Tweet
I've used a number of different methods for propagation over the 5 seasons I have been propagating figs: paper towel or moss rooting followed by conventional potting up, peat pots, root riot, and mini-SIPs. All have worked at least ok but the method I'm using this year is the best so far.
I haven't invented anything new – rather it is a combination of two methods previous described on the figs4fun forum. I started with cuttings lacking a terminal bud and wrapped the region to be exposed to air, as well as about ½-1 inch below soil level, with stretched out parafilm (see timclymer method in the first link). I then scored the bottom of the cutting a bit as well; no rooting hormone was used.
Cuttings were “planted” in mini-SIPs made as previously described by ascpete (see links 2-5). I used a premoistened 2-2-1 mix (coconut coir-peat-perlite) with 1 cup of dolomite agricultural lime per 5 gallons of mix. Because I had a gnat problem about a month ago I layered on about ½ inch of play sand on top of the mix in each mini-SIP; omit this if you don’t have gnats. On the day I set up a cutting I add about ¼ inch of water to the reservoir but under my conditions I don’t usually need to add more water until the cutting is starting to show roots and leaves. I then keep about ¼-1/2 of water (with ¼-1/2 teaspoon of foliage pro per gallon) in the reservoir at all times. What you want to see at steady-state is that the top ~ 1/3 of the soil is dry (lighter colored) while the rest is moist. Mini-SIPs work great if you can get the right combination of mix and wicking action so that the proper amount of water is being pulled into the mix. FYI, the wick is a 6 in x 1 in strip of Pellon Thermolam Plus that is cut lengthwise down the middle except for the final 1 inch which is the part that dangles into the reservior. The final link from ascpete describes the wick in more detail.
A humidity bin is not needed. However, because my room is rather cold (60-65 degrees) I put my mini-SIPs in a bin with a heating mat under so that they are around 70-80 degrees. There is no moisture in the bin except for what comes from the mini-SIPs themselves. The cuttings in the photos were started a various times (Jan. 17, first week of Feb. and last weekend). The January cuttings are all doing well. I’ll post additional results later. I plan to keep them growing in the mini-SIPs until they are partly hardened off to conditions outdoors in the Spring and then pot them up.
The advantages of this method are that: (1) it is a one step method; there are no separate rooting and potting up steps, (2) you always know how much water to add, (3) you can use very large cuttings (as opposed to root riot) as well as small ones, and (4) a bin is not needed (other than for temperature).
A disadvantage is that if you are propagating large numbers of cuttings (like 25 or more) making all the mini-SIPs would be a lot of work. If I were doing a huge number I would replace the mini-SIPs with tree pots like timclymer and Harvey have described.
http://www.threefoldfarm.org/blog/si...ig-propagation
http://insideurbangreen.typepad.com/...925c2a0970c-pi
http://www.insideurbangreen.org/recy...psoda-bottles/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greensc...7604735985648/
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....0&postcount=89
I haven't invented anything new – rather it is a combination of two methods previous described on the figs4fun forum. I started with cuttings lacking a terminal bud and wrapped the region to be exposed to air, as well as about ½-1 inch below soil level, with stretched out parafilm (see timclymer method in the first link). I then scored the bottom of the cutting a bit as well; no rooting hormone was used.
Cuttings were “planted” in mini-SIPs made as previously described by ascpete (see links 2-5). I used a premoistened 2-2-1 mix (coconut coir-peat-perlite) with 1 cup of dolomite agricultural lime per 5 gallons of mix. Because I had a gnat problem about a month ago I layered on about ½ inch of play sand on top of the mix in each mini-SIP; omit this if you don’t have gnats. On the day I set up a cutting I add about ¼ inch of water to the reservoir but under my conditions I don’t usually need to add more water until the cutting is starting to show roots and leaves. I then keep about ¼-1/2 of water (with ¼-1/2 teaspoon of foliage pro per gallon) in the reservoir at all times. What you want to see at steady-state is that the top ~ 1/3 of the soil is dry (lighter colored) while the rest is moist. Mini-SIPs work great if you can get the right combination of mix and wicking action so that the proper amount of water is being pulled into the mix. FYI, the wick is a 6 in x 1 in strip of Pellon Thermolam Plus that is cut lengthwise down the middle except for the final 1 inch which is the part that dangles into the reservior. The final link from ascpete describes the wick in more detail.
A humidity bin is not needed. However, because my room is rather cold (60-65 degrees) I put my mini-SIPs in a bin with a heating mat under so that they are around 70-80 degrees. There is no moisture in the bin except for what comes from the mini-SIPs themselves. The cuttings in the photos were started a various times (Jan. 17, first week of Feb. and last weekend). The January cuttings are all doing well. I’ll post additional results later. I plan to keep them growing in the mini-SIPs until they are partly hardened off to conditions outdoors in the Spring and then pot them up.
The advantages of this method are that: (1) it is a one step method; there are no separate rooting and potting up steps, (2) you always know how much water to add, (3) you can use very large cuttings (as opposed to root riot) as well as small ones, and (4) a bin is not needed (other than for temperature).
A disadvantage is that if you are propagating large numbers of cuttings (like 25 or more) making all the mini-SIPs would be a lot of work. If I were doing a huge number I would replace the mini-SIPs with tree pots like timclymer and Harvey have described.
http://www.threefoldfarm.org/blog/si...ig-propagation
http://insideurbangreen.typepad.com/...925c2a0970c-pi
http://www.insideurbangreen.org/recy...psoda-bottles/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/greensc...7604735985648/
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....0&postcount=89
Comment