i moved all my UCD cuttings to 1 gal today. i'm super PO'd. the new design peat pot was so thick i can't imagine how the roots will go through them. i started to put holes into the peat pot, then decided to remove the peat pot on some of them. 

i used old peat pots before the design change on JoAnn's Purple, and they were doing great. 

putting holes on the peat pot will give roots chance to get out of the peat pot.. hopefully.. 

but while removing the peat pot, i was surprised how thick they were. they were like laminated card boards. layers and layers of what feels like wet news papers. i can't imagine how they will help roots to penetrate the peat pot. 

some of the roots have reached to bottom, but couldn't find the way out, so it made big u-turn and headed to top where there was only way out. 

didn't do too much root damage, but i would be very surprised, if my success rate from this batch of UCD cuttings are more than 50%. i really hope they disintegrate in 1 gal soon, or the roots will find the way out through the holes i made. what a mess.. 

Grasshopper

You jumped too soon on this one.
Your peat pots would have been just fine the way they are.

I planted mine in 1gl or 2gl pots without a worry. I will take pictures tomorrow and show you.
I think you are missing the Dark Brew. Go get yourself a nice cold Harp.

I have never liked peat pots - I used them for two seasons of seed starting in the garden.  I found they dried up too quickly, wicked moisture in the wrong direction and had several transplants that never managed to puncture through them - and this was the 'original' design.  I can't imagine the frustration you are feeling if they 'improved' the design.

Good luck - given the attention we devote to the figs, you'll probably end up removing almost all the new outside (so it should behave as you originally hoped).

Andrew

rafed, hope you are right. there are some that i've eyeing for long time. but the are definitely different from my previous batch. older one had no issue getting the roots to go through. we'll see in few weeks if they all survive.

I hope they breakdown Pete, thats too bad that they changed the thickness on you. I don't like it when companies do that.

Pete, you can use the root riot cubes just like the peat pots. You can buy them without the tray and the roots have no issues getting through.

tami, that's what i'm thinking of using in future. before the change of the thickness in peat pot, it was the best method i could think of. large root ball in peat pot that can be plugged directly into the 1 gal pot. now with thicker peat pot, i'm not sure. after 2.5 weeks, i didn't see the roots coming through the peat pot. at the same time, the older peat pot i used showed roots penetrating the peat pot in about 1.5 weeks or less.

i'll have to try root riot next time. i still need to read more on them. i don't like using rooting hormone. when lable says not for food crop.. that makes me stop and think about putting it on the cuttings.

You don't have to use hormone with them. You can use them just like a peat pot.

or.. i might pre-puncture the peat pot before putting the cuttings in them.. hmm.. the reason why i like using peat pot is that it will control the water level rather nicely, and it will give me well contained root ball that i do not have to distrube. i would hate to give that up. i might have to think about maybe processing the peat pot so they will let the roots go out easier. i'm not doing mass rooting after this year. i have enough of everything to enjoy for very long time. only collecting very rare and supre desirable from this point on.

the part covering the bottom hole is tissue thin. i usually push back the soil there so the soil in the peat pot and the soil on the bottom of the plastic cup gets good contact. sort of double pot thing to drain out the excess water. 

but i'm telling you, these new designed peat pots are thick. i had few old peat pots left and used on JoAnn's Purple. JoAnn's Purple's roots penetrated the peat pot in less than 1.5 weeks. the UCD cuttings with rope like roots could not penetrate these new peat pots after 2.5 weeks. after removing the peat pot, i noticed that some of the roots were circling on the bottom, but most of them were looking for some other way out of the peat pot. most of them made big u-turn and when up to the top of the soil. it was amazing to look at. i mean, these were monster roots that couldn't go through the bottom of the peat pot and started back up so it can get out. 

Trust me the roots will penetrate. Some of the rockwool I use is hard as rocks and the roots ALWAYS penetrate.

cool. i'll feel better in a month or so when i see all my UCD cuttings growing like weeds. 

Peat (oops Pete!) - My most successful propagation method this year (and I've tried a few variations) has been to root in Root Riot cubes and then move to Jiffy 3 peat pots that are placed inside of 16 oz cups according to the method described in this thread:

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Pictures-of-New-Rooting-Technique-5370584?highlight=jiffy+peat+pots

As you mentioned, the peat pots are really helpful in controlling the level of moisture.  I don't use a humidity chamber.  I'm only familiar with the current Jiffy 3 peat pots on the market and hadn't realized that they had changed.  But I've found that the roots do eventually penetrate - it usually takes about a month.  Once I see roots reach the surface of the cup I move to 1 gallon pots.  I have not perforated the peat pots when moving to 1 gallon but simply surrounded them with potting mix in the 1 gallon pots.  Most figs have put on significant growth after potting up suggesting that the roots are finding their way into the potting mix.  Now that I've read your post I will put some perforations in the peat pot when up-potting just to speed up the process of the roots escaping - it can't hurt.

Steve

Pete, glad to here the cuttings I sent are doing well - I still haven't done mine!!  I can't believe it is May already - I lost 2 months, if anyone finds them please let me know LOL.


Steve, thanks for posting the link - I think I will try that method.