The Fig Pop Method
If you get the right amount of water in there to begin with there is no need to worry about watering until after you pot up. It is pretty fast and you don’t need as many materials as if you were using some other method.
What will you need?
- Coco Coir or Long Fiber Sphagnum moss.
- 4×16 bags.
- Large bin or tub.
- Rubber bands.
- Tags.
- Marker.
- Pruners.
- Heat mat
Preparation:
- The key to success is the amount of moisture in the mix, damp but NOT wet. Hydrate your coco coir until it absorbs all the water, dump excess water, then squeeze all the water you can out of the mix with your hands, when you can squeeze it in your hand and no water comes out, but it stays in a clump add about 30% more dry coco coir, then mix it up.
- Ideally cuttings will be pencil thick or larger, lignified, fresh and clean. Wash them in soapy water or you can use bleach it if you want to. If you want to use bleach make sure it’s diluted 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Another way to wash your cuttings is to use straight H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide).
Sticking the cutting:
- Make a slit on the bottom of cutting to expose cambium layer, dip in rooting hormone Clonex or Dip’n’grow, you could skip this step.
- Fill a bag with your coco coir medium. Pack it down well, this will help keep moisture and medium in contact with the cutting.
- Put all but 1 or 2 nodes in the soil but leave a 1–2 inch gap between the bottom of the cutting and the bottom of the bag or it will be more likely to rot.
- Set your heat mat to 78/75 degrees F you have to use a thermostat otherwise you will likely roast the cuttings.
- Wrap the top of the bag with rubber bands, label and date it, put in a low light area, indoors on the heat mat.
- Some varieties are fast, some are slow, and others are very slow, it’s a waiting game.
- Be very careful when you pot up your fig pop up because the roots are very fragile.
* Note for more info on rooting mixes visit the Potting Mixes page.