Hi all! I thought I'd make a grow journal of my first try at growing fig cuttings. I tried growing in bags of long-fibered sphagnum moss and also the paper towel method. I was a bit impatient and waited only for the hint of initials before I stuck them in 1 gallon pots with 50/50 soil-perlite.

So far I started Hardy Chicago, RdB, and one Hunt cutting that I received from Mario (Willofig) on 1/16-1/17. Then I started Strawberry Verte, Negronne, and El Molino from Igor (greenfig) on 2/9. The ones from Igor were automatically put in the 1 gallons without the initial baggy process. All cuttings were scrubbed down with soap and water then dunked in a 1:10 bleach solution for a few minutes prior to baggy/pots.

I think so far so good. Here's my set up:
[URL=http://s1292.photobucket.com/user/arabid0psis/media/Figs/20150216_120404_zpskhmjsxvg.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/b575/arabid0psis/Figs/20150216_120404_zpskhmjsxvg.jpg[/IMG][/URL]
[URL=http://s1292.photobucket.com/user/arabid0psis/media/Figs/20150216_120439_zpsvr4u3bkg.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/b575/arabid0psis/Figs/20150216_120439_zpsvr4u3bkg.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

I also have some Unknown (probably plain Red) Mulberry growing in there, too.

Temps in my enclosure are usually:
[URL=http://s1292.photobucket.com/user/arabid0psis/media/Figs/20150128_102514_zpsv26gkxoo.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1292.photobucket.com/albums/b575/arabid0psis/Figs/20150128_102514_zpsv26gkxoo.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

And the root zone ranges from 74-82F. No heat pads used.

I'm expecting Saratoga/Chico Strawberry cuttings from Sue (svanessa) once this horrible frigid weather gets a little better. I want to say huge thank yous to all the informative contributions by the many folk on this forum. Also, it's incredible to see such generosity via the sharing of cuttings and how openly people are to help out. Hopefully this project will be somewhat successful so I can help contribute, too.

Very nice photos!  Congratulations on your rooting success, and good luck in the future!

Suzi

good luck looks like a good setup!

Looking good!

It looks nice.  As someone who uses similar lights I want to let you know that 2 rows of 1 gal pots won't get enough light from one shop light.  Two shop lights side by side will give enough for 3 rows  of pots.  Walmart has the cheapest shop lights (T8s) and Home Despot has the cheapest bulbs.

[QUOTE=rcantor]It looks nice.  As someone who uses similar lights I want to let you know that 2 rows of 1 gal pots won't get enough light from one shop light.  Two shop lights side by side will give enough for 3 rows  of pots.  Walmart has the cheapest shop lights (T8s) and Home Despot has the cheapest bulbs.[/QUOTE]

Hey Bob, just out of curiosity, do you mean a single tube fluorescent hood or a hood that holds two T8s (like I have pictured) when talking about the shop lights? I haven't gotten around to lowering the lights. Usually I keep the lights about 2" above plants I grow. Thank you for addressing the issue!

And thanks to everyone else. Keep the advice coming while I keep reading threads about what I wish my figs end up looking like :P

Alma, Thank you for the update and the photos! You have a nice setup! I assume the El Molino is the cutting with the largest leaves, right? :) They are not the fast rooters, please be patient. I will replace them in case of failure but all mine have rooted fine and I hope yours will be similar!

Igor, those actually aren't the El Molino. I started your cuttings on the 9th and am playing the waiting game for visual action. The ones leafing out before rooting are the RdB and my single Hunt (all one month of growth so far). I'll keep updating you on the El Molino here. I'm staying optimistic that I won't kill much and have high hopes for massive growth from your cuttings in a month :D

[QUOTE=nepenthes][QUOTE=rcantor]It looks nice.  As someone who uses similar lights I want to let you know that 2 rows of 1 gal pots won't get enough light from one shop light.  Two shop lights side by side will give enough for 3 rows  of pots.  Walmart has the cheapest shop lights (T8s) and Home Despot has the cheapest bulbs.[/QUOTE] Hey Bob, just out of curiosity, do you mean a single tube fluorescent hood or a hood that holds two T8s (like I have pictured) when talking about the shop lights? I haven't gotten around to lowering the lights. Usually I keep the lights about 2" above plants I grow. Thank you for addressing the issue! And thanks to everyone else. Keep the advice coming while I keep reading threads about what I wish my figs end up looking like :P[/QUOTE]

As far as I know, all shop lights are 2 tube fixtures.  Yours certainly are.  One fixture of 2 lamps will not be enough for 2 rows of pots.  It's barely enough for 1 row centered under it.  Two fixtures side by side work much better.

Also, I arrange my pots by plant height (all the tall plants on one end) and tilt the fixture (The chain on one end is shorter than the other) so the bulbs are 2-3" above all of the plants.

Thanks again, Bob. I'll have to rig something up as supplemental lighting (or wrap everything in mylar) and hope for the best. If I had the cash, I would have gone for 4-tube hood :/

Alma, looks like a good set up to me. The plants seem to like it and thats what counts!

Nice looking set-up you have there.

[QUOTE=DaveL]Alma, looks like a good set up to me. The plants seem to like it and thats what counts![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=PepperMan]Nice looking set-up you have there. [/QUOTE]

Thank you, guys!

And after thinking about it more, I'll be getting another hood the next time I hit up Home Depot. I now see that I'll be needing the extra lumens once the figs all have a decent canopy. I'll probably also drape foil or mylar over it all to keep the light on the plants only. I'm sure my torts will thank me for doing so, too.

Alma, congrats on your new plants! Looks like you know what you are doing...Love that setup, looks like mine..Good Luck ; )

Really nice looking! Can I ask, did you have the light on them even when they were just sticks in the 1-gallons? (Meaning they had no roots or leaves...?)

[QUOTE=luigiwu]Really nice looking! Can I ask, did you have the light on them even when they were just sticks in the 1-gallons? (Meaning they had no roots or leaves...?)[/QUOTE]

For the first batch (the ones started on 1/16-1/17), they had whatever light was in the room. I just recently added the overhead lights once they leafed out (approximately one month). The second batch (2/9) which have no leaves and probably little to no roots are now subjected to the bright light. I suppose this will be an experiment. I've never really given it much thought. Thanks!

And thanks, Frank! Knowing that my set up is similar to yours gives me hope :D

Thanks Alma, I ask about light because I just started some a couple day ago (my first time) and don't have any light on them...
I am in zone 7a and we have winter heating on indoors. How are you achieving those high temps and high humidity in your 'chamber' without any heating pad? I have a heating pad under my storage bin chamber and its still only 73degrees in there...

[QUOTE=luigiwu]Thanks Alma, I ask about light because I just started some a couple day ago (my first time) and don't have any light on them...
I am in zone 7a and we have winter heating on indoors. How are you achieving those high temps and high humidity in your 'chamber' without any heating pad? I have a heating pad under my storage bin chamber and its still only 73degrees in there...[/QUOTE]

I added a 2x8 board as a makeshift shelf into my tortoise enclosure. My tortoises are a tropical species and thrive in such a climate where figs are plentiful. And this is my first time, too! I started growing figs as a way to treat my tortoises :D

[QUOTE=rcantor]Also, I arrange my pots by plant height (all the tall plants on one end) and tilt the fixture (The chain on one end is shorter than the other) so the bulbs are 2-3" above all of the plants.[/QUOTE]


Ahhhh... tilt it!  Some of the obvious things are just not that apparent to me.

Nice set-up, Alma.