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After trialing most of the published dormant fig cutting rooting methods with hundreds of cuttings I've settled on 2 methods that I consider to be the simplest which gets the best and fastest results they are Pre-rooting in bag and Direct Plant in containers. The only difference between the two methods is the added "Pre-rooting in bag" step 2A before potting. Since I'm a gardener\hobbyist and not looking to propagate hundreds of cuttings at a time, I can perform a few additional steps that usually insure a very high rooting success rate often over 98% with the Pre-rooting in Bag and 95% with the Direct Rooting. The following steps are my current practiced rooting procedures;
Steps:
1. Preparation the cuttings; 1 - 3 days
a. Clean with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water)
b. Trim the ends of the cutting if needed and seal the top cut ends with wax or pruning sealer.
c. Pre-hydrate the cuttings by placing them in soggy Coco Coir initially 120F (or hot water with a pH of 5 - 6) in a sealed container for 1 - 3 days. The container can be stored at room temperature or placed in the refrigerator.
d. The bottoms ends are freshly cut just below the bottom note to expose the cambium layer (ring) then Dip n Grow hormone at a 10X dilution (1 part Dip N Grow to 9 parts water) is then brushed on the bottom node and the fresh cut.
2. Hydration of the dormant cuttings: Direct Plant; 3 - 30 days
a. Cutting mix of sifted and rinsed pine bark fines, Coco coir,Perlite and Calcined Clay (4-1-1-1 ratio) is pre-watered with a dilute fertilizer solution (1 Tablespoon/5-gallon or 1/2 teaspoon/gallon)
b. Cuttings are placed in individual cups or nursery pots and placed in a 1020 seedling tray.
c. The trays are sealed in a black garbage bag, placed in a dark location and should be maintained at a temperature of 72F to 78F to promote callusing and root initials.
d. The trays are checked every 2 days, misted with water or with a 25% Hydrogen peroxide solution (1 part 3% peroxide/3 parts water) if there are any visible signs of mold.
e. Once there are signs of root development the trays are moved under clear humidity domes and the cuttings' humidity is decreased daily to match the rooms ambient humidity as quickly as possible.
f. If there are any cuttings with buds and without roots they can be placed under individual humidity domes, inverted 32 oz clear cups with 1 (3/8") hole in the top.
g. The cuttings can be placed in indirect sunlight to continue growth.
3. Growing out the rooted cutting; 31 - 90 days
a. Rooted cupped cuttings are placed in ambient conditions in a south facing window to continue growth.
b. When the mix is almost dry they are watered with a dilute nutrient solution (2 TBS/ 5 gallon or 1 tsp/gallon of water). The 2 liter containers with five (5) cups of cutting mix are always watered with only 6oz. - 8oz. of nutrient solution.
c. The cuttings are trained as single stem plants, the most vigorous shoot is trained vertical and all others are pinched.
4. Transplanting to larger container; 91+ days
a. When the cups are full of roots, almost root bound they are planted into 1 gallon containers with the same well aerated mix.
b. cupped root plugs are left undisturbed when planting into 1 gallon containers and can be planted deeper below the soil line
c. 1 gallon pots are up potted to 5 gallon containers with a growing mix made with Pine Bark fines, Peat and Calcined Clay (2-4-1 ratio). My 5 gallon container of choice for cuttings are single bucket SIPs made from 5 gallon buckets with inverted 10" diam. colanders.
d. the 1 gallon plugs are scored in half (down one side across the bottom and up the opposite side) with a utility razor knife to stop circling roots. and planted in the 5 gallon buckets.
The Methodology and links to other techniques of rooting fig cuttings are explained in another previous topic, http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...ow-s-and-why-s
* This seasons Photos will be added later...
Steps:
1. Preparation the cuttings; 1 - 3 days
a. Clean with a 10% bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water)
b. Trim the ends of the cutting if needed and seal the top cut ends with wax or pruning sealer.
c. Pre-hydrate the cuttings by placing them in soggy Coco Coir initially 120F (or hot water with a pH of 5 - 6) in a sealed container for 1 - 3 days. The container can be stored at room temperature or placed in the refrigerator.
d. The bottoms ends are freshly cut just below the bottom note to expose the cambium layer (ring) then Dip n Grow hormone at a 10X dilution (1 part Dip N Grow to 9 parts water) is then brushed on the bottom node and the fresh cut.
2A. Hydration of the dormant cuttings: Pre-rooting in Bag only; 3 - 30 days
a. The Coco Coir mix is hydrated with a dilute fertilizer solution (1 Tablespoon/5-gallon or 1/2 teaspoon/gallon)
b. Up to 12 cuttings are placed in a 1 gallon ziplock storage bag with approximately 5 cups of barely damp hydrated coco coir potting mix, the Coir used for Pre-hydration (1c.) can be reused for this stage it only needs to be squeezed out until no water drips from the Coir.
c. Plastic bags are inflated, shaken to "fluff" the Coir, placed in a dark location and should be maintained at a temperature of 72F to 78F to promote callusing and root initials. They should be checked for mold and reinflated every 2 days.
d. Once roots appear the cuttings can be cupped following the procedures in Step 2a and 2b.
a. The Coco Coir mix is hydrated with a dilute fertilizer solution (1 Tablespoon/5-gallon or 1/2 teaspoon/gallon)
b. Up to 12 cuttings are placed in a 1 gallon ziplock storage bag with approximately 5 cups of barely damp hydrated coco coir potting mix, the Coir used for Pre-hydration (1c.) can be reused for this stage it only needs to be squeezed out until no water drips from the Coir.
c. Plastic bags are inflated, shaken to "fluff" the Coir, placed in a dark location and should be maintained at a temperature of 72F to 78F to promote callusing and root initials. They should be checked for mold and reinflated every 2 days.
d. Once roots appear the cuttings can be cupped following the procedures in Step 2a and 2b.
a. Cutting mix of sifted and rinsed pine bark fines, Coco coir,Perlite and Calcined Clay (4-1-1-1 ratio) is pre-watered with a dilute fertilizer solution (1 Tablespoon/5-gallon or 1/2 teaspoon/gallon)
b. Cuttings are placed in individual cups or nursery pots and placed in a 1020 seedling tray.
c. The trays are sealed in a black garbage bag, placed in a dark location and should be maintained at a temperature of 72F to 78F to promote callusing and root initials.
d. The trays are checked every 2 days, misted with water or with a 25% Hydrogen peroxide solution (1 part 3% peroxide/3 parts water) if there are any visible signs of mold.
e. Once there are signs of root development the trays are moved under clear humidity domes and the cuttings' humidity is decreased daily to match the rooms ambient humidity as quickly as possible.
f. If there are any cuttings with buds and without roots they can be placed under individual humidity domes, inverted 32 oz clear cups with 1 (3/8") hole in the top.
g. The cuttings can be placed in indirect sunlight to continue growth.
3. Growing out the rooted cutting; 31 - 90 days
a. Rooted cupped cuttings are placed in ambient conditions in a south facing window to continue growth.
b. When the mix is almost dry they are watered with a dilute nutrient solution (2 TBS/ 5 gallon or 1 tsp/gallon of water). The 2 liter containers with five (5) cups of cutting mix are always watered with only 6oz. - 8oz. of nutrient solution.
c. The cuttings are trained as single stem plants, the most vigorous shoot is trained vertical and all others are pinched.
4. Transplanting to larger container; 91+ days
a. When the cups are full of roots, almost root bound they are planted into 1 gallon containers with the same well aerated mix.
b. cupped root plugs are left undisturbed when planting into 1 gallon containers and can be planted deeper below the soil line
c. 1 gallon pots are up potted to 5 gallon containers with a growing mix made with Pine Bark fines, Peat and Calcined Clay (2-4-1 ratio). My 5 gallon container of choice for cuttings are single bucket SIPs made from 5 gallon buckets with inverted 10" diam. colanders.
d. the 1 gallon plugs are scored in half (down one side across the bottom and up the opposite side) with a utility razor knife to stop circling roots. and planted in the 5 gallon buckets.
The Methodology and links to other techniques of rooting fig cuttings are explained in another previous topic, http://www.ourfigs.com/forum/figs-ho...ow-s-and-why-s
* This seasons Photos will be added later...
Okay so no ricer on the squeeze, just good ole hand strength for this job.. Check! I'm thinking I will maybe try the pre-soak in the fridge this time, it may take longer but I may have better luck warding off mold.. I keep getting this sweet foul smell from each one of my cuttings whenever I open up the bag to air it out.. It's happened to each one of my cuttings that went bad in the past month or so.. Using different bags & fresh media too.. I even tried different kinds of sterile media (long fibered moss, perilite, pro-mix HP) but whatever is causing this foul sweet smell gets them every time. Hopefully the coir in the fridge does the trick.. Also my DipNGrow just came in so I will be following your method to the T (10 to 1 dilution, no scoring just making a razor thin fresh slice at the bottom to reveal cambium layer & painting a small amt of RH at the bottom only.. Fingers are crossed, thanks again Pete! One of these days ill get it! 
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