttings in damp paper towels that should be ready to be potted in the next couple weeks, which is after the new year.  Last year I had a whole bunch of Hardy Chicago cuttings, so I've got a bunch of that one variety.  With gifts/purchases of cuttings this year I'm looking forward to having a bunch of different varieties.  It's like card collecting with a tasty byproduct.

Edit: Byproduct is not spelled biproduct ;-)

So far so good


 

I got cuttings of Randino, White Marseilles, VdB from a forum member in Ukraine at the end of November. Only VdB rooted, all others got moldy, rotted and had to discard them. I just up-potted one VdB today to a 2L pot and cut back to first bud, hoping it will push some green. Another VdB is well rooted and growing leaves.
Got some Panache, Michurinska10 and Kutfej Black from fellow Hungarian collector, all 3 are rooted and doing fine.
Here is a pic I took a few days ago of the cuttings in cups.

brandon87: "Now I need to figure out what to do with all of the extras."

I know what I'll be doing with some of mine.  I found out today that one of the people I gave three fig plants to "forgot" to bring them inside.   My mother-in-law who had one of the two that I gave her branch out nearly perfectly with three 1-foot scaffolds.  That one even made figlets that didn't get a chance to ripen.  I saw them still in the planters on the porch last week.  One guy planted theirs in-ground but in a sheltered area.  I'll probably be doing at least a couple repeat giveaways. 

I have 5 Greek Church, 1 Violet de Bordeaux, 1 Florea, and 1 that I think is Brown Turkey in pots. This is my very first try at growing cuttings so I'm very happy with the results so far. I also have two large aluminum pans that I'm trying starting them horizontally. There are about 20 cuttings in there, and 8 varieties. Those are going to need potting soon, as they are sending up leaves and roots all over the place. Not sure what the heck I'm gonna do with all these plants, because most will have to be in pots, and brought in over the winter, and I have limited space.

Mine are still in the fridge :/

Mine are doing great. This is my first season trying to root without air layering. They are in a cold room about 50-60F and most of the light is blocked. They almost all have very pale buds and tiny leaves but are putting out great roots. Their soil/coco fiber/vermiculite is dry and bagged and the air in the bin is humid so no dried out cuttings or soggy roots so far. I think the lack of light and cool temps is helping them. I have a few in covered containers over a heat mat (wouldn't fit in the other container), some light blocked but not much and those are not putting out roots like the ones with no heat but they did put out weak leaves. The one farthest from the light put out roots. It is also farthest from the heat.

*They've been in the dark, cold bin for about 5 1/2 weeks.

Things are going well. My first go at rooting cuttings started this past September. It was touch and go for a while as I got my method down.

Round 1 - was 17 cuttings, of which 10 are now stable with good root and leaf development.

Round 2 - started in early December with 6 CH and 6 UKN Italian white. Lost only one of these.

Round 3 - another 15 UKN of five varieties. Started second week in December and all looking very good. very aggressive growth.

Round 4 - 12 Ciccio Nero from Pino. Started two weeks ago. No roots yet but they all look strong and healthy.

My method of late is a variation of the cup-in-cup. I just use water bottles with holes punched in the bottom.

   

I don't hide them from the light. The sit in the window sill or on a high shelf where it's warm.

For mix I use straight out of the bag Fafard Agro Mix. Nothing added.

Upon seeing roots I've been watering with a half strength liquid fertilizer however as of late I've had to switch to watering with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Gnats have become a problem and I couple of cuttings are in jeopardy as a result. I haven't seen since using the H2O2 but I'm keeping a vigilant watch. I thought I had them beat before using Diatomaceous earth but they came back. Everything was clean when I started. I can't imagine where they came from.

 
 
 
 

I think my biggest problem moving forward is space. I probably started too many to do indoors over winter. If these outgrow their bottles before spring I'll have to pot up...and I don't know where I'll put them all.

[QUOTE = pverdes3] я получил черенки Randino, Белый Марселе, VDB от члена форума в Украине в конце ноября. Только коренится VdB, все остальные получили плесенью, сгнили и пришлось отказаться от них

[/ QUOTE]How many days on the road were cuttings from the Ukraine?

[QUOTE=Vladis]How many days on the road were cuttings from the Ukraine?[/QUOTE]

Vladis, Serge was nice and sent me cuttings from Ukraine to Hungary and it took over 3 weeks to get here. The cuttings had mold from being packaged with a wet rag into multiple layers of plastic and I think they also got some frost damage on the way. Unfortunately Randino and White Marseilles (=Blanche) were weak, but 2 of the 3 cuttings of Violette de Bordeaux rooted successfully. One has only roots, the other has roots and leaves. I have a single node Randino left that is planted hotizontally and now has some small roots but I don't see a bud swelling yet. All others rotted and died.

Hey, I'm extremely happy to see so much conversation! I haven't had a chance to respond, working nonstop since Christmas week+restaurant industry = a madhouse. I'll hopefully get pics up of my setup in.the next day or so! It's been great reading your shared successes on my breaks!

I think it's this kind of forum discussion that keeps us fig-sters occupied over the long hard winter....  Hope you get a break soon. Look forward to your pics...

288 in cups most have roots as of now. Pray for best 44 kinds going right now

I have started a bunch of cuttings and 4 have rotted. I only see roots on two so far but some have leaves with no roots. I still have a lot to learn.

What a cute little fig in the picture!  What kind of liquid fertilizer do you use.

Right now I have 4 cuttings in Millenniumsoils Coir and 1 cutting using the paper towel/baggie method.  In addition I decided to put two large thick cuttings in water for a few days to see what happens.  No roots yet although the ones in Coir have little bumps.

If I have a low success rate with my cuttings... I might stick to just buying the plants.

[QUOTE=angelad]What a cute little fig in the picture!  What kind of liquid fertilizer do you use.

Right now I have 4 cuttings in Millenniumsoils Coir and 1 cutting using the paper towel/baggie method.  In addition I decided to put two large thick cuttings in water for a few days to see what happens.  No roots yet although the ones in Coir have little bumps.

If I have a low success rate with my cuttings... I might stick to just buying the plants.[/QUOTE]

At this stage I just used a little all purpose Miracle grow. Indeed it was cute. Sadly it had to go...I was advised it would just deplete resources and put the cutting at risk.

Oh thank God,I'm not the only one lol,this thread makes me feel slightly better.Funnily enough it's not necessarily the rooting I'm having trouble with,it's the bit after that lol.Ive been using small cups(like drink dispenser at the office) size,2 nodes normally,50/50 coco coir mix,humidity box,no additional lights next to radiator.I seem to be swinging between over and under watering,the worst bit is AFTER you have roots and leaves,up pot it out off the box and a few days later they just seem to top themselves.Ive also had a bit of a problem with mould on some cuttings this week.

Obituaries
Ali Pasha 17/22 (don't ask hahaha)
Black Mission 3/3
Conadria 2/4
Alma 2/3
Precoce de Dalmatie 1/1
White Adriatic 1/1
Goutte d'or 1/1
Nova Unk 4/4
Green Ischia 0/3
Falls Gold 0/4
Celese 0/2

Solution I'm trying=bigger cups(quart/pint)higher ratio of perlite to coco(sorta 60/40-70/30 ish),3 nodes minimum,melting holes for drainage with hot kebab skewer in the base and sides(used to poke rough holes in the bottoms only).I also oven baked my coco coir (whist Mrs was out lol)to try and kill bacteria/fungus etc as I think that's where the recent mould problem came from and disinfected the humidity bin.Gonna start fresh.

Some varieties seem to just want to live,Falls gold,Green Ischia and Celese are the stars,Mission was doing great and then just died overnight pretty much,over water/under water,gnats(I hate those things) have no idea,very disappointing.Biggest looser Ali Pasha,my fault,first variety I tried rooting indoors,switched methods half way through and then let them dry out and then probably over waters them lol so can't blame anyone but myself.The single cuttings were thin and green so rotted easier.Nova Unk just had no will to live,I've rooted about a dozen or more this year of this variety,none make it,it's vigorous and has stupid thin roots and skinny huge internodes but it's my only true 'wild' Unk so I'm gonna keep trying.

Good luck with your rooting folks,remember sterility+ Good drainage= life,good thick hardwood cuttings certainly make it easier as well,lessons learnt the hard way

[QUOTE=haslamhulme]Oh thank God,I'm not the only one lol,this thread makes me feel slightly better.Funnily enough it's not necessarily the rooting I'm having trouble with,it's the bit after that lol.Ive been using small cups(like drink dispenser at the office) size,2 nodes normally,50/50 coco coir mix,humidity box,no additional lights next to radiator.I seem to be swinging between over and under watering,the worst bit is AFTER you have roots and leaves,up pot it out off the box and a few days later they just seem to top themselves.Ive also had a bit of a problem with mould on some cuttings this week. Obituaries Ali Pasha 17/22 (don't ask hahaha) Black Mission 3/3 Conadria 2/4 Alma 2/3 Precoce de Dalmatie 1/1 White Adriatic 1/1 Goutte d'or 1/1 Nova Unk 4/4 Green Ischia 0/3 Falls Gold 0/4 Celese 0/2 Solution I'm trying=bigger cups(quart/pint)higher ratio of perlite to coco(sorta 60/40-70/30 ish),3 nodes minimum,melting holes for drainage with hot kebab skewer in the base and sides(used to poke rough holes in the bottoms only).I also oven baked my coco coir (whist Mrs was out lol)to try and kill bacteria/fungus etc as I think that's where the recent mould problem came from and disinfected the humidity bin.Gonna start fresh. Some varieties seem to just want to live,Falls gold,Green Ischia and Celese are the stars,Mission was doing great and then just died overnight pretty much,over water/under water I have no idea,very disappointing.Biggest looser Ali Pasha,my fault,first variety I tried rooting indoors,switched methods half way through and then let them dry out and then probably over waters them lol so can't blame anyone but myself.The single cuttings were thin and green so rotted easier.Nova Unk just had no will to live,I've rooted about a dozen or more this year of this variety,none make it,it's vigorous and has stupid thin roots and skinny huge internodes but it's my only true 'wild' Unk so I'm gonna keep trying. Good luck with your rooting folks,remember sterility+ Good drainage= life,good thick hardwood cuttings certainly make it easier as well,lessons learnt the hard way [/QUOTE]

Don't give up!

I had a lot of improvement when I did melted the holes in the side with a metal skewer. The exact same thing you mention. JUST REMEMBER. The smoke that comes off the melting plastic is toxic. Make sure you have really good ventilation or even better, outdoors. I switched over to a soldering iron on the back deck....Neighbors must think I'm weird...

The more nodes you can have below grade the better. Hence the big water bottles I'm using now.

Lastly, don't forget the golden rule...If you think the mix is way too dry and it really needs water right away.... wait another few days...

I want to say thanks to all those who took the time to help me out this fall. I hope to be able to repay the goodwill in the future. 

 
 

Specifically, i want to thank the following for sharing knowledge of and actual figs.

Charles: TahomaGuy2
- Croatian
- Desert King

Danny: NYCfig
- Sandy
- unk sweet diana

Jodi: Jodi
- VdB
- Lampa Parda

Bill Saxon: SaxonFigs
- Hative d'Argenteuil

Brent: hoosierbanana: ebay handle cptmorgan197
- Marseilles Black VS

Art Connor: Kubota1: ebay handle artamyconnor
- Florea

Herman: Herman2: ebay handle hermansur
- Adriatic JH
- Col de Dame Gris
- Aubique Petite
- Ronde De Bordeaux

Plus all the fine people in Vicenza, Italy who supported me. I have way too many figs...


humbly yours,

johnny

Thanks Toronto Jo,it was seeing your big sticks in bottles that finally convinced me about bigger cups lol.When you look at a 4 node cutting I've learnt that 4/2 does not = 2 fig trees lol,sometimes 4/2= 0 fig trees.Johnny K,looks like you got it Figuered out alright,nice goin,now you are gonna have to find space for all those

Yes! Dang!  I left off Toronto Joe, who correctly diagnosed my one sick cutting. TJ, it was definitely root rot from over watering- you saved me from losing my entire crop.  Thank you, in particular, very much.

Hey Johnny - Lower picture. Bottom row. Curious - What are those?

Nice setup!

[QUOTE=johnny_k]Yes! Dang!  I left off Toronto Joe, who correctly diagnosed my one sick cutting. TJ, it was definitely root rot from over watering- you saved me from losing my entire crop.  Thank you, in particular, very much.[/QUOTE]

It's always more pleasant when we don't have to learn the hard way....  :-)

I'm glad to hear... I'm hoping to see everyone's trees develop as we roll into the spring... I can't wait until spring.

So far, so good. I have a few that have not rooted yet. But none that have rotted. And I have at least two of every variety that I have tried to root so far. Here's hoping that continues!

I recently started trying Dip N'Grow rooting hormone, and it seems to have made a big different the quality of roots that I am getting. For me; much better than Clonex, the powdered stuff, or none at all. I am mainly using it on variety that are proving hard to root, but I am start to experiment with it some more after being impressed with my first few uses.

I have been using two methods, choosing between them depending on the cuttings. One is to stand in water cups until the white bumps show up in numbers, and then move to cups and the humidity bin. The other method is to stand in water for a 2 - 3 days, score the cuttings slightly, maybe dip in the rooting hormone, and then into the moss bin until roots show.

I actually use two humidity bins. The first on is kept at a higher humidity and mostly dark. After roots and the first leaves show, I move cutting to the second bin. This second bin has a clear top with ventilation holes for a lower humidity, and a grow light above it. This two stage approach keeps the plants from going into shock after coming out of the humidity bin and under the lights. When fully rooted in the second bin I move the plant under larger grow lights. No shock at all. 


CliffH

TJ,

Not counting the two figs, to the left is an African Spear Plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica.  i thinned a plant i have growing in my house.

The middle is a cana lily from seed taken from an old variety in Serbin, Texas.

to the far right are lemon from seeds.  i know they wont grow true, but i thought id see what comes out, just for fun with the kids.  

Anyway, i want to thank you, again; you saved my entire crop of figs this year.  


So my most valuable lesson learned is : WATER

- restrain the urge to water every day or two; only water when your plants show you they need it.

- Yellowing roots is the first indicator of too much water. 

- Less water means faster root growth.  Since my watering can is on restriction, i have seen a great improvement in root growth, the color, the size and the speed of growth of the roots. I'm not out of the woods yet, i still have some yellow roots, but the growth around them is doing very well. 

- Have begun to practice watering from the bottom.  will work as long as i have them in trays.  I flood my trays to about 1/8" of water, just enough to get some moisture in there.  

- I add a dilute fertilizer to the water, in a 1-.5-1 ratio.

Cliff,

two stage is a great idea.  I wish i had the space.  I've noticed the newest growth suffers when i move from the humidity tent to the growing tent, even though i've tried to maintain some humidity in the latter.  Whereabouts in N Houston are you?  I visit my mother there as often as possible, near the heights.

Johnny - There are several of us on the far north side. At least 7 active members. 

My first try ever. I have collected cuttings from two different "wild" varieties in my neighbourhood (with consent) wrapped in damp paper towels and put them in a plastic lid box .
I check them daily for mold and humidity.
But it is too soon, they're in the box since 28 december only. I'm still a bit unsure about the temp though, I keep them in the kitchen but close to a cold window where the temp is around 65F. Hope this will work.

Excellent,

Do you seven ever congregate?   I don't get into town very often, but would like to see how folks are growing figs in the area.  I will be planting several trees in the area near  610/shepard

Most of use are fairly new to growing figs, with only a couple of year or less in the hobby. We have not gotten together yet. PM me when you will be in town.

I haven't even begun to prune my trees yet, but found myself rooting a bunch of names despite having said that I'm done adding trees. Due to space restriction and after realizing that not all cuttings succeed, I crammed in many cases two or three cuttings in the same container. I figured that I really need one successful specimen, and when sprouting from multiple cuttings I get to reduce the space needed for my pots and maximize the odds of success. I could always propagate more plants if I succeed in getting at least one healthy specimen.
Most of my cuttings this year came from generous individuals, who gave me the chance to grow some names that were not available a few years ago and might still be rare. Whether you sent it to me directly or indirectly, the least I can say is Thank You and hope to be able to contribute more and more to the fig community in due time.
Since I could not keep everything inside I kept the majority of my cuttings on my patio and hope that they will begin to show some growth around February.
As for the ones that I was able to keep inside even in the smallest SIP, it looks like by covering the cutting with a plastic cup ensures a very high rate of success.
All I have to do is keep them near a sunny window at room temperature (around 72 degrees) and leave them alone for the winter.
I'll be buying more of those tiny SIPs next season since they are not available at Walmart at this time of year.
I'm almost sure that I have most of the figs that I need at this time, but know that perhaps there is always one more that I may have missed.
P.S. Drilling a hole through the bottom of plastic cup, will allow some circulation when using the cup to cover the cutting.

[url=https://postimg.org/image/ygha4jbff/][img]https://s25.postimg.org/ygha4jbff/IMG_1465.jpg[/img][/url]

Using a larger container outside is a must.

[url=https://postimg.org/image/y7jpelymz/][img]https://s25.postimg.org/y7jpelymz/IMG_1469.jpg[/img][/url]

[QUOTE=johnny_k]TJ,

Not counting the two figs, to the left is an African Spear Plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica.  i thinned a plant i have growing in my house.

The middle is a cana lily from seed taken from an old variety in Serbin, Texas.

to the far right are lemon from seeds.  i know they wont grow true, but i thought id see what comes out, just for fun with the kids.  

Anyway, i want to thank you, again; you saved my entire crop of figs this year.  


So my most valuable lesson learned is : WATER

- restrain the urge to water every day or two; only water when your plants show you they need it.

- Yellowing roots is the first indicator of too much water. 

- Less water means faster root growth.  Since my watering can is on restriction, i have seen a great improvement in root growth, the color, the size and the speed of growth of the roots. I'm not out of the woods yet, i still have some yellow roots, but the growth around them is doing very well. 

- Have begun to practice watering from the bottom.  will work as long as i have them in trays.  I flood my trays to about 1/8" of water, just enough to get some moisture in there.  

- I add a dilute fertilizer to the water, in a 1-.5-1 ratio.[/QUOTE]

That spear is very cool. I did lemons too. should make for a nice fruitless house plant here in Toronto.

What is it about the urge to water? I mean by now we all know better but I still need to fight myself. I recently got some of those dreaded yellow/brown roots. The mix was way too wet. I knew that meant disaster. Figuring I had nothing to lose I very, VERY gently removed the sopping wet gunk and replaced it into a new container with new, gently humid mix. They're looking ok for now but time will tell.

I think it's fear of killing them that drives me, personally.  I am recently amazed at how dry figs can get.  i am not watering until i see no signs of water at all in the cups. So far, seems to be working and the roots i think, are growing faster. 

Also, i think i stopped applying too much, just in time-  a couple of mine look like the rooting on the outside of the container have receded.  i think the roots had died back, but not enough to kill them.  i am now seeing growth again, after a week or two.

im expecting the same from my lemons.  they are feminello lemon seeds from italy.  i knew as much about lemons as i did about figs this summer; but i got them to grow, so i'll report back in 5-10 years on the fruit!

Johnny - I've had femminello off the tree in Calabria. It's fantastic! I hope you can bring some to fruit. IMO It's a stronger citrus flavour than a Eureka and even without fruit the tree has a great citrus smell. It has a really thick hull that's light and fluffy.

I have some cuttings on the way. I'm excited to hop back into the Game of Figs. I'm brushing up on some reading to find a rooting method to try. It's been over two years since I rooted a cutting so I'm really rusty.

Well, I  am not having much luck.

My cuttings in coir show no sign of roots.  I keep checking at least twice a day.  Just a little impatient!


Well maybe tomorrow I will get some good news.  Just wishing.

[QUOTE=angelad]Well, I  am not having much luck.

First, my cuttings in coir show no sign of roots.  I keep checking at least twice a day.  Just a little impatient![/QUOTE]
Hi Angela
When I first started rooting I would check and air them out every few days thinking that was best.  Yet the cuttings seemed to root much faster when I only checked weekly or less.
I think disturbing them may affect the rooting process.  Probably a trade off.
Have had some cuttings root in 2 weeks and some drag on for months a real nail biting experience..lol  As long as you can keep them from rotting they will likely root and grow.
Others may have different experience?
good luck

Thanks Pino for the advice.  I will try to stop checking on the cuttings so often (but it will be hard).

Of the cuttings that I received from you, 3 Ciccio Nero and 1 fico bianco are in the coir.  The other cuttings are still in the fridge.  I just want to make sure that I get a few successes first.  

One of these days I might order a prickley pear plant from you.  I just love prickley pears - just as much as I love figs.

[QUOTE=angelad]Thanks Pino for the advice.  I will try to stop checking on the cuttings so often (but it will be hard).

Of the cuttings that I received from you, 3 Ciccio Nero and 1 fico bianco are in the coir.  The other cuttings are still in the fridge.  I just want to make sure that I get a few successes first.  

One of these days I might order a prickley pear plant from you.  I just love prickley pears - just as much as I love figs.

[/QUOTE]They should do fine just don't let the coir get too wet it should be moist but you should not be able to squeeze water out of it.  Let me know how you do.

The prickly pear cactus are the easiest in the world to root.  Have never had one fail. 
Once I forgot a bunch of paddles in a basket for a year.  They had grown in the dark with no water and no soil but were very pale.  I planted them in pots anyway and they grew like crazy turned nice bright green.  Will plant them in ground next season.

Hello Everyone and happy new year! I finally got a couple of days off so took a few pictures and am getting them up on here!  Since i will be responding to the posts of other members in one shot, for the sake of other people reading if you respond dont quote the whole message!  It is a lot to scroll through!  I also included pictures of my citrus, most of them are either varieties that are tending to Polyembryony and so growing mostly true to type or are polyembryonic/nucellar selections and so are guaranteed true.


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Brandon I am very happy for your successes!  I used to use the bag and paper towel method a lot but i found that it had two major limitations.  Firstly, it only worked really well for me if the room temperature was between 70 and 75°F,  and after moving last summer my current grow room stays between 62 and 65°F.  Secondly, it doesnt work well if you have a lot of cuttings, it gets too cumbersome to manage and often I found myself filling up space set aside for the cuttings before they rooted with other plants.  This season i tried Harvey's method using grafting tape and perlite and i am really liking the results.  Rooting is never a sure thing, but this works well enough for me.  My lights are also about 4 feet away, in addition to not burning the leaves i simply dont have enough individual lights to cover the area were i to hang them lower.

Jveri, I water by feel, checking every two to three days at the least.  Overwatering is definitely a huge issue, so its better to give too little more often than to flood too often.  Currently i give for a belden jumbo square which is about a 3/4 gallon pot 1/3 cup of water when they start to feel light, 1/2 if they are very very light which is a sign of water absorption in the cutting or baby roots.  When you compare the weight of the freshly watered by lightly watered and the dry side by side you can really feel the difference. Some cuttings just dont take though, they start and then wilt.  It happens and its unfortunate, but it is a process of nature and part of the game!  Dont give up, you will learn lots for growing from cuttings that will help you take better care of trees.

Jrdewhirst, I am glad that your cuttings are doing well for you, I have found light to be an integral part of rooting cuttings, but if this works for you more power to you.

VeryNew2Figs, I am a little confused as to why you would wait until after the new year.  It was my understanding that the fresher the cutting, the better the chances of rooting are.  I admire your generosity, When people kill my trees for stupid reasons I usually dont regift them trees.  If someone is not willing to pay you anything in any sort then they usually dont value the tree enough to take good care of it. That is just me though!  I'm a bit attached to my trees and it really gets under my skin when people are neglectful.

Looking good KK,  I always admire the two cup and humidity methods even if i never had good luck with them.

Pverde3 your little cuttings in cups look good.  Be sure that they get plenty of light and not to overwater as they are very delicate at this stage of development.  Frost damage on hard wood cuttings is not an issue usually, on the tree they will be fine to 15°F usually and i have received dormant trees and cuttings in winter with very little issues.  If you ever do receive moldy cuttings in the future you should try to soak them for a few hours in hydrogen peroxide or to wash them in a mild bleach solution with a nail brush. 

Congrats on your successes Leanderfig!  Florea is a nice fig, i'm hoping to pick one up this year given how early it is.

Indestructible87 arent you just itching to get those babies started??

Arachyd, I also run my grow room cooler, 62-65°F, and i find that they grow a little bit slower but i am losing less figs to dessication and bark rotting.  Now bark rotting is primarily from overwatering, but sometimes too much water matched with a bit of heat is causing it.  The grafting tape is doing wonders against dessication of above ground wood.  My heat mat situation is a bit spotty, I have four standard ones and one that is a bench mat, I was thinking of investing in some more bench mats next year but havent made up my mind.  We will see where the discretionary money is lol. https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/gro-mat/s

Nice work Toronto Joe, They are looking good.  The water bottle method looks like a winner so long as they have adequate drainage and dont get overwatered.  I switched over to square pots in 2016, a friend giften me a couple and then when i crunched the numbers and saw the space savings i got very excited!  These are worth the money for sure. https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/belden-jumbo-senior-square-pot/s  I used to heat a screwdriver on a gas stove to melt holes lol

Jamesoneil1012 thats quite the endeavor, I hope that you continue to share your progress and that they root well for you!

Keep at it Haroon!  One of the biggest challenges with humidty type systems (in my opinion) is introducing them to the outside world.  I'm still at 3/4 on your UNK wild Nova and going strong, fingers crossed it stays that way. 

Johnny K your baby trees look great, keep up the good work!  By the way look up 5-1-1 soil mixes for citrus, will save you a lot of headache.  I have even started to use it for my larger potted figs.  Do you remember which Feminello lemon?   There are at least 3 or 4.

CliffH that sounds like a great system, to move from full to partial humidity to prevent exposure shock. Good thinking.

Sas they look good, I had to double up a few because of space constraints as well, but its no biggie.  I figure if only one takes you end up with a tree per pot allottment, if you have better than 50% success which can often be the case you end up with a bushy little tree. 

Americanfiglover, welcome back to the game!  After two years i hope you enjoy it as much as you used to!

Angelad, i would advise you not to touch your cuttings.  They grow best when you leave them alone.  I only disturb them if i notice that the soil has become too compacted and heavy.  If this happens i carfully remove dirt with cutting from pot by tipping it on its side and then carefully remove dirt from cutting.  They you take some dry soil and mix it with the compacted soil so that it is loose and nicely moist again.  Trying all the while not to disturb or damage any roots.  If the soil compacts and stays wet it will kill your baby roots and rot the bark off of the cutting.  Other than fixing like that, they dont like to be disturbed too much.

Pino I completely agree and learned the same lesson the hard way.  I also found it to be the case that so long as the cutting does not dessicate above ground or rot below ground it can still root even after months of inactivity.  One of my two RDB fig trees actually didnt start rooting for 3 months.  I still can scarcely believe that it ever did.  It is a fine balance between too little and too much water and often varies by cutting.

I planted 12 different varieties of figs yesterday. I used 2 parts to one vermiculite to peat. I used solo cups with holes. These "pots" are in a clear plastic storage bins with a little water in the bottom to raise the humidity. The sides are a bit misty. Temps are probably about 75 and the light is indirect north light. This is the first time for me rooting figs, but I have cloned many other species so I am boldly diving in. Wish me luck?

Good luck Dig! I hope it goes well for you!

Nice setup Devin!!! I never thought to use plastic spoons as labels! I was fixing to have to order more labels but I think I'll go that route this time..

Thanks Brandon, they're like 85 cents for a box of 24. Super cheap. You can write name on front and date on back.

Knives might work even better since they are flat..

Old blinds work great for making tags too.

Those methods work very well for cuttings and smaller plants but long term, outdoors and on trees you may risk the writing wearing off or it getting displaced if you have many trees.(or sneaky kids) I'm now trying out using aluminum from old soda or beer cans like this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5BqXnGMmh4&sns=em

I'd recommend a long and durable wire large enough that it doesn't grow into your tree.

Good root formation this year. Here is a picture of Wedgewood #1 (found growing from seed) and Alma, rooted using the "cardboard and fig cutting lasagna" method.

http://s32.photobucket.com/user/narelli38/media/IMG_1974_zpsisyefg9n.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

[QUOTE=DevIsgro]Good luck Dig! I hope it goes well for you![/QUOTE] That is an impressive grow room you have Devlsgro. This is my first time propagating figs this winter, I'm using a cloner, a bunch of solo cups, and a bunch of bins with smaller bins inside with the lasagna method. I still dont know how to post pics to show everyone my grow spot. Thanks!

[QUOTE=donpaid]Good root formation this year. Here is a picture of Wedgewood #1 (found growing from seed) and Alma, rooted using the "cardboard and fig cutting lasagna" method.

http://s32.photobucket.com/user/narelli38/media/IMG_1974_zpsisyefg9n.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0[/QUOTE]Very nice , im starting to see roots with mine in the lasagna method.

Devisgro,

I have no idea the variety.  I picked them off the bartender at the hotel.  He said they were feminello and they looked right and tasted excellent.  i didn't realize at the time that lemons dont grow true.....do you know of a source in the states for a feminello tree?  I would love to have one at the house.


johnny

week 6, the one 2nd from right, front, I may lose, just started to wilt, perhaps the soil is too damp (definitely not wet) or some other reason.........

[url=https://postimg.org/image/yco3zepp9/][img]https://s30.postimg.org/47zne1km9/15822982_10210135014165587_6281910600025555679_n.jpg[/img][/url]

[QUOTE=Woodville]Very nice , im starting to see roots with mine in the lasagna method. [/QUOTE]

Thanks Steve! I'm a fan of the lasagna method. Been using it for three years. Rooted every cutting I've received. Good luck this season! 

Looks like exactly what happened to me.  are the leaves rubbery and tightly attached?  How much are you watering?  As much more elegantly put by Toronto Joe,  the roots may have rotted and lost turgor pressure since the leaves aren't connected to the roots.  Anyway, that's what happened to me.  i lost one cutting, but stopped watering so much and i am now seeing improvement.  see this thread; it may help.

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/wilting-of-rooted-cutting-7844470?pid=1294317005

johnny

[QUOTE=PeterC]week 6, the one 2nd from right, front, I may lose, just started to wilt, perhaps the soil is too damp (definitely not wet) or some other reason.........

[url=https://postimg.org/image/yco3zepp9/][img]https://s30.postimg.org/47zne1km9/15822982_10210135014165587_6281910600025555679_n.jpg[/img][/url][/QUOTE]


Peter - On three occasions now I've taken cuttings that started to show signs of "on their way out", and gently re-potted in new mix that is only the slightest bit humid. In all three cases things are looking good. IMO the trick is to be super gentle in removing the old mix without damaging too many roots and rinsing off the crud - then carefully place it in a new pot.....No guarantees but if looks like it's on it's way out then you have nothing to lose....If you have a few roots not yet rotted and the stock is good then you have a fighting chance. I know that some will tell you to leave it be and hope for the best (and they may be right) but for me the best course is remediation.

IMO only... I'm not a botanist! Good luck!

Thanks for the replys, the mix is never wet, the meter says moist, not sure what happen, I feel bad losing cuttings.

If i see no signs of revival, then I will try to re root it again, I do have another Hollier that is dong great so I am not too upset.

[QUOTE=brandon87]Knives might work even better since they are flat..
[/QUOTE]

I tried knives but the writing wore away in a season or so and it was harder to fit all the words on for some reason.

[QUOTE=Dig]Old blinds work great for making tags too.[/QUOTE]

Good one I'll keep my eye out.

[QUOTE=TorontoJoe] Those methods work very well for cuttings and smaller plants but long term, outdoors and on trees you may risk the writing wearing off or it getting displaced if you have many trees.(or sneaky kids) I'm now trying out using aluminum from old soda or beer cans like this guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5BqXnGMmh4&sns=em

I'd recommend a long and durable wire large enough that it doesn't grow into your tree.

[/QUOTE]


Those look good, I have seen them on plants I bought before but necsd considered making any. I guess I only would make them. for permanent rooted trees. No sense wasting time making them for cuttings that might not take. Thanks for sharing.

[QUOTE=donpaid]Good root formation this year. Here is a picture of Wedgewood #1 (found growing from seed) and Alma, rooted using the "cardboard and fig cutting lasagna" method.

http://s32.photobucket.com/user/narelli38/media/IMG_1974_zpsisyefg9n.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0[/QUOTE]

That's a neat method. I haven't seen that before, nor have I heard of your seedling. Has the original tree produced fruits yet?

[QUOTE=Woodville] That is an impressive grow room you have Devlsgro. This is my first time propagating figs this winter, I'm using a cloner, a bunch of solo cups, and a bunch of bins with smaller bins inside with the lasagna method. I still dont know how to post pics to show everyone my grow spot. Thanks![/QUOTE]

Try using Photobucket, it works easily from a computer. Thanks for the compliment, it's a bit overgrown but I can't put in more shelving until I run up some more lights. My wife tolerates it only because it makes me very very happy lol

[QUOTE=johnny_k]Devisgro,

I have no idea the variety.  I picked them off the bartender at the hotel.  He said they were feminello and they looked right and tasted excellent.  i didn't realize at the time that lemons dont grow true.....do you know of a source in the states for a feminello tree?  I would love to have one at the house.


johnny[/QUOTE]

I believe four winds is selling one of the feminello trees. Their prices are very reasonable and their product is top of the line. I recommend foliage pro 9-3-6 for fertilizer and too dry is much better than too wet.

[QUOTE=brandon87]Nice setup Devin!!! I never thought to use plastic spoons as labels! I was fixing to have to order more labels but I think I'll go that route this time..[/QUOTE]

I just cut up any white plastic container....margarine tubs...sour cream tubs.. yogurt containers...etc etc into the size of markers I want with a good pair of scissors. It's free and in a few minutes I have all the markers I need.

You can try to repot Peter but it's no guarantee, sometimes that works for me and sometimes not. I don't rinse though, maybe it's better to. If something is severely damage I root prune gently. A lot of times I find the "wilters" never made any roots at all. If you need a hollier in the spring send me a message, I believe I have an extra rooted cuttings from last season I can send your way.

[QUOTE=DevIsgro] Those look good, I have seen them on plants I bought before but necsd considered making any. I guess I only would make them. for permanent rooted trees. No sense wasting time making them for cuttings that might not take. Thanks for sharing.[/QUOTE]


You're quite right. It definitely would be a waste of time for every single cutting or small tree. This is what I do for my in-ground trees or those potted that I'll be sinking into the ground. 

Just a few pics of some of my babies. This is my first try at rooting cuttings, so I'm happy so far.

Greek Church
 
 

RDB
 

Florea

[QUOTE=DevIsgro] That's a neat method. I haven't seen that before, nor have I heard of your seedling. Has the original tree produced fruits yet?[/QUOTE]

Thank you! There are so many different styles and methods of rooting and I know others have had great successes with them, but this method is the only one that has worked for me consistently.

The seedling has not produced fruits. I am not sure if it ever will, but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will definitely write about it on the forum if it does. 

I posted about Wedgewood #1 about 3 years ago. Here's a link to the post. 
https://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/the-resilient-fig-tree-6711514?pid=1281138546

[QUOTE=LeanderFig]Just a few pics of some of my babies. This is my first try at rooting cuttings, so I'm happy so far.

Greek Church

RDB
 
Florea
[/QUOTE]

I see a Spadafora Dark in the background. Aaron's cuttings are top notch.

Good rooting technique...Big pots.

What's the clear tape on the cutting for?

[QUOTE=TorontoJoe]

I see a Spadafora Dark in the background. Aaron's cuttings are top notch.

Good rooting technique...Big pots.

What's the clear tape on the cutting for?[/QUOTE]
The clear tape is parafilm. I am trying many different techniques to see what works best for me. I saw a video where they used the parafilm wrap to retain moister in the cutting while rooting so it doesn't dry out. It works really well. Those cuttings with parafilm were put straight into the growing medium without starting in moss or other medium. All did really well. I should have wrapped more of the cutting, but it worked out great.

The cuttings look really great leanderfig, I have the parafilm grafting tape a whirl this season.as well and love it. Everything above soil has it and it really has helped I think.

[QUOTE=DevIsgro]The cuttings look really great leanderfig, I have the parafilm grafting tape a whirl this season.as well and love it. Everything above soil has it and it really has helped I think. [/QUOTE]
I think it helps a great deal. I also tried some without, and they seemed to struggle.

I've had issues with some or most of the top wood dessicating in the past, this prevents that 100℅

Leander Fig:All looking good!,i like the idea of the tape to help prevent dehydration of the cutting, i have only done that with grafts but i guess the same principles apply, parafilm is pricier than the cheaper grafting tapes but it will stretch as the cutting swells and should allow buds to pus through it as well.

PeterC/JohnnyK et al who have seen this problem: argh, wilters!, the bane of my rooting season, ive had too many, at first i was in the " wait and see" camp, but after loosing more than i should im now in the "emergency action" remediation camp,i think i may have saved my last Conadria (fingers crossed) and one of the last two of each Brogiotto Bianco Falls Gold by gently repotting into a much lighter(higher Perlite, drier coir) mix-im with you on this one TotontoJoe.The Brogiotto Bianco had rotted at the bottom but had roots higher up so i cut up to healthier looking wood leaving healthier roots above the cut.The Conadria just wanted to wilt from the start and just got worse, it was a thin cutting to start off with so not much vigour, its now lost its leaves but has about 4 inches of green growth which arent showing signs of death so ill let it get on with growing roots and hope it bounces back.

If you have enough nodes you could as a last ditch measure cut a 'middle section' with at least 2 nodes(or 1 if you can work that kinda magic), one to go below and 1 above the mix and try re-rooting it, it worked for me on my last Alma cutting a few weeks ago(success rate with this method was about 1 in 10), the cutting ended up being about 1 inch long but started showing roots thins week and now has about 1 1/2 inch of growth and a couple of leaves.The thing i have found is that once rot sets in it works it way up the cutting, once that happens beyond the last rootable node i find generally its a gonner.

Gofiger: I use the plastic milk bottles we get here,i have young kids so they get through it quick, permanent marker seems to last on them and whats best is they are free, think i might switch to write on aluminum tags for the permanent trees

Pino/Angelad/TorontoJoe:some great advice, i think i lost lots to overwatering but dont think ive ever killed any through under watering, if anything the roots have grown stronger, quicker and thicker with minimal water,from now on im going to resist the urge, turn around and walk away,figs are shy, they only root when you arent watching!.

Everyone else,only so much time to comment hence the multi comment, im just glad that a topic about actually growing figs(aside to all other other human stuff that goes on between folks) has captured the interest of so many.This stuff is invaluable to newbie winter rooters like me (having previously only done spring/summer under cover outdoors) not just in terms of technique but in encouragement, the old adage 'a problem shared is a problem solved' applies here,or when it comes to loosing cuttings 'misery loves company' :)

i use parafilm it saves a lot of work, no need to put cups on top or anything the parafilm keeps them moist and buds come right trough wile the parafilm keeps the cutting moist for a wile longer, eventually it will fall off by itself. i also use old blinds for different type of tags if you use pencil it does  not come off, just try scrubbing it off!!! impossible.
last time i needed tags i didn't have any old blinds i bought new ones and it was still cheaper than buying commercial tags and better.

Parafilm tape..... I wasn't familiar with the stuff. I'd seen it on things like banana bunches without even knowing what it was for. Interesting that it doesn't stop the budding. I have to try this stuff out.

I had noticed some drying on some of my most recent cuttings. I waxed the ends assuming all the moisture was escaping out the tip, but if this stuff isn't preventing growth it seems like a really good option.

Toronto Joe make sure you do not double the tape over the node , i usually stretch the tape a little over the node to make it easier for the bud and i wrap the cutting to just below dirt line  

So, as little as possible just to seal it in....Got it.

And, I assume tape only down to the soil line and no deeper?

[QUOTE=Mario_1]Toronto Joe make sure you do not double the tape over the node , i usually stretch the tape a little over the node to make it easier for the bud and i wrap the cutting to just below dirt line  [/QUOTE]
I have been trying it by just skipping the part with the bud when wrapping if possible, but I noticed on a few where it was not possible that it pushed right through. I was pretty impressed. I was told it would do this, but I had doubts. It's amazing how much strength those little buds have!

You stole the words from my mouth Mario! Stretch it as much as possible and if you have to double or overlap never over the node. It will split the tape right open! I would recommend covering buds though, with one layer, because otherwise they might dry out and that extra humidity helps them pop.