Update: How to Maximize your success with Rare Fig Cuttings

Update on How to Maximize your success with Rare Fig Cuttings

Here's a few updated shots on the grafts that were made about a month ago on 11/18/18. Most of the cleft grafts have taken, still waiting on the chip bud grafts to take.

12/08/18

12/18/18

How to Maximize your success with Rare Fig Cuttings

Sometimes we have to a break the bank to get a certain variety. So it may be a good idea to try and maximize your chances of success!

If you get a long enough cutting use the combination of grafting and the fig pop method to improve your chances of success!

Below I have some extra 1 gallon figs that have been neglected for the most part. However they have well developed root systems and have survived the Seattle winters outdoors so I know they will hole up well here.

Basically. I cut off one node from the bottom of the cutting for grafting. I prefer the cleft graft because it provides the most support for the weight of a new branch.

You can also try chip cud grafts which may also work pretty well.

And with the reaming piece I use the fig pop to root it.

Check out the video for more detail.

Rooting the Tuvia Shehora

Alas, my friends from Fig Agro Labs sent me a couple cuttings of the very beautiful Tuvia Shehora fig. It is progressing nicely using the fig pop method.

I love the color and skin of this fig. It's very ornamental, almost too good to eat.

7/18/18 Update:

7/28/18 Update:

How to root Fig cuttings using the "Fig Pop" Method

I thought I was done buying cuttings but this year has been difficult for me to kick the urge of new figs. So many in fact that I ran out of bin space for cups. So I had to go to the Bag Method as I call it the fig pop method.

There's several advantages of using this method. But first of all let's start with the mix and supplies needed.

I've had great success direct planting cuttings straight into pots. But when you're limited on space and do not want to waste more soil than necessary into an entire pot, especially when you're using HP Promix, which is not the cheapest medium out there. Using the bag method seems to be the best idea.

I love HP promix, but at $39 for 3CU Ft it can get pricey and it's not always available year around at the local nurseries.

HP Promix ingredients:

• Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (65-75%)
• Perlite - horticultural grade
• Dolomitic and Calcitic limestone (pH adjuster)
• Wetting Agent
• MYCORRHIZAE™ mycorrhizal inoculum (Glomus intraradices)

So I've created my own mix using the cheaper peat moss bags. at $11 for 3cuft and a giant perlite bag at $17 for 4cuft. + A box of Mycorrhizae $25 that will last for a long time. You only need a few teaspoons of the Mycorrhizae per batch.

https://www.amazon.com/Xtreme-Gardening-4402-Mykos-2-2-Pound/dp/B003STB5N6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1516816149&sr=8-3&keywords=mycorrhizae

So for about $30 I can make about 7cuft of mix.

My Mix:
Peat moss - 65%
Perlite - 35%
Mycorrhizae - 2 spoon full mixed in water.

Works just as well.  I left out the lime because the cuttings don't need it until they get up potted.

I got my 4x16 Uline bags from EBay

https://www.ebay.com/itm/100-1000-4x16-Clear-1Mil-Poly-Bags-Plastic-Packaging-Baggies/221307916410?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=520187725633&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

Anyhow I really like this method because it has so many benefits.

1. Space - you can fit so many more of these bags in a bin compared to cups
2. Fungus Gnats - I do not cut holes in my bags instead I using a toothpick to aerate it, leaving no open area for the fungus gnats to get into
3. Moisture control - If you have the medium moist and not dripping wet the bags will not dry out as quickly
4. The length of the bags make so that a humidity bin is not necessary, just tape the opening at the top

There's a million ways to root figs this just another. I hope you find it useful.

How to up pot.

How to root Fig Cuttings from beginning to end

This is how I am rooting fig cuttings this year in 2017. It's been a great success with some failures. Mainly due to the heat mat spiking temperatures and drying out some of the fig cuttings. But once that was under control I've managed to pull out a lot of successful new plants from my rooting bins.

My 2017 Rooting Method - How to Root Figs with Great success!

I still get super excited about rooting fig cuttings. There's just something so alluring and rewarding about being able to grow your fig trees from cuttings. It's very hard resist, especially with spring in the air.

 Every Year I try to experiment with different/better methods of rooting figs. And each yr I learn from last yrs mistakes and try to improve upon them,

For 2017 I was challenged by all the issues/complication that can come with rooting figs.

1. Rot
2. Mold
3. Fungus Nhats
4. Upside Down Cuttings
5. Transition from humidity bin to dryer ambient air
6. Rooting Medium
7. How much moisture/humidity
8. Temperature
9. Up potting to 1 gallons

For 2017 this is my method.

I went back to the cup method. I didn't really care about volume this year, it was a bit over whelming and exhausting last yr to up pot so many figs. I just want a few quality varieties while using a good method to grow them.

First and foremost make sure to wash your cuttings in some anti bacterial soap or hydrogen peroxide to get rid of any mold spores that may have tagged along with the cutting.

Heat Mat: (Temperature - check)
First of all I bought a new 48" heat mat off Amazon to help with the cuttings. It raises the temperature to and ideal temp help with the rooting process. Cuttings will root faster in and ideal range from 75-78F.

Unfortunately, right of the box the heat mat I got raised the temperature well into the 80s and dried out the medium too quickly. It killed my LSU tigers and Granthams Royal within a few days. What a shame!

To control the temperature to an ideal 75-80F. I made some changes. First I put down a single layer of card board over the heat mat.

 I then placed my clear humidity bin from ikea on top of the cardboard. These can be purchased for about $5. They are not perfectly clear but the pricing works well for me. And it's clear enough for decent light penetration.

And within the bin I placed a piece of ceiling grate. The ceiling grate separates the bottom of the cups from the bottom of bin and keeps the cups from sitting in any standing water that results from watering them. $14 per piece. Which should cover 2-3 bins.

Cups and Rooting Medium:

I've gone back to clear cups with holes cut in the bottom of them. The clear cups makes it easy to see the growing roots. No need for holes on the sides of the cups. The temperature in the bins and the porous medium will dry out the cups every 3 days or so.

The medium was simply small bark and perlite. No soil what so ever. Soil tends to harbor unwanted fungus gnats. The bark and perlite makes the perfect environment for humidity which promotes. Root growth.

Once in their cups with the medium I will water it until the water drains through. I then place the cups into the bins. I also add a thin layer of water at the bottom of the bin to increase the humidity.

THE KEY THING IS TO LEAVE THE BINS OPEN BY ABOUT AN INCH.

If you have too much condensation and humidity past 90% its a perfect environment for mold. So buy a humidity gauge for like $10 off of Amazon. It's worth it. Also if you get air roots on the cutting that is not in the medium like the photo below. That means you have your humidity too high. Those roots will eventually dry out but you're setting up the cuttings to have a higher chance of mold and rot.

So what do you do if you do see some mold. I simply take some hydrogen peroxide and dab the infected areas with a piece of cotton. It's effective and cuts the mold off at the source.

Check your cups every couple of days, the heat mat dries out the bins faster than you would think. If the cups feel light/dry. Use a turkey baster to add water to the cup. I don't use a spray bottle because it doesn't penetrate the water into the medium enough.

Lighting:
At this point the cuttings do not need much light. I use a Costco LED light that emits very little heat.

Important TIP:

1. If you see roots before leaves then you may want to start the transition from humidity bin to a dryer environment. This means you can open the lid a little bit more to start the acclimation process. The new leaves can naturally adjust to dryer air as they break bud.

But since figs have different rooting tendencies they all won't root at the same time. That's why I have 6 bins going at once for various stages. I can move the cups into different bins according to what rooting stage they are in.

2. Leaves before roots. Means you have to either keep the humidity in the 80% range or spray the leaves constantly. The leaves do not have the benefit of roots to hydrate the plants and everything relies on the leaves getting enough moisture to keep the cutting alive.

This situation requires the new plant to be in the humidity bin longer and also requires an acclimation to dryer air stage once it develops it's roots and leaves.

Here's an example of my 3rd stage bin. No air roots and no mold. 100% of the cuttings have rooted or leafed out.

Graduation to 1 Gallons:

After about a month or 2 the cuttings will get to be about this size below. I inspect the cups regular to see if the tap roots have turned into feeder roots. If they have some good roots developed it's time to feed the cups while they are still in the bins.

I use KLN liquid fertilizer in tiny doses mixed with a gallon of water. Keep in mind there is no soil so they need to be fed or else the growth will get stunted. I direct feed using a turkey baster. The turkey baster makes it easy to control how much water I'm using.

This is a good example of a cutting that is ready to be up potted. This is my Tauro

The new plants should be accustomed to the houses ambient humidity by now but I tend to be extra cautious for the first week, I'll put a bag over it with holes cut on each corner to further acclimate the new young plant.

The medium I uses is soil, perlite and lots of bark. I found that the bark is very conducive to Mycorrhiza.

I hope that you found this post very informative. It's the method I use and it's had 99% success. I had few cuttings that did not root but it was determined that the cuttings were too old. I have not lost a single cutting from mold or rot or fungus gnats.

Stay tuned for the video!

Can you root Green Fig Cuttings? Part 2 - 1 Month Later

1 month later and there are no roots but their is a new bud. The tip rotted off unfortunately. However there are bunch of new dimples that look like they have potential for root growth. 

In comparison I had others that already have a great root system that were started on the same day from the same variety.

Can you root Green Fig Cuttings? Part 1

Is it possible to root green fig cuttings?

Part 1

DO NOT SOAK YOUR FIG CUTTINGS

Through lots of trial and error. I've learned that fig cuttings do not like lots of water. If you over saturate your cutting the bark and cambian layer will turn to mush and slough off. It's better to be on the dry side than to leave your cuttings in water.

DO NOT DO THIS!

Lasagna Fig Rooting update: 3/11/16

Just a quick update on fig cuttings at 1 month and 2 months using the Lasagna rooting method.

Quick Tip: How to tell if your fig cutting is upside down

Have you ever waited a month for your cuttings to break bud and then realized that you had placed the dang thing upside down?

If you only received tip cuttings it would be a no brainer to quickly bag them up. However in most cases cuttings come from all parts of the branch.

Use this simple technique of looking closely to at the nodes. If you see a Big Smile its the right side up if it looks like a frown it's upside down!

Once again...

If you see a Big Smile it's the right side up if it looks like a Frown it's upside down!

Update on the Lasagna Fig Rooting Method.

The cuttings in the video were started on 10/1815. This video was made on 11/8/15. So it took about 3 weeks to get the cuttings to this stage. Watch the video to see the results.

If you love figs as much as I do don't forget to join my fig addiction group
Fig Addiction

Planting figs straight into the ground

Sometimes rooting figs can be just as simple as sticking them directly into the ground. We tend to make things too complicated and costly trying to root fig cuttings. I know I have.

I took some left over cuttings and stuck them straight into the ground about 2 months ago and I was surprised to see this happen. New leaves!

Results from my "Lasagna Method" for rooting fig cuttings.

There's so many ways to root fig cuttings. This is a video to show you some of my results from my lasagna method of rooting figs.

Read more about it here.