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  • pacifica
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2015
    • 201

    Is this possible or not ?

    Last Fall, I proceed almost 40 cuttings using water and polybag methods. Being my first time last Fall, I was so excited because it was almost 90% success even they were from 2 different varieties only. I started again in this Sept/Oct using polybag and 3 cups methods with 100% perlite in a 16 oz plastic cup, but up to now, only 30% are still alive.This time, I have 6 different varieties. Anyway, my question is : can I remove those that are not good and place them in 16 oz plastic cup filled with water ? Hopefully there will be some miracles in due course.
    I found using 100% perlite is so easy to be dried out. Rather than to see them die, I want to give them a chance to get survived if possible.
    Your comments or responds will be much appreciated.
  • Harborseal
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2015
    • 1667

    #2
    I put a pinch of peat moss on my rinsed perlite to hold a little water and provide a little organic acid. If your cuttings aren't dead you can certainly move them to a different container and rooting method.
    Bob C.
    Kansas City, MO Z6

    Comment


    • pacifica
      pacifica commented
      Editing a comment
      Hi Bob, Please adv if you put peat moss on top of perlite or mix with perlite in a plastic cup to avoid misunderstanding. How can you keep moisture or water if place peat moss on top of perlite ?
  • WillsC
    Admin / Owner
    • Feb 2015
    • 4949

    #3
    If they are not rotted and soft there is still life. Have found that some varieties root better using different methods. What works 90% for one variety may be a disaster on other varieties. Some varieties are just difficult to root, yet that same variety that gives me fits you may find easy with your favorite technique.

    Comment


    • pacifica
      pacifica commented
      Editing a comment
      Hi WillsC ,that make sense to me and I agree with you. Thanks.............
  • paully22
    Senior Member
    • Feb 2015
    • 129

    #4
    Try using this ratio of top soil to perlite 30:70 or root them in spaghnum moss.

    Comment


    • pacifica
      pacifica commented
      Editing a comment
      I did try to look for spaghnum moss in Home Depot, Walmart Rona in B.C. but none of them got it for now. They might have it in Spring.

    • efletche
      efletche commented
      Editing a comment
      My Home Depot has shredded sphagnum moss. Lowe's, however has the whole moss. It is in the small room with their orchids, flowers, and cacti. Plus, there's always Amazon!
  • pacifica
    Senior Member
    • Aug 2015
    • 201

    #5
    Does it make any difference if the perlite needed to be pre-wash or not suggested by member ?
    How to pre-wash perlite for idea ? Any special attention for pre-washing ?

    Comment

    • AscPete
      Fig Phenom
      • Feb 2015
      • 4111

      #6
      In answer to the question in the OP, There would be no harm in trying if the cutting is still alive.
      But IMO, it probably would be best to clean the cutting, seal the ends (pruning sealer) and bury the entire cutting in a larger container of damp, not wet potting mix and hope for the best.

      I usually screen my Perlite through a window screen if there are lots of fines.
      Its then rinsed in a colander with a spray (shower) of water, this helps to rinse the remaining dust and "water" the Perlite.

      Good Luck.


      Pete R - Hudson Valley, NY - zone 5b

      Comment


      • AscPete
        AscPete commented
        Editing a comment
        Yes, safety first when handling any dust, not only Perlite, respirator and stay upwind as mentioned...

      • pacifica
        pacifica commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks Pete ! I tried 4 cuttings this afternoon using 40% peat moss and mixed with 60% perlite and hope they will be survived.

      • AscPete
        AscPete commented
        Editing a comment
        You're welcome and Good Luck...
    • WillsC
      Admin / Owner
      • Feb 2015
      • 4949

      #7
      Originally posted by pacifica View Post
      Does it make any difference if the perlite needed to be pre-wash or not suggested by member ?
      How to pre-wash perlite for idea ? Any special attention for pre-washing ?

      One caution........perlite is nasty stuff. Fine in the soil and when damp but when dry avoid that ultra fine dust it creates as it is very bad for your lungs. I do 4cf bags at a time and I wear a respirator, dust mask would be about useless. For small batches do it outside and make sure the wind is at your back so the wind moves that fine dust away from you. As an aside my ducks love the stuff, they eat it like candy, strange dang birds. Guess they sense it has a mineral they want or that it would be good for grinding in their crop.

      Comment


      • BrooklynMatty
        BrooklynMatty commented
        Editing a comment
        I've also heard people will soak the whole bags of perlite by cutting holes in the bottom and running a garden hose through the top to get all the residual dust out of the bag. I was inhaling that stuff this summer and i dont want to do it again.

      • COGardener
        COGardener commented
        Editing a comment
        Just 4cf bags? Not a pallet split in some manor with Hershell that we need to guess the weight of? ??

      • WillsC
        WillsC commented
        Editing a comment
        Lol nope just bags that I buy from the dudes which is what I call the very nice but totally stoned out guys that run the local hydroponic shop.
    • pacifica
      Senior Member
      • Aug 2015
      • 201

      #8
      Hi All, I never pay such attention to this harmful when using perlite for cuttings. In this case, I better remove all cuttings from each cup filled with perlite outside and insert in a cup filled with tap water to be easy and safe since I did that last Fall and was pretty successful. Please correct me if I am wrong with many thanks.

      Comment

      • COGardener
        Fig Phenom
        • Feb 2015
        • 3333

        #9
        I take the bag outside, dump it into a colander with the wind blowing away from me, and rinse it with the hose.

        I then put the new rinsed perlite into a resealable bag till I'm ready to use it.
        Scott - Colorado Springs, CO - Zone 4/5 (Depending on the year) - Elevation 6266ft

        “Though the problems of the world are increasingly complex, the solutions remain embarrassingly simple.” – Bill Mollison

        Comment


        • pacifica
          pacifica commented
          Editing a comment
          Thanks for the procedure.
      • WillsC
        Admin / Owner
        • Feb 2015
        • 4949

        #10
        Originally posted by pacifica View Post
        Hi All, I never pay such attention to this harmful when using perlite for cuttings. In this case, I better remove all cuttings from each cup filled with perlite outside and insert in a cup filled with tap water to be easy and safe since I did that last Fall and was pretty successful. Please correct me if I am wrong with many thanks.


        The perlite is fine......just if you are going to run it through a sieve watch out for the dust. Other than that perlite is a great product, no worries. Once damp it is harmless.

        Comment


        • pacifica
          pacifica commented
          Editing a comment
          Thanks..........
      • pacifica
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2015
        • 201

        #11
        I have a few cuttings are still alive but does not look like very healthy, can I apply a mild fertilizer that you can recommend to help them grow better ? I have never done this before ( to put fertilizer ) so I need help to guide me how to apply to avoid killing those cuttings that I still have them alive.

        Comment


        • Jamie0507
          Jamie0507 commented
          Editing a comment
          I'm new to figs just this past summer, but I'm almost 100% sure you don't want to fertilize until you have roots. It may actually hurt them rather than help them. Did you use rooting hormone before you planted them in the cup the first time? If not, or even if you did come to think of it, you could treat/re-treat them again & it may help. Honestly though, I think you have to just leave them be & they will do their thing. I know its so hard to walk away & you want to do something for them to help them over the hump.. But really they seem to thrive on neglect! Lol! Sounds nuts but its true! I Wish u lots of luck with them!
      • pacifica
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2015
        • 201

        #12
        Hi Jamie, I did put hornone and I see some roots in each cup, but because too much moisture inside, so I re-pot them using 100% perlite, then I found they were easy to be dried out and I need to spray them every few days to ensure they are damp. The leaves does not look healthy, so I thought fertilizer might help.

        Comment


        • Jamie0507
          Jamie0507 commented
          Editing a comment
          Hi Pacifica Ohh I didn't know you had roots, thats an encouraging sign then! You may yet have hope! So reading through your thread again I see you now have them in 60% perilite/40%peat moss correct? As long as you have some roots I think you could fertilize a tiny little bit, but definitely be sparing.. Maybe dilute the fertilizer to only a quarter strength... Or perhaps mix a weak solution & just use it as a light foliar spray instead of putting into the soil? I know the leaves can absorb some nutrition/water for the cuttings, but remember I'm new at this too so I dont want to guide you the wrong way.. Do you have any pics of the plants so we can see them? Sometimes a pic can really help a lot.. Ohh one more question.. What fertilizer are you thinking of using?

          AscPete WillsC COGardener ?? Is my advice sound or no?
          Last edited by Jamie0507; 12-12-2015, 09:14 AM. Reason: To properly mention/notify Pete, Wills, and Scott. Just learned how to do that!lol
      • pacifica
        Senior Member
        • Aug 2015
        • 201

        #13
        Hi Jamie, Attached are two images for your reference.
        You may only view thumbnails in this gallery. This gallery has 2 photos.
        Last edited by pacifica; 12-12-2015, 04:44 PM.

        Comment

        • Jamie0507
          Fig Phenom
          • Aug 2015
          • 1000

          #14
          That is helpful Pacifica, thanks for posting The one on the left looks pretty good to me, and even the one on the right does too besides one drooping leaf.. Perhaps it is a little bit thirsty.. This is the tricky part with rooting cuttings, they have to be just moist enough not to dry out completely but better to be a little too dry than too wet I think. If it were me, I would probably make a very weak mix of diluted fertilizer & water & put in a spray bottle and just use as a foliar treatment & spray the leaves a little bit.. Especially the droopy one. I use foliage pro and I'm super happy with it, but I believe ascpete uses Miracle Grow liquid fertilizer at half the amount that the directions recommend with great results. It could very well be that your baby figs are looking for a little nutrition now since then do have roots and they are in a hydroponic mix (perilite & peat moss) with no naturally occurring nutrients like regular garden soil already has in it. That's what I would do anyway They do look pretty good though considering how much you had to move them earlier on!
          My Plant Inventory: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...HZcBjcsxMwQ7iY

          Cuttings Available 2022:
          https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...fxsT1DuH8/edit

          Comment

          • Harborseal
            Senior Member
            • Feb 2015
            • 1667

            #15
            With a baby plant like this you want to use at most the houseplant strength. If using Miracle grow that's the small scoop - maybe ~1/4 tsp per gallon. For the first fertilization I'd use half of that.
            Bob C.
            Kansas City, MO Z6

            Comment


            • Jamie0507
              Jamie0507 commented
              Editing a comment
              Thanks for chiming in Bob! I was hoping for some more experienced help to either give a thumbs up or down on my previous recommendation.. I would feel terrible if accidentally advised pacifica incorrectly due to my noobness What do you think of doing a foliar treatment first? Or would you go straight to watering in the the 1/4 strength fertilizer?
          • pacifica
            Senior Member
            • Aug 2015
            • 201

            #16
            Below is Miracle Gro for reference. Please adv if I can use this as fertilizer ? Thanks
            You may only view thumbnails in this gallery. This gallery has 1 photos.

            Comment

            • Harborseal
              Senior Member
              • Feb 2015
              • 1667

              #17
              A foliar feed would be fine, but at the low concentration I mentioned. After 1/2 hr or so I'd rinse it off. These are not mature leaves. That is indeed Miracle Gro(w) and I'd make sure the soil isn't dry when fertilizing. I'd start with half of the smaller scoop (The whole scoop is ~ 1/3 tsp) in a gallon of water and water as usual. Only use fertilizer every other watering as long as you don't want the plant to go dormant. If you do want the plant to go dormant then stop fertilizing 6 - 8 weeks before.

              The best type of MG is the one with lots of trace elements. This one is fine for starting a young plant but when it becomes time to set fruit (Early Spring) I'd switch to a fertilizer with more K and P than N. Something like 5-10-10 or 8-10-12 or anything similar.
              Bob C.
              Kansas City, MO Z6

              Comment

              • pacifica
                Senior Member
                • Aug 2015
                • 201

                #18
                Bob, thank you so much for the great information and direction. I will keep this in mind for future use.

                Comment

                • pacifica
                  Senior Member
                  • Aug 2015
                  • 201

                  #19
                  Bob, What about using 10-10-10 for the young plant ? Is it also worth to try

                  Comment

                  • Harborseal
                    Senior Member
                    • Feb 2015
                    • 1667

                    #20
                    There's nothing wrong with that if it's in liquid form and you can dilute it a lot. But don't use the cheap granules on a young plant. You risk burning it. You're much better off with a fertilizer with at least the 11 basic nutrients a plant needs. Osmocote plus is widely available and a great choice.
                    Bob C.
                    Kansas City, MO Z6

                    Comment

                    • pacifica
                      Senior Member
                      • Aug 2015
                      • 201

                      #21
                      Great information and recommendation ! Thanks a million

                      Comment

                      • AscPete
                        Fig Phenom
                        • Feb 2015
                        • 4111

                        #22
                        Using a dilute nutrient solution when pre-watering the potting mix before up potting the rooted cuttings usually eliminates some of the early anxiety.
                        I've successfully used Miracle-Gro All Purpose at 1/2 teaspoon / gallon on newly rooted cuttings and graduating to 1 teaspoon within a month. The All Purpose does not include Magnesium, I usually add Epsom Salt at 1/4 teaspoon / gallon with the MG All Purpose.

                        There are a few complete fertilizers that are produced for hydroponic growing that are complete with all the required essential nutrients, http://www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/pdffiles/essnutr.pdf I've used the General Hydroponics MaxiGro successfully for cuttings at the same amounts as MG All Purpose.

                        If the mix is already wet / damp you run the risk of overwatering while trying to get nutrients to the roots, but I've never used dry fertilizers and can't recommend one.
                        When the mix is almost dry, watering the cupped cuttings with a sprayer through the holes in the sides of the cup may be a solution. Or if you found the pre-watered mix "Full" amount before up potting the specific amount of nutrient solution can be used to water the cuttings by pouring it slowly around the outside of the mix in the cup when the mix is dry.
                        Good Luck.
                        Pete R - Hudson Valley, NY - zone 5b

                        Comment


                        • smatthew
                          smatthew commented
                          Editing a comment
                          I second the recommendation for MaxiGro. It's an inexpensive plant nutrient that is complete in all 13 required elements. Smallest package is 1Kg/2.2lb and I usually pay around $12 for it at my local hydroponics store.
                          An alternate is Dyna-Gro Foliage Pro.
                      • pacifica
                        Senior Member
                        • Aug 2015
                        • 201

                        #23
                        When applying water form fertilizer for the cuttings, it would be better to use sprayer through the holes in the sides of the cup or directly to the dirt even the cuttings does not have any roots ? Which is better ?
                        Can this be done if the cuttings are placed in a cup with water meaning to put water form fertilizer into a cup for two three days then replace with fresh water etc ?
                        Thanks to all !


                        Comment

                        • Harborseal
                          Senior Member
                          • Feb 2015
                          • 1667

                          #24
                          If there are no roots then I think you don't need to add fertilizer to the soil. You'd certainly be wasting the fertilizer if you fertilized repeatedly when there are no roots. A foliar feed might help. There are many good choices but remember to mix it for houseplant strength, not field strength. For Miracle Gro field strength is 1 TBSP per gallon. For the other products you'll have to consult the label. I've tried foliage pro and it didn't really do what I needed. I think it's fine for baby plants and first Spring feeding, though. I use Foliage Pro since I bought 5 gal of it but I supplement the K and P as plants get close to developing fruit.

                          As far as watering goes, I think it would take forever to spray the holes on the side. I spray the top of the soil with a hose based sprayer because I root in 90% grade 3 agricultural perlite. I don't use potting soil until the roots can handle a gentle overhead spray in that soil. If a plant hasn't rooted in 4 weeks I take it out of whatever it's in and reformulate it.
                          Bob C.
                          Kansas City, MO Z6

                          Comment

                          • pacifica
                            Senior Member
                            • Aug 2015
                            • 201

                            #25
                            Thank you Bob. I better give fertilizer a break and leave the cuttings alone for a while.

                            Comment

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