Rooting Tips: Rooting Methods
Which rooting method is my favorite? Which one is best?
🌱 The direct plant/pot method is what I recommend for those newer to rooting and seems to have the least amount of issues for the majority of people. This is essentially just sticking the cutting into a pot with basic potting mix or directly into the ground to root.
Here is a link to my preferred variation on the direct plant method, Treepot Pops: How I Root Cuttings Indoors
🌱 A very popular method of rooting is called Fig Pops. The term was coined by Ben B. Seattle on YouTube and is a method he popularized for rooting a lot of cuttings at once for fig sales, though this has been used by many growers in the past as well. It basically is like the direct plant method, but instead of using a pot, you use a large plastic bag.
I do not recommend Fig Pops for first time rooters as it involves some know-how for handling and watering them. It can be a simple method for those who have good technique. But, it is not my favorite method personally and often fails at the up-potting stage for those new to rooting.
The plastic bag is more challenging to deal with because the sides are soft and squishy it does not protect new, tender roots very well and it doesn’t hold the cutting in place as well as a pot. Rubber bands are needed to help secure the cutting in place, but because everything is stretchy and has give, things can move easily when grabbing a fig pop.
I still remember as a newbie trying this method, accidentally grabbing a fig pop wrong that was falling down and feeling the roots just rip right off all down the length of the cutting. This is one reason why I prefer pots, they stand upright on their own, you can grab them without worrying about ripping roots, and you can leave a rooted cutting in them for a long time until you are ready to up-pot it.
Fig pops were intially used as a cheap, quick, bulk method of rooting. The pops were able to “stand up” because there were many of them placed into a bin together, so they held each other up. If only doing a few, they will either need other props to hold them upright, or they will need to lay on their sides.
Make sure you hold fig pops properly, don’t pick them up by the cutting itself. Use a toothpick to poke holes all over the bag and stick them for a quick moment in water for watering them. Roots can stick to the bag when you go to up-pot them. Giving them a little water can help lubricate the sides so they come out easier. Only up-pot when fully rootbound.
🌱 Water rooting is another method used by some. It seems to be a case where you either love it or hate it. It can be a slower method of rooting and can require some work with regular water changes. Care needs to be taken with potting them as well, using wetter mediums at first and delicately placing the mix around the roots. I have found it to work best on non-dormant cuttings and may be a good method for green-new growth cuttings.
I prefer to have the bottoms of the cuttings barely touching the water, while keeping the rest of the cutting in a humid environment. But others will submerge the entire bottoms or even the majority of the cutting in water. Others will use hydroponic type situations, or bubblers to help keep cuttings healthy while being in the water. This is not a favorite rooting method for me, but it can definitely have a place in certain situations.
🌱 Climate can have a bearing on the method you choose. For example, the amount of natural humidity in your environment affects how much you need to worry about moisture control and cutting desiccation. Someone in the humid south may have problems with things like Parafilm causing rot, whereas someone in a drier climate may lose cuttings to desiccation if they do not use Parafilm, or something else to control moisture loss. Other places are in between and you will need to see what works best for you.
This also can affect rooting mix choices as well. Something very aerated like bark, gritty mixes, or coarse grain diatomaeous earth can work great in humid conditions but can be hard to keep hydrated enough in dry climates. You may choose to avoid things like bark for this reason and/or bag your pots to maintain sufficient moisture to stimulate rooting. I often see mixes heavy in bark recommended in growing locations from the Pacific Northwest, like Washington state. This fits well for their rainy climate, but does not translate well to a dry, high desert climate like mine where the mix dries out too quickly to initiate rooting.
🌱 I do not recommend humidity bins for rooting fig cuttings. They tend to trap in too much moisture and do not allow enough air flow. This encourages a lot of issue with mold for me. Also, there is quite a bit of acclimation needed when transferring out of the bin. I feel they are more hassle than they are worth.
🌱 My environment requires something for moisture retention in a cutting for it to root before desiccation, or drying out, of the cutting starts. Parafilm or BuddyTape can be used for this by tightly wrapping and stretching the material as you wrap over any part of the cutting that is exposed to air. Do not put it below the soil line because water can wick up underneath the wrap.
I have found though that Parafilm/BuddyTape can require a lot of maintenance when used indoors for preventing mold or rot from developing on the cutting underneath it. I lost a few cuttings in the beginning from top down rot that started under the wrap. And some cuttings after that required monitoring for signs of rot starting, then gently prying off the wrap in those areas and treating with hydrogen peroxide.
So, I now prefer to minimize how much of the cutting is exposed at the top, to bury the majority of it, and to seal cut ends with something less permeable, such as paint or pruning sealer. I have had fewer issues with this method and it is a set it and forget it type setup. (See picture above.)
🌱 Some cuttings can be stubborn to get going for rooting. 8 months was the longest it took one cutting to root for me. If after 8-12 weeks you are not seeing any signs of growth, you can very gently remove it from the rooting mix to check for rot if you desire to. Remove carefully in case roots have started to form, you don’t want to rip them off. If there are no roots and there is no rot, sometimes making a fresh cut at the bottom and soaking in water for a time can help to stimulate it. Trying a prerooting method can also be helpful. Or, this is where you might want to bring out the liquid rooting hormone.
It should be noted that some cuttings are just duds and won’t root through no fault of anyone. Grafting can be considered as an alternative if the cutting is still healthy as well.
Love this, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. I started some fig pops before I read a lot more on some of the issues/challenges. I’ve had some success so far but have had a few rot based on less than ideal medium that held too much moisture. I am going to try the tree pot pop next with an inert medium and excited to see how it goes. Definitely following along with this series to experiment and find what works best for me. There is a good chance I’ll be buying rooted cuttings/trees in the spring but the cuttings have been a fun experiment while it’s been too cold to do any outdoor gardening here.
Very neatly done…Rooting ,and up potting too many cuttings feels like chaos…🪴🪴🪴🪴💨but I’m gonna root them in water from now on. A clone table with an intermittent misting system is what we use professionally for hardwood cuttings. the backyard grower could use a
(dewey mister) for cloning. Healthy roots, and very little risk for failure.