Rooting Fig Cuttings: Methodology... The How's and Why's

[AscPete]

There are several methods for rooting fig cuttings with an almost unlimited amount of variations practiced by each grower, the successful methods all have solutions for reducing or eliminating fungal, bacterial and insect infestation, creating a healthy ambient environment for root initialization / growth and providing fertilization, water and light for healthy vegetative growth.


The most used and recommended methods for Dormant fig cuttings are:
Pre-rooting in bag or container;
Baggie Method with paper towels or newspaper, (1)
Baggie method with Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss, (2)
Baggie method with Long Fibered Sphagnum Moss, (3)
Tupperware method with perlite, (4)
Tupperware method with Coco Coir, (5)

Pre-rooting in cup;
Cup Method with perlite or mix, (6)

Pre-rooting in water;
Standing water, (7)
Standing water, (21)
Hydroponic and Aeroponic rooting, (8)

Direct Plant in containers;
Direct plant Cup, (9)
Direct plant in pot, (10)
Direct plant in pot, (11)

Direct Plant in ground;
Planted in garden or orchard ().

The recommended methods for green or actively growing cuttings are the same as those used for Propagating Stem or Soft Wood Cuttings, (24), (26):
Green (Summer) fig cuttings;
Hydroponic or Aeroponic rooting, (8)
Standing water, (21)
Pot/Humidity dome, (25)
Pot/Humidity dome, (27)
Cup/Humidity dome, (28)


The listed propagation methods all have different procedures or techniques, but they have the same common goals. They are able to keep the rooting variables within the desired optimal ranges;
A. Warm temperature and high Humidity - Temp of 72*F - 78*F and RH of 85% - 90% at the cutting's surface
For faster Callusing and root growth. When the temperature is maintained and the medium is kept barely moist, the humidity in an enclosure (humidity chamber or dome) will usually remain in the optimal range. Temperatures below 78*F also decreases the growth of harmful microbes that cause mold, rot and attract Fungus Gnats.

B. Low pH - for decreased microbial activity, pH, 5.0 - 6.5, (22)
The pH can be easily adjusted, and it should be, at least for the initial pre-rooting and rooting stages. Moistened Sphagnum Moss and Coco Coir start out at a pH level at the low end of the optimal range which also decreases the growth of harmful microbes that cause mold, rot and attract Fungus Gnats.

C. High air/oxygen exchange - well aerated rooting medium or potting mix removes CO2 and gasses.
The medium should be well aerated with larger particles, (12) , (23) sifting will usually remove small particles and increase aeration. Bottom watering also helps to keep the medium from settling and helps maintain air spaces in the mix which also decreases the growth of harmful microbes that cause mold, rot and attract Fungus Gnats.

D. Early fertilization - decreases reliance on the cutting's stored reserves.
Fertilization is dependent on the media used to root and grow out the cuttings. If an inert medium (Perlite, Scoria, Sand, etc) is used, early addition of a dilute balanced fertilizer will ensure healthy continuous growth. When potting mix or soil is used the initial fertilizer charge will be able to provide initial fertilization, but early dilute fertilization is still required.


Creating separate stages, (13), (14) will help to organize and simplify the rooting procedures. In many of the Direct Plant rooting methods stages #2 and #3 are combined into one but separating out these two will result in earlier and faster root development since increased attention to the optimal growing conditions (temperature and Humidity) will result in fastest transition through stage #2. The stages for propagating dormant fig cutting should be as follows;
1. Initial preparation of the cuttings, cleaning, trimming and treating.
The cuttings can be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), Physan20 (disinfectant) or similar product, trimmed to size, (19) top cut ends sealed with wax or pruning sealer and if desired treated with rooting hormone, (20). In addition I also pre-hydratethe cuttings in soggy Coco Coir for 1 - 3 days before applying rooting hormone or proceeding to the next stage.

2. Re-hydration of the dormant cuttings, callusing and rooting without light.
All dormant cuttings have to be re-hydrated to get the cambium layers growing for callus and root development or "cellular differentiation", (15). This process is sped up by maintaining the optimal temperature, humidity and air exchange. In Direct Plant methods this pre-rooting is combined with the early part of stage #3. I use a cutting mix of sifted and rinsed pine bark fines, Coco coir, Perlite and Calcined Clay (4-1-1-1 ratio) with a dilute dose of water soluble fertilizer (1/2 tsp per gallon of water) and maintain the optimal temperature range in a dark space to reduce chances of bud break.

3. Growing the rooted cutting in a cutting mix, providing fertilizer, water and light.
Pre-rooted cuttings are up potted to cups or container of well aerated fast draining cutting mix to achieve fast healthy growth, many growers use commercially available potting mixes sometimes with added sifted Perlite for aeration. At this stage the roots have developed and cooler temperatures are OK if unavoidable. Cuttings can be placed in direct sunlight or under artificial lighting, (30), (31), (32), (33), (34) . I use the custom cutting mix and fertigate (irrigate) (16) the containers with a predetermined amount of dilute fertilizer solution (@ 1 tsp per gallon of water). The actual amount of water is determined by watering a container full of dry cutting mix and noting the volume or water, (17). The containers are placed in front of south facing windows.

4. Transplanting to larger container and a growing potting mix.
Transplant the well rooted hardened cuttings to larger containers with a more water retentive potting mix. I up pot to 1 gallon containers when the smaller rooting containers are full of roots and almost root-bound, like a "plug", its planted in the 1 gallon or larger containers without disturbing the roots or cutting mix. They are then up potted as 1 gallon plugs to 5 gallon SIPs (Sub Irrigated Planters) , (18) when they are almost root bound. The 5 gallon mix is made with Pine Bark fines, Peat and Calcined Clay (2-4-1 ratio).


Propagating fig cuttings, producing root initials and early root development is relatively easy. It can be as simple as placing the cutting inside a closed black plastic bag with an outside ambient temperature of 75deg F and lightly misting every 2 days with water, but growing out the cuttings into healthy trees requires a little more work following one of the proven procedures that provides for the requirements of the growing cuttings.

References:
1. http://figs4fun.com/basics_Rooting.html
2. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4617366
3. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=4108979
4. http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...mmies-from-pen
5. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=7145086
6. http://figs4fun.com/Rooting_Bag_New_Style.html
7. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=5089855
8. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=7023364
9. http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...rooting-method
10. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6692131
11. http://www.threefoldfarm.org/blog/si...ig-propagation
12. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1251.html
13. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....growth-6765676
14. http://www.flor.hrt.msu.edu/assets/U...esplanning.pdf
15. http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/s...agation-02.pdf
16. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6837609
17. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6719728
18. http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...or-fig-culture
19. http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...ng-and-storing
20. http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...-are-you-using
21. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6861031
22. http://tomclothier.hort.net/page13.html
23. http://tomclothier.hort.net/page12.html
24. http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/plant-pr...-home-gardener
25. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z28Gsa5oHMw
26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFL-jEkWSV8
27. http://www.treesofjoy.com/content/ro...d-fig-cuttings
28. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6868363


Artificial Lighting for Fig Cuttings...
30. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....84&postcount=4
31. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6532491
32. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=6724415
33. http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/fac...ite/index.html
34. http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....6&postcount=20

[fitzski]

Pete, thanks for putting this together in one place. I've been reading both forums to figure out what methods work for people and why.

I did ok with rooting last year once I settled on coco coir but this year I want to see if I can get better results than last year.

thanks again.

[AscPete]

You're welcome.
I don't actually favor one method over another since they've all had high success rates, but have settled on the direct plant method using a 'Humidity Chamber' (seedling tray with 7 inch dome) for the first 30 days of the rooting process, stage #2

[fitzski]

I've pretty much settled on coco coir and direct plant. I pretty much split them between the two last winter but I will say there were some stubborn cuttings that didn't root via the direct plant (probably because I gave up too early on them) that rooted after a few months in the coco coir.

One thing I will be doing this year is the re-hydration before rooting to see how much of a difference it will make. I didn't do that at all last year.

I'm going to try and pay more attention this year with my cuttings and maybe try to write some of the information down for future reference.

[AscPete]

I've also settled on a Coir mix for rooting cuttings with the Pine Bark Fines for aeration. Good luck, looking forward to comparing notes .
The pre-hydration works and can even be done at colder temperatures like in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator.

[ross]

Pete,

Thanks for doing this. I just wish you did sooner, haha. I've been working on a thread on F4F for the past few days now. At any rate it's been a good learning experience creating the thread. Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....67&postcount=1

-Ross

[AscPete]

You're welcome.
Thanks for the link.
I've been meaning to update and compile some of my older topics and the recent topics on cuttings gave me the incentive.
I'll also be updating this topic and the OP with appropriate photos...

[Jamie0507]

I can't even tell you how awesome & perfectly timed this post is Pete! As you know, I've had some issues with knowing how deeply one would score a cutting (if that's what they want to do) and have ruined a few by scoring too deeply. With all the info on this post, I was able to easily find a link with a great pic that Illustrates the concept perfectly! I probably would not have found that pic on my own, so I really appreciate all the great info you made available in just one post!
I do have a question though. I followed your suggestion of getting an airstone to increase the oxygen available to the cutting when rehydrating in water. I started out with hot well water (130 degrees), but it quickly got quite cold afterwards.. Is that ok or should I be putting the mason jar w/water & cuttings onto a heat mat? Also, do you suggest adding any hydrogen peroxide, light fertigation, or to decrease the ph of the water the cuttings are being rehydrated in? My well water is in the 7.0- 7.4 range. Or does it not matter since they will only be in there for a few days at most? What do you think of rehydrating the cuttings in aerated water? I know you like the moss and coir method for this, but I always seem to get mold when I try that way so wanted to give the aerated water a try. Just curious & hope to get some feedback on this. Really hoping to increase my success rates & lessen my chances of misunderstanding important concepts..

Ohhh! One more question.. So when you are girdling a branch for an airlayer, are you going deeper than what you would for scoring? I've seen videos on this that look to be removing the cambium layer entirely (passed the green & down to the white). I think this is what confused me & made me think scoring was also down to the white (pyth? Xylem?).

Thanks a bunch!

[AscPete]

You're welcome.

Aerating the water for the 1 - 3 day hydration is not necessary since there is little chance that there will be any mold growth in a closed container in that short a time period. The same temperature recommendations apply when using a water rooting method, the cuttings (and water) need to be kept at ~75 deg F, The use of warm water ('hot to the touch') to hydrate stored older cuttings was recommended in an early document on propagating fig cuttings, I've used hot tap water (6.5 pH) to hydrate Sphagnum Moss (pH 5) or Coir (pH 5.5) just prior to rooting cuttings and have let the temperature drop back down to ~75 deg F. So starting off with warm water is OK. For the initial hydration of 1 - 3 days soaking or hydrating can even be done in the crisper of the refrigerator at cold temperatures to further reduce the chances of mold growth, but for that short a period the chances are minimal.

I don't use the pre-rooting in water methods for dormant cuttings because the entire cutting needs to be hydrated not just the bottom end. Pre-rooting in water works better with green or actively growing cuttings because the vascular system is still active. Its basically the normal commercial hydroponic or aeroponic methods and procedures.

Yes, girdling actually removes the cambium layer and the bark down to the Xylem. In air layering the girdle or gap stops the flow of hormones (auxins down and cytokines up) to allow root formation at the top of the girdle. If the cambium was intact the girdle would callus over and root formation would not occur. For rooting cuttings scoring exposes the cambium layer to the air so that calluses can form to produce roots. Rooting hormones provide added auxins to promote faster callusing and root development at the exposed cambium layer.

[rayrose]

If you pre root in a cup, are you saying that you have to soak in water, dormant cuttings that have been stored in the crisper door, and if so, for how long?

[AscPete]

The 1 - 3 day pre-hydration or soak is not absolutely necessary but in my experience it will decrease the rooting time by more than a week because it reduces the amount of time the cutting sits and soaks up available moisture.

Using the 'soak' I've been able to consistently root 1 year old stored cuttings at almost the same rate as when they were freshly stored.

[AscPete]

Jamie,
I don't currently use the water rooting methods for dormant cuttings they have been used successfully for that application by forum members and myself in the past. IMO it takes much longer to root dormant cuttings using water than the other methods.

The rooting instructions supplied by the commercial cloner manufacturers, http://www.horizenhydroponics.com/fi...structions.pdf will apply to fig cuttings with a minor variation of not cutting the bottom of fig cuttings at 45 degrees, but instead cutting them just below a node.

Cloning Instructions
1 Take 2 - 4 inch long cuttings. Remove larger leaves, in order to reduce transpiration.
2 With a clean, sterile blade, re-cut the bottom of the cutting at a 45-degree angle under water to prevent air embolisms.
3 Place a clone in each neoprene insert.
4 Place clone machine 1 - 2 feet below fluorescent lighting.
5 Fill the reservoir with purified water.
6 Add one ounce of Power Clone Solution per gallon of water, or substitute alternative Cloning Solution as recommended per label.
7 Add 2 - 5 ml of AquaShield per gallon of water.
8 Adjust pH level to 5.8 - 6.2
9 Maintain cloning solution temperature at 72 - 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
10 Run clone machine 24 hours a day.
11 Mist the leaves with water once or twice daily.
12 Clones will root in approximately 3 - 10 days.
13 When roots begin to emerge, add 15ml. of Power Flower™ or preferred bloom formula plant food per gallon of water to aid in root development.
14 Solution should not need to be changed before the cuttings root.

REMEMBER:
Thoroughly disinfect the clone machine in between each use. Run a 1 - 10 part mild solution of Clorox or hydrogen peroxide through the pump and system. Then rinse completely with water and vinegar solution at the same ratio.

The hydroponic bubble cloners work to root green cuttings and is simple and inexpensive to build, http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....5&postcount=14 the cost can be further reduced by eliminating the 2" net pots and making the holes smaller (14 holes max. @ 1-3/4" diam) to accommodate the 2" neoprene plugs. This Oxyclone instruction video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fU3WNpi2pbw has similar basic setup procedure to the DIY shoebox Bubble Cloner.

[Jamie0507]

This is great stuff Pete, I definitely have making one of these bubble cloners on my list of must do projects for the winter! Thank you for providing all of this great info/links, this forum is fig newbie heaven really!
I think I need to learn all these differences between dormant cuttings & cuttings that were actively growing. As I read your comment to my first post I realized that Ive been wanting to continue treating my new dormant cuttings the same way I treated my actively growing cuttings this past summer! So there's another mistake I've been making!

Thank goodness you posted all this excellent info when you did.. I know I sure as heck needed it.. Badly!

[AscPete]

Glad I could help.

[Rafaelissimmo]

Hi Pete, your hydration in soggy coco coir is listed under step 1. Is this the same as the rehydration in step 2? If not, how are they different? Just curious to understand, I am a fan of the 1-3 day soggy soak you have been writing about for several years now.

[AscPete]

You're correct it should be Pre-hydration in step #1 and re-hydration is correct for step #2. Thanks for pointing that out, I'll make the change.

The difference is that 'Re-hydration' occurs in every rooting method and is necessary for the dormant cuttings to swell and start the rooting process. The re-hydration occurs slowly with the moss, paper or medium in bags, tupperware containers, pots or cups.

1 to 3 day Pre-hydration is simply an 'initial extra hydration' of the dormant fig cuttings as you know.

[Harborseal]

Just to be clear, I don't use any fertilizer until roots are over an inch long, except for a brief soak in KLN. Are you recommending fertilizer before roots, Pete?

[AscPete]

I don't start fertilizing before roots, but have been hydrating the inert mixes with a dilute nutrient solution (1/2 tsp per gallon of water) for years. Once rooted usually within 30 days the first watering is often done with the same strength nutrient solution and increased to 1 tsp per gallon usually within another 30 days.

Soil, Seed Starting mixes and some Potting Mixes all have an initial fertilizer charge, I've opted to include a dilute initial fertilizer charge in my inert cutting mixes.

[Harborseal]

Thanks. What's your favorite solution?

[AscPete]

I've successfully used Miracle-Gro All Purpose with 1/2-tsp Epsom Salt or Miracle-Gro Tomato, but have been successfully using General Hydroponics MaxiGrow and MaxiBloom for the past 2 season, they are complete fertilizers without any organics that could cause problems with microbes and Fungus Gnats.

[LouNeo]

Like everyone else said, thank you for putting this together.

I am in the middle of rooting 150 cuttings and tried most of those methods all at once in a crash course. In the future the only way I will root cuttings is vertically in plastic cups. instead of each having its own humidity dome I have them standing up in deep clear walmart bins using Perlite to retain some water in the bottom for humidity purposes and to hold the cups upright. As different cuttings progress into different stages I shuffle them around the bins so they are all in the same "stage". I did have good luck putting them horizontally in potting mix for a couple weeks to preroot them prior to putting them in cups but its stressful trying not to break roots when moving.

The newest issue I just ran into that your post clarifies for me is.. I have a bunch of cuttings that are rooting, 40 or so have 2-3 sets of leaves on them so I took the lids off my bins and was wondering why it looked like some were wilting. I missed the memo of gradually introducing them to ambient humidity. Fingers crossed they take to the lids being back on. Its been 1.5 days at ambient.

[AscPete]

Lou,
You're welcome.

Good luck with your cuttings!

I try to use the humidity chambers as little as possible, usually only for stage #2 (rooting) to maintain optimal temperature and humidity. Once rooted they are removed from the chamber as soon as possible and lightly misted daily if needed. The only time that I use the chambers for any extended periods is if the cutting has bud break without roots, the increased humidity will often keep the leaves growing to help with the root growth.

Attached is a flow chart that was produced during a discussion (linked in OP) on establishing stages of rooting, http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox....growth-6765676

[LouNeo]

This is yesterday when I took the lid off and today just before I put the lid back on. You can see how beautiful the leaves were on those two but they seem to have taken it really hard but I figure if I can get them loving it again I can ween them to ambient. Will check out the flowchart and try to digest it! Obviously this is my first time so im excited anything is happening. I have some other questions but dont want to clutter this post up so will make a new one with those. Thanks for dealing with us newbies!

*edit: These cuttings were started on October 19th so they are still only 2-2.5 weeks old so that might be a big part of it.

[AscPete]

You may have to continue using the humidity dome and lights to maintain the leaves and to help grow more roots. At this stage the cuttings (without roots) are putting all their reserves into bud growth.

Since the dormant cuttings do not have an active vascular system the higher ambient humidity is needed to keep the leaves alive, that is why I usually try to avoid 'leaves without roots'.

[LouNeo]

It makes 100% sense. With that said, the horse is already out of the barn on this one lol. So now its trying to figure out the best route to go. I will sleep on it, I may look to see what has no roots and remove some of the leaves tomorrow. Thanks again for your help and advice.

[AscPete]

Take a look at the flow chart and the linked post. The usual procedure is to maintain the humidity chambers and wean them slowly to ambient humidity as roots continue to develop. Good luck.

[smithmal]

Pete,

This is awesome. Thanks for taking the time to write this all done. This year I'm using a 3 day pre-soak and method #9 which I had great success with last year until I botched the up-pot and fert step.

It would be cool if you also added the following info
1. Differences between dealing with green/fresh/dormant cuttings when rooting (if any)
2. Dealing with fungus/mold/gnats during the rooting/up-potting stage
3. Indoor lighting requirements (types of light & hours of exposure)

[AscPete]

You're welcome.
Good luck with your cuttings, its a learning curve, gets better with practice.

[AscPete]

Malcolm,
To address your comments;

1. The difference is that green cuttings already have an active vascular system and need to be treated like any other stem cuttings. The C. pre-rooting in water and or any standard 'Propagation by Stem Cuttings' (Google search) , like http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/plant-pr...-home-gardener will work...

2. I will include more info on dealing with infestations but starting off with inert or clean potting material, keeping the pH low and never over watering can reduce or eliminate all those problems.

3. I don't use artificial lighting when rooting my cutting and the majority of my cuttings are rooted indoors, they are placed in front of south facing windows. Several members use artificial lighting for growing out rooted cuttings and the simplest (and least expensive) consists of 4 ft shop lights with 6500K lamps for vegetative growth. I will add a few links to the OP.


Photo by member timclymer , from the link in the OP, http://www.threefoldfarm.org/blog/si...ig-propagation

[smithmal]

Pete,

Thanks for the info. In terms of lighting, that's what I do as well (bays of 4' T8 shop lights using 6500k bulbs). I have my lights on 15hrs/day. Not sure if it needs more or less as that is what I also do with my veggie seedlings in the spring

[Visceral]

Great Info AscPete! If using the direct planting in container option for rooting, the question I had (until I googled it just now) was which side is up on a cutting. A tapered cutting seems obvious, but a non-tapering stick for a novice would be confusing.

http://figs4fun.com/More_Info_Cutting_Direction.html

[AscPete]

Thanks.
Its been explained as a smile the bottom lip faces down, the leaf scars have a rounded bottom. Keep the smiles upright.

[jmaler]

Thanks Pete. Glad all these methods are in one place. Now if I can find when I need it.

[AscPete]

You're welcome.
Hopefully if will be placed in the Index on the 1st page.

[fitzski]

Ok, Pete. Two more questions that were not clear from all the links.

1) For the rehydration, how soggy is soggy? I plan on using coco coir. Should I fill a bucket with water, put coir in it for a few days and then pour off the excess water?

2) I plan on using Dip n Grow after rehydration. Do you cut the ends before dipping in the hormone?

[AscPete]

1. On the Coir package there is usually an actual amount of water listed for rehydration and I've been using hot tap water with the instructed amount. Soggy is when it drains water when squeezed. If you soak and drain excessively the pH value will increase closer to that of the water which decreases the benefits, the same pH issue applies when using Sphagnum Moss.

Coir is used damp for actual pre-rooting and it should not drain any water when squeezed.

2. Yes the bottom ends are freshly cut just below the bottom node, if the original cut is just below the bottom node then I use a razor (Utility knife) to remove a thin slice to expose fresh Cambium layer.

[drewk]

AscPete would it be a bad idea to add vinegar or another acid to the water to help lower the pH?

[lifigs]

Pete thanks for packing a ton of useful information in one concise location.

[AscPete]

You're welcome.
I'm always on the lookout for informative and concise topics and links.

[ross]

Pete,

I'm about to hit the 30 day mark on some of my cuttings. Some have visible roots along the cups... others don't. On this batch of cuttings, I wasn't aware that I should hydrate, score, fertilize or use rooting hormone, so I'm doubting that some have any root development at all. I carefully took a few out of their cups, and saw no development. Should I do this for all of them, and repeat the proper process over again? Any signs to lookout for?

-Ross

[AscPete]

'hydrate, score, fertilize or use rooting hormone' are only some of the techniques used in the rooting methods to speed or increase rooting rates. Usually the process is just 'continued' until it takes, so yes, repeat the process over again. Good Luck.

[ross]

Pete,

I took your advice and checked them all with the appropriate steps, but I noticed this on the bottom of 3 of my cuttings. Is this mold? The color was a greenish/gray.

[AscPete]

The photo is a bit unclear, but if there's mold or rot you can remove the bottom section of the cutting and resume rooting the shorter piece, you should also rinse the shortened cutting in a 1 to 3 part 3% hydrogen peroxide or 1 to 9 part (10%) bleach solution before restarting the rooting procedure. Good Luck.

What rooting or pre-rooting procedure are you using on that cutting? and Are you maintaining rooting temperatures above 72 deg F? Thanks.

[ross]

On these particular 3 cuttings, I didn't do a whole lot. I didn't even clean them right. Temperature & humidity was off. I learned a lot since, and adjusted my methods.

I'm using 80% perlite & 20% sphagnum peat moss. How's the PH on that? Also, I'm gonna see if I can increase aeration.

Do you have any links to pictures of cuttings with mold on them, pete? Above and below the soil would help... I know I'm supposed to check daily for mold, but I really don't even know what I'm looking for. I appreciate the help.

[AscPete]

To better answer and diagnose the problem you should start a new topic detailing your rooting method and specific procedures that were used. Ill be happy to contribute more detailed info.

From the rooting mix my guess is that its a direct plant method, and without measuring there is no way to tell the pH, but starting off with pH adjust water or bottled spring water with the 1/2 teaspoon of MG All purpose will get the waters pH into the 6 range, perlite starts off at about a pH of 7. The bottom of the cup could be water logged which can cause rot to start, the mix should always be pre-watered initially and just moist to help with this issue. It should not be top watered which flushes all the smaller particles to the bottom of the cup.

I don't have any specific photos for mold, but a Google search would work. Often the mold appears as fluffy white or light grey filaments around the cutting, similar to bread mold. There may also be darker mold that looks similar to mildew.

[ross]

Pete, can you elaborate on scoring and callusing? My understanding is that scoring increasing callusing, which is where roots will form. Is there any disadvantage to scoring too much?

[SCfigFanatic]

I did a write up on scoring the bark years ago on f4f.
Pete had to do a test to test it. I have found over the years
that scoring can lead to rotting quicker and I no longer score anything.
Over all success rate seems higher without the scoring at all.
Pete may still be scoring but I no longer recommend it.
Cut the bottom of the cutting for a clean end then plant.

Doug

[rayrose]

Doug,
I don't quite understand your post. You posted back on March 26, that you use a
horizontal score under the last node and that you've used this the last two years
with great success.

[AscPete]

Doug,
When I tested scoring with hormone the cuttings developed excessive roots which often lead to cutting failures due to 'burnout', since then I've advocated scoring only for larger caliper cuttings to get the hormone through the bark and down to the cambium layer.

Scoring without hormone treatment exposes the Cambium and more tender layers that are usually protected by the Bark to soil microbes some of which can and do cause rot.

That's why I generally only recommend a 'fresh' cut just below the node when starting the rooting process. it exposes a ring of cambium and minimal exposure of the other layers due to the node joint.

[AscPete]

Ross,
Scoring exposes more of the cambium layers to rooting hormone (if used), moisture, air, soil microbes and eventually callusing.

As Doug mentioned above exposing more of the tender layers to soil microbes can lead to rotting and or excessive callus formation when rooting hormone is used. I don't use scoring on cuttings with a caliper of less than 1 inch, but will add a couple of very thing short (1/2 inch long) scores to cuttings larger than 1inch when using rooting hormone, to get the hormones thru the bark and down to the cambium layer. Several Forum members including myself have also posted on the disadvantage of producing too much roots and delaying or stopping bud break when using rooting hormones, which has been documented in the horticultural community with other plants.

For the smaller caliper cuttings a fresh bottom cut that exposes a "ring" of cambium layer is all that's been necessary, http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...-in-containers as I've mentioned in the topic on my current rooting procedures using the Direct Plant in Cup and Rooting in Bag Methods.

[Rewton]

Pete, this provides great information. It seems that every time I root a batch of cuttings I encounter different issues so the "hows and whys" are very useful to know. The batch that I have going now were dipped for a few seconds in a 10x dilution of dip 'n grow. They were then rooted in spangnum moss just to the point of seeing roots and were then potted up in a variation of the 3 cup method i.e. with a cup with ~ 3 holes as a "humidity dome" over each cutting. What I have observed with this batch is quite a bit of root development and extremely slow leaf development. None of them have real leaves yet although one has broken bud and some others have buds greening up and swelling. My question is whether added humidity is needed if you have extensive root development and no leaves. I'm thinking not but it would be interesting to hear other's opinions. I'm not sure what the ambient humidity is but it isn't bone dry - it will be more dry in the middle of winter.

[SCfigFanatic]

I'm not pete but I have found that when there are very few leaves and buds swelling its time
to add holes slowly to your top cup. Letting it adjust to your room humidity.
Within a week to 2 weeks it will will do better without the dome.

Doug

[Rewton]

Doug, I think there is currently 3-4 holes in the upper cup and there is always condensation on the walls. The cuttings have been in their cups for 2-3 weeks and most have a lot of roots showing on the wall of the cup. It seems to me that if the only purposes of the additional humidity is to support the leaves with in the case of limited root development. In my case (with lots of roots but no leaves) I am thinking that I could just take the cup off completely at this point. Does that make sense?

[Rewton]

I should also mention that the cuttings are in a room that stays around 70-75 degrees and they are in front of a south facing window.

[ross]

I removed some humidity domes today and got wilted leaves on a few. I definitely rushed it. My advice--take your time.