What methods are you using now to root cuttings?

11 years ago

Curious about what methods people are using now, for rooting their fig cuttings. I've set up a dozen or so. About half with the moist-paper-towel-in-a-zip-lock method, and the other half in sphagnum-based seed starting medium. All are on a seed-starting heating mat. Except the 2 in my east-facing office window.

I feel like a kid waiting for christmas. I keep peeking in the zip-loc bags to see what is happening. A couple of them discolor a bit, which I suspect is mold starting in the paper towels. So I rinse them and replace the paper towel.

Any body have a favorite method to share? There are older threads, but I'm wondering what people are doing this year.

Some years I just stick prunings from my fig trees, into the garden soil. Two years ago I did that with Desert King, and almost all of them grew.

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Comments (10)

fignewbies
11 years ago
Hi,

I`d also like to know about how to root cuttings.
Should I cover the cup which the cutting is in with a plastic bag over it and air it out once a day?
frankcbd
11 years ago
For me, I've had great success with sphagnum moss. Soak the moss, then squeeze water out like a sponge. Moss should be damp, but no water should be dripping.
Lay a bed of moss, then cuttings with enough space for roots to grow. Then a top layer of moss. Cover shoebox container with lid. In about 3 weeks, you should have roots. Transfer to clear cup or pot with 70/30 perlite/soil. Check picture link below.

Here is a link that might be useful:

This post was edited by frankcbd on Sat, Jan 19, 13 at 20:58
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Hi Jenn, you're welcome! It really isn't all that difficult to wring out the paper. I like using three full sheets. I unfold them, laying them out flat, then put my hand right in the center, wrapping them around my hand and wrist while dunking them into a bucket of water for a few minutes. I pull them out, gently folding them into a twist and wring them out. There is a little tearing some times, but not terribly. If you're careful, you can wring out most of the water with little tearing because of the thickness of the three sheets. If it's more comfortable for you, fold them the best you can and run an old rolling pin from the kitchen over them until they no longer drip, but are thoroughly wet/damp. With the wet paper still twisted from wringing them out, grab the "rope" of wet paper in the center then just gently shake it back and forth. It will begin to loosen and fall open. It makes it easier for you to spread them out as a wet, three layer sheet. Process your cuttings and lay them in the center of the sheet with a label. Once you're finished processing all the cuttings, fold over the top and bottom of the sheet, the ends at the top and bottom of the cuttings, then begin rolling them tightly into the "burrito". Make sense? I've also laid out the three sheets of paper on the deck and thoroughly wet them with the hose, but that uses more water, so I prefer the bucket. My concern is your spray bottle may not sufficiently wet the paper. Dipping or dunking them into a bucket of water does. If the paper tears a bit, don't worry, just spread it out as flat as you can and use it. You'll have several layers of damp paper rolled up encasing the cuttings to provide them sufficient moisture so it isn't a real issue. If you're doing several batches, just put each burrito into a plastic bag to prevent it from drying and add each one to the bag as you complete it. Once you're finished with them all, gently squeeze out the excess air from the bag and tie it shut. I then put this one upside down into another bag and repeat the process. I've usually used three bags together, each one reversed from the other, to provide as much of a seal against moisture loss as possible, then placed them in the dresser drawer in the garage to keep them cool. When the weather is conducive for the work room attached to the garage to remain in the sixties degree range, I've also just laid them on a shelf in that room where they've also worked just fine. I understand what you meant about putting them on the refrigerator now, thank you. As long as the heat from the motor doesn't warm them, and they remain in the approximate temperature range, all should work just fine. I'm excited to follow your progress! Many years ago, very dear friends retired from this area and moved into the mountains north of Los Angeles. She was sad she had to leave the three bushes of Circus she planted at that house shortly after they bought it in the early sixties. After the move, I knocked on the door and introduced myself to the new owners and requested permission to take cuttings, explaining why I wanted them. They were delighted to share them with me. Both Janne and I were excited when I visited and handed her several own root plants of her beloved Circus, propagated from her old plants. She had some of her old garden, where she'd happily lived for thirty plus years and raised her six children, to grace her "retirement" garden. That connection with your old plant is a happy one. Been there many times and plan on many more! Kim
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Keep doing exactly what you are doing.. Do not change the humidity.. I would have kept these in the bag personally until roots are showing. Usually in my experience after showing some leafing, the roots follow along very soon. Do not spray with fertilizer. As for your questions: Will just keeping humidity (& showing patience) be enough for cuttings to get roots eventually? Yes Is is too early for the leaves to be sprayed with liquid nutrients? Any suggestion will be appreciated. Yes, you may kill them or set them back. Be patient and wait for good roots. The other question is why my cuttings got the tendency to sprout leaves under the moist paper wrappings before good visible roots? It depends on lots of things, but I have seen the opposite be true in many cases. Do I need to lower the temperature? No, leave it alone. I have muked up cuttings trying to change too many things to keep or hurry cuttings along. Let me know if you have any more ??
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GG, thanks for the pictures and for the rooting illustrations! I am intrigued by communal rooting. I've only done it in individual little plastic cups, so that roots can be seen growing. How do you (and you, Denise) know when it's time to repot to individual pots? I am assuming it's hard to tell which cutting(s) have rooted reliably enough for that? Is your sign resistance to light tugging? What if some cuttings are ready and others are not? This shared hormones thing is interesting. By the way, I've read recently about the rooting hormones that are sold as gel or powder. I thought they are chemicals that encourage plants to form roots in that area - and that is true. But what I did not know is that they are the same chemicals (only synthetically produced) that plants develop themselves. Do you use rooting hormones? I wonder if sharing the hormones is important if every stem is dipped into the hormone of its own. I've placed my little cups into a container for humidity, but a vessel like this will take less space and also create humidity. There's no drainage, I assume, right? Which is fine because it's hydroton and some water needs to be at the bottom anyway, and because it's a relatively short term home for the plants. Sunny, I agree your cuttings look fine. The thinner leaf varieties tend to lose moisture when cut faster than those with thicker leaves, but then most do regain it slowly once they are in the mix and kept moist and humid. One of the cuttings I am rooting now (GG, your heuschkeliana) did arrive a bit dehydrated, but for a month now very slowly it's been regaining moisture. It's pretty cool to watch. I've never seen an established plant, but all leaves except for the lowest one look very much turgid now and have lost all of their wrinkles. I foolishly thought when I got the plant the wrinkles were part of the deal of how this plant looks - I thought that was charming and unusual. hehe One thing I personally would change, Sunny, is I suggest taking larger cuttings. It does depend on the plant's growth habit, leaf size, distance between nodes etc., but a 2-3 node cutting is likely to root better and be stronger than a one-node one. It's no biggie though - they all should root, especially no problem at this time of year. How is humidity now in San Antonio? I covered them up in the winter, and even these days 30% humidity here is normal, but too low for optimal rooting. Big Box stores may not have hydroton indeed, but your local hydroponics store is almost guaranteed to have at least one type of hydro medium. It does not have to be hydroton - it could be called LECA, PrimeAgra, Growstone, Grow Rock, Hydrocorn and many others. They all look slightly or even significantly different, but they work essentially the same. Having open options means you may get the medium sooner and won't have to pay shipping, which is expensive for these bulky bags.
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I just rooted over 150 cuttings using the aquarium method. Including Hydrangeas and Crepe Myrtles. Just make sure you paint the aquarium white and put tape around the top edge which was the bottom before spraying. And also a couple strips across the top and spray that also, then remove tape and let paint dry. Mix some peat and perlite 50/50 mix is all that you need to to get it nice and moist. take your cuttings and dip in rooting compound and stick in mix then place aquarium over top of it. Just also make sure it doesn't dry out for you, look for moisture on the window you created by using the tape when you painted the aquarium.
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eukofios
Original Author
11 years ago
Frank, are you watching the temperature? I have mine on a seed starting heating mat. When I checked the temp last year, it was about 80 degrees. I've pre-tested it by germinating vegetable seeds - it sprouted radishes, eggplant, peas and beans in about 2 to 4 days. So I think it will be ok for fig cuttings. I also have some in a window sill. That one is in the mid 60s.

That sphagnum moss method sounds tempting. I think I'll try it out.
kngskid
11 years ago
This is my first year rooting cuttings and I'm using sphagnum moss and plastic boxes like frankcbd but I soaked my moss in a root stimulator solution. Don't know how much the root stimulator helped but I prepared my cuttings on Tuesday 1/15 and today I have one small root on one of the cuttings. I plan to pot them when the roots are well formed.

**Prior to putting the cuttings in the moss I cleaned them using an old toothbrush and a weak bleach solution then rinsed and patted them dry. Again I don't know how much this helped but they are looking good. PS I got this idea from an old thread, credit to the originator
cazimere
11 years ago
50/50, perlite/vermiculite mix in clear containers so i can see root development. Some in a clear tote with a clear lid.
Some on the window sill with clear cups on top.
frankcbd
11 years ago
I keep the bins in room temperature. It takes a little longer for roots, but I've learned as long as the temp is consistent, there's less chance of mold.
I also scrub with AB soap and dip in bleach solution. Only thing is to be careful when digging for the cuttings in the sp moss, as you may tug on roots if they're long. I move to cups after I see about 1/2" of root growth.
eukofios
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the comments! It's interesting and helpful to see the different methods that work. It changes how I do things.
frankcbd
11 years ago
What's hard for me to learn, is that there are 100 ways to do things, which applies to this subject. For now I'll be sticking to this method. It would be nice if there was one, bullet-proof way of doing certain things, huh? :)
barnhardt9999
11 years ago
I do pre-soaked 50/50 perlite/potting mix in clear containers. Then add an 3/4 inch of 100% fine dry vermiculite on top to seal out any fungus gnats or moisture loss. Then place them in a plastic ziplock bag.

Once I see the roots in the cup and buds are starting to swell I take them out of the bag and put them on a south facing window (use suction cup shampoo holders). I put the clear cups in red solo cups to absorb heat and block UV from damaging the roots. Then I can pull the clear cups out and take a peek at development anytime.

For watering if any pools at the bottom of the cup its too wet. If nothing condenses on the inside of the clear cup in full sun its too dry.
eukofios
Original Author
11 years ago
Frank, so true! I think that's part of the fun - there are many right ways, and no perfect way, and what works for one of us may not work for the other. Not a lot to do gardening-wise with the ground frozen, so I'm peeking at my cuttings every day!

Barnhardt, your method sounds like a good approach. I could see the suction cup holders adding to the available window sill space - which I might need in a month is all goes well!

What methods are you using now to root cuttings?

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What methods are you using now to root cuttings?

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