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snaglpus

Saving cutting from mold - Pastiliere

So far so good, one of the UC Davis cutting I recieved was one Pastiliere. I also got one Ischia Black cutting but the mold got to it. Well, my Pastiliere cutting started growing by leafing out but no roots yet. On the tip of the cutting, it started to mold real bad. The mold was an inch above the leaf sprout. I did not want to disturb the cutting too much so I snipped the mold with pruning shears. Next I took some Softsoap Elements Antibacteria hand soap, pumped some in a spoon...took a Q-tip and swabbed the top of the cutting with a heaping of the soap.

The next day, the mold was dead, GONE! Now, the cutting is growing nicely! Cutting saved! Hurray! Dog-Gone-It....I wish I knew about this technique before my Ischia Black cutting grew hair! Anyway, I used this techique on some other cuttings that were starting to mold, Monstrueuse, White Gem, and others with the same results. If the mold occurred at the base, I wrapped wet New Zealand Spaghanum moss around the cutting. Thought I might share these techniques with others. Save those cuttings! Cheers, Dennis

Comments (79)

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    satellitehead, are you sure? These are men? Not little children? I never spanked a man, but I'm fixin' to start!! I have a very hot iron frying pan that, when I fling it, will send them both to Mars or Jesus, whichever comes first!!

    Yes, they both have so much great info, but it is sad they make us suffer. How do you stop reading a thread you posted to and care about?

    I'm sick of the arguing, as are all but two. I'd like to stop reading this thread, but I just blow through the posts by Al and Dan (two boys who gambled late. Al had a 7, and Dan swore he had an eight).

    Stagger On~
    Suzi

  • Dennis AKA Snaglpus
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How about those Figs!!!!!

    Thanks Gorgi. That information was very helpful. I just could not keep the mold off of 2 of my Florea cuttings I got from Herman2. So I placed them into a large container of New Zealand Sphagnum moss and placed them in a the garage where it's pretty warm. They will be fine in there. More to come in one week. Dennis

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just want to be able to post my fig related material without someone getting a bee under their bonnet simply because it does not agree their views, methods, or prior postings.

    I have already specifically called on Al to KNOCK IT OFF with his stated campaign to "stamp out" my "mis-information". As I've written directly to him in an above post:

    "I do not post ANY mis-information that needs correcting by you and have no desire to argue technical issues with anyone having a closed mind. Again, I DO NOT POST ANY MISINFORMATION. The information that I choose to share on this forum comes from my fig research activities and I really don't care if it is in conflict with anything in your particular fig Bible. My research activities are RESULTS DRIVEN, based on common sense and sound science. It is futile to continue to argue against proven results that can be verified by anyone."

    I do not know how I can make it any clearer than that!!
    Poke me in the eye again and I definitely will respond in kind again......has nothing to do with being a better or lesser man.....it has to do with principle and absolutely no fear of being intimidated or shouted down by anyone. God, honor, duty, country, and principle matters greatly to me. I've already tried turning the other cheek and it hasn't worked well for me......

    I am 100.00000000% sure of the material that I post and I know with a statistical certainty that it can help others enjoy their figs too. Sorry for the inconvenience of those forum members having to endure this BS bantering in order to get to the good stuff. It sure isn't fun for me either.

    Dan

  • satellitehead
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dennis, I'm genuinely sorry for not discussing the original topic at hand any further. I was one of the first people to chime in and give my solution, only to come back in here to see grown men act like children all over again. If this ludicrous behavior didn't happen almost daily, I would swear I was living in a perpetual state of deja vu.

    All I see here are a bunch of invalid excuses which try to justify why it is "OK" to act immaturely and poo-poo on other people's legitimate threads. If all the information being posted is 100% correct, it speaks for itself, and there is no need to defend it so adamantly that arguments continue. Why not just ignore the guy or report him if he is attacking and insulting, rather than firing right back? If you do this and moderators agree, then ... problem solved.

    Instead, all that happens is fuel is added to the fire by responding. Then the thread gets deleted or heavily pruned and all that information, all those answers that everyone else wanted to see are gone. Everyone loses because of one or two people who can't just ignore a different school of thought. But, no, instead, every time anyone posts a contradictory piece of information, it's instantly an attack on the original poster! "They're out to get me! I gotta burn this place down and get this thread or these posts deleted ASAP!"

    Maybe that's what some parties involved actually want? To ruin everyone's threads and have them all deleted, as they've been deleted from other fig forums and other GW threads? I guess the idea is to sling mud all over the place so that nobody can enjoy these little fruits and trees we are all so passionate about?

    "If I can't be right all the time, then NOBODY can enjoy anything!!?"

    Nobody in this forum has to respond to any attack, responding as a choice that is made which perpetuates fighting. You can put down your weapon at any time and let the moderators step in. If you choose to respond, you are choosing to continue the argument, which makes you no better than the person on the other side. By responding, you perpetuate the argument, thus this nasty cycle continues on and on and on.

    It seems both parties are guilty of this. As someone said recently about other topics of conflict.... "ball is in your court". Will you continue to play tennis, or just stop swinging at balls hurled your way?

    Can we just let it go already and talk about figs? The bickering is so old and so tired, and the excuse of, "HE STARTED IT!!!!" is ... not only inaccurate, but it's tired at this point. And most of us are sick of that invalid excuse and the conflict.

    Just stop it, guys. Seriously. Please. We're begging you.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm trying guys. You have to scroll a long way up this thread to find my last post.

    That's all.

    Al

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm trying too guys. It is a matter of record that HE STARTED it many times. Starting it once in a while is not a problem. However, doing it many many times is proof of a campaign. There is a mocking post where he flat out stated that he "specializes in stamping out (sic- Dan's) mis-information." That campaign is what really needs to stop. My viewpoint is letigimate and my information does not need to go through AL for a proof reading. Don't ridicule my post because it is different than your viewpoint and then expect to have a serious discussion or get answers to your questions. I've called on AL several times now to KNOCK IT OFF. Let me post my fig related information in peace. Let's see if he does. The ball has always been in his court..........

    Dan

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    SOS!

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amen!

    Dan

  • jmsimpson9
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So far this year my cutting have not come down with mold but should they I am waiting to try a remedy that I use with orchids that have bacterial rot, cinnamon. It worked like a charm on the orchids. Dont know about fig cuttings.

    Has anyone tried it?

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What do you do with the cinnamon? sprinkle it on?

  • satellitehead
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I would guess that brushing on cinnamon oil (or any other oil) could possibly be effective, but it may retard rooting as well by preventing oxygen from reaching the outer cambium?

  • Dennis AKA Snaglpus
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I came to this forum to increase my knowledge about growing and caring for Figs. To me, figs are special false-fruit. Some cultivars are very rare and special and are pretty hard to root. Those hard to root are a challenge to me and builds character. My pastiliere cutting is growing well. I did a test with it along with other cuttings I had. I was out of gallon pots so I left my cuttings in thier small bottles and place them in my dark and very warm (77 degrees) garage. The cutting root grew another inch overnight! So, I know this cultivar needs a lot of heat. The other cuttings I had in the same container were White Gem, Monstruesue, Unk Yellow, Tommy, Dark Green Greek, Gold Celeste, Parasido, Black Madeira, and Desert King. All grew more roots over night but not an inch. Some grew more than an inch. I repotted them all and placed them in my greenhouse. Now my Tommy cutting is unique. For about 2 years one of my coworkers would tell me about this huge 12 foot tall fig tree in his neighbours yard. For years, I ignored him. Finally weeks ago, I requested he bring me some cuttings. And boy did he! He gave me a bag of these pretty dark green cuttings about the thickness of a broom handle, some smaller. I recut them down to 5 or 6 inches and ended up with a lot of cuttings! No, I did not give any away. I wanted to see first what cultivar the fig is.

    Well I placed them in the baggie for about 3 weeks and they did not root. They just looked very GREEN and no mold. So, I got a wild hair and decided to just place them in 50/50 Turface/UPM or Turface/Happy Frog. Within 3 weeks, they started to root very slowly and leaf out. I think I ended up with about 30 cuttings. I potted the last 4 cuttings yesterday. I am not sure what cultivar this cutting is and my friend Tommy does not know either. He did say the tree never has die-back, every year it has thousands and thousands of red figs on it the size of ping-pong balls. He said the mother tree is now full of leaves and growing strong adjacent to a garage. I plan on going by there at the end of May and June and take some pictures of the leaves and fruit. I will post them on this thread for all to see. At first I was thinking the tree is a Celeste but he says the fruit is very large. Celeste fruit is medium size and easy to root here. Then I was thinking it was a brown turkey but the brown turkey fig here are not that big plus brown turkey cuttings are not green on old wood and they root very fast unlike this tree. I'm anxious to see the fruit from this tree. I call it Tommy but may have to change that once we can ID the mother tree. cheers, Dennis

  • giants_2007
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dennis that red fig sounds like a great find. I can't wait to see pics of mother tree and figs. Sounds like you are having good success rooting cuttings and I enjoy looking at your pics and reading your posts
    Sal

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have no idea why cinnamon would be an effective mold agent. It would be a surprise to me if it is due to its oil content. However, I surely will give it a try and give it more thought. Many modern day medications were initially discovered in plant materials. Mother nature produces some really great and powerful biochemicals....in her plant, insect, and animal world. Some people still use 'Willow Water" to increase their fig cutting rooting success. There are some very powerful rooting stimulants to be found in willow tree extract. Stick a willow tree branch in the ground in my area and it will likely root......even in standing water. The whole Mississippi river batture (both banks) in South Louisiana is "planted" with willow trees from cuttings that came down the Mississippi river. Dig a large drainage ditch or canal in my area and in no time it will be lined with willow trees.

    Thanks for the cinnamon tip and your bacterial rot observations on its use with orchids. I see a few more mold study experiments in my future.......including the ideas generated from Dennis's AB handsoap tip WAY AT THE BEGINNING of this thread. As a dedicated fig researcher and anti-mold agent developer, I love picking up this type of information and is one of the reasons why I read each and every post in every thread on this forum. You just never know when the next GREAT IDEA or SUGGESTION will be posted. Often it comes as a near whisper and with no great fan fare announcing that another great idea has just been posted. That's the beauty of shared information in a forum community......the whole becomes much greater than the sum of its individual parts/members. Let everyone always feel free to express their ideas and viewpoint without fear of ever being belittled, laughed at, or ridiculed in any way.

    Dan

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dennis,

    I recently completed some controlled studies on baggie rooting. There is no doubt that too little moisture on the paper towels will delay or completely stop the rooting process in the paper towel. Some cuttings just need more water than others in the re-hydration phase of the rooting process. One batch of Marseilles Black VS had this very issue. One can easily judge the correct moisture level in the baggie by just looking at the cutting itself. The wrapped cutting should always look damp (never shiny or dry) and not have any liquid moisture drops anywhere on the cutting. When you are on the sweet spot between "too wet" and "too dry", it will feel kind of sticky/tacky when you GENTLY touch the cutting with the very TIP of your finger. Once you have rooted many cuttings this becomes second nature and you will automatically know when to add a bit of water to the towel. If in doubt, it does not ever hurt to change out the towel with a completely new barely damp towel any time during the time spent in the baggies.

    Bottom line......If a baggie cutting appears to be taking much longer than others to form root initials, it is likely due to it simply needing more moisture than the others. One can learn when to add water to the paper towel by observing the cutting surface. I like the idea of being able to re-hydrate a cutting across its entire length as it rests in the damp paper towel. The time saved for re-hydration and appearance of root initials is shaved right off of the time spent in rooting cups. That shortened time makes surfacing mold issues less likely.

    Looking forward to your future posts on that red fig.

    Dan

  • jmsimpson9
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    With the orchids I would cut the affected area off, if possible. Sometimes on stems it would take some surgery but your never sure you got it all, or in some cases, theres no way to get it all without killing the plant.

    I would then sprinkle regular old cinnamon on the wounds till theres complete coverage. Cleared up the rot asap.

    Smells nice in the greenhouse too!

    I got the tip from a old timer at my orchid meeting. I didnt think it would work but it did.

    NO idea if it will work on plants other than orchids.

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    snaglpus,
    If "Ischia Black" is what you want, I do happen to have a
    small (UCD) specimen if you want it (free). Yes, it a beast to
    root AND-and-and GROW, moslty (I think) because it suffers
    very severly from FMV (specially when under stress).

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Almost all the essential oil in ground cinnamon bark is a phenyl biocompound called cinnamaldahyde, which is responsible for cinnamon's flavor and aroma. Cinnamon has long been known for it's antimicrobial properties. I read once where breads of long ago would quickly mold, but 'raisin bread', popular because it would remain wholesome for much longer than other breads, resisted mold for much longer. This lead to attempts to try to isolate the compound responsible for the extended shelf life. Soon, it was discovered that cinnamon was acting as the preservative. Some time later, cinnamaldahyde was isolated and it's antifungal properties noted.

    It's commonly believed the antimicrobial effects of cinnamaldahyde and other spice oils revolves around interactions with the cell membrane, but there is conflicting information as to whether the effectiveness is due to a mechanism that is inhibitory or lethal.

    It does work. I often use cinnamon to dust the ends of succulent cuttings I intend to leave lying on the propagation bench to callus. I've also seen it mentioned that it's particularly effective on soilborne pathogens.

    Al

  • Dennis AKA Snaglpus
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Gorgi! I tried to email you but this website is not working. Email me at snaglpus"AT"inbox.com I will definately pay you for the cutting.

    I heard of using cinnamon on cuttings. I forget where I heard about that. I have an idea..... Gorgi when you send me that cutting, I'm going to try something and I think it will work! I'll take step by step photos what I do and post them here. Thanks everybody for all your comments. They are appreciated! Cheers, Dennis

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    snaglpus,
    The little (free) IB is already rooted but not ready...
    I will email you later.

  • Dennis AKA Snaglpus
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok, thanks Gorgi!

    Dennis

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ........and here is a reward(?) for having to read thru all of the above sidebars.

    Sometime back I purchased a couple of food storage containers. They were advertised as having an FDA approved (for food safety) Nano Silver Technology which helps food stay fresher longer. These containers are actually infused with nano-sized particles of silver that reduce the growth of mold, fungus, and bacteria which then allows foods to stay fresh longer.

    I purchased a few of these containers for several reasons.....one of which is to use in my fig cutting mold studies. The other reason was for storing strawberries, blackberries, peaches, and figs. Strawberries have been in season in my area for awhile and great prices can be had when purchased by the flat. I am pleased to report that these containers do an EXCELLENT job of keeping the berries fresh. They work just as claimed.....I have not had to throw out any moldy berries this season. They come with a nice little rack that keeps the food from contacting any moisture that accumlates on the bottom of the container and for air circulation......a very nice designed feature.

    Below is a link to a site which sells this product. This in not meant to be a SPAM link......just meant to illustrate this type product for anyone interested.

    Dan

    Here is a link that might be useful: Premium Food Storage Container

  • cath41
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    While treating some cuttings for mold, I noticed that some cuttings are "floaters" and some are "sinkers". Does one category have a more likely chance of rooting than the other? Do "floaters" need more hydration?
    Cath

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There is no clear indication that the group that floats will not remain viable and root; but as a group, the sinkers are more likely to root.

    Al

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    snaglpus,
    You got mail.

    cath41,
    I used that principle of "floaters vs sinkers" for
    separating most other plant SEEDS. The sinkers are
    the viable ones and floaters (plus debris) are duds.
    I never thought of fig-twigs as floaters/sinkers
    before; good point! My guess is that the sinkers
    came from mature wood while floaters came from
    young-immature wood (mostly made of that fluffy
    white pith) or else (somewhat) desiccated wood
    - and less likely to succeed.
    Let us know your results.

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    cath41,
    I forgot to mention that fast-grown immature fig
    wood is not only hard to root (tends to rot), but
    also to cold-winterize - hence many fig experts
    recommend to stop fertilzing and/or slow-down-on-watering
    comes late summer.

  • noss
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Y'all!

    I just wanted to say that I live in LA, as does Dan and if there's any place to study mold "on the hoof", it's here in South LA where we both live. In LA, if it exists, it's gonna mold if it stands still too long and that's no joke.

    Dan, I appreciate your posts because you live here where I do and have figs that you are amassing information from. Thanks for all your good information. Much appreciated.

    Noss

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Noss,

    No one can appreciate how bad mold can get until they have seen firsthand the inside of the flooded homes from the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. High mold spore counts, high relative humidity, and warm temperatures certainly do prevail in our area. "Uncontrolled" moisture can surely release a mold outbreak on a Biblical plague like proportion.

    FYI, I am making good steady progress in finding those fig cultivars that will do well in our area AND those that will significantly extend our fig growing season.

    I did get your email and will respond in detail when I get a chance.
    Dan

  • noss
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dan,

    I'm glad you're working on those cultivars.

    I'm trying to get the varieties that have closed eyes. So far, I've got the two grown Celestes and a Hunt baby and a Smith baby.

    I would like to get a true LSU Purple and a Golden Celeste because they, too have closed eyes.

    Am playing with growing some of the new babies in containers because I don't have room for a real orchard.

    I tried containers once, but didn't know I needed to root prune the container figs and they burst out of their pots and went into the ground by themselves. They are the Celestes, which are now in the ground where they wanted to be.

    I've also got a new baby Texas Everbearing, a new baby Eastern Brown Turkey and a new baby O'Rourke/Improved Celeste.

    They should do poorly in wet weather, but they'll be there if it should be dry! If I keep them in containers, maybe I can rig up an umbrella for them. :)

    Everyone--Thanks for all your tips and sharing your experiences with us,

    noss

  • mrhappy
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This thread was pretty motivational to me. I opened some baggy method cuttings of varieties I have been trying to acquire for some time. I had white mold and a bit of some mold that looked gray. I did not have the clorox wipes (which is a brilliant idea) but I did have some liquid bleach. I considered making wipes with the bleach but decided against it as I have NO delicacy in my touch. I opted to dip the cuttings in 10% solution and scrub gently with a soft toothbrush. To my surprise I did not damage the root initials and the cuttings look fine.

    I really got value out of this thread. Thank you for sharing.

  • cath41
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In the end the hydrogen peroxide did not work nor did the 10 percent chlorox solution with the antibacterial soap. The cuttings continued to mold significantly when checked every 1-2 days. However, the ground cinnamon is significantly better. There were only 4 spots of mold on about 15 cuttings and those spots were only where the cinnamon was not. I treated those places with more cinnamon without even removing the mold first.
    Cath

  • cath41
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    In the end the hydrogen peroxide did not work nor did the 10 percent chlorox solution with the antibacterial soap. The cuttings continued to mold significantly when checked every 1-2 days. However, the ground cinnamon is significantly better. There were only 4 spots of mold on about 15 cuttings and those spots were only where the cinnamon was not. I treated those places with more cinnamon without even removing the mold first.
    Cath

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Unfortunately once mold has reached the cambium layer of a cutting......neither Clorox, nor peroxide, nor cinnamon, nor anything else will kill it. It must be treated like a cancer and surgically removed otherwise the infected cutting will be lost. It is important to realize that ANY MOLD that grows on any cutting is removing vital energy reserves that are no longer available to the cutting for root and leaf formation. That is why it is important to use methods and procedures that keep mold from forming in the first place. I have given good advice earlier in this thread in how to do just that.

    Also, as teaching to newbies......some cuttings will form "barking" (white powdery stuff) along the length of the cutting. It is white in appearance and should not be confused with mold. When I see it on my baggie cuttings, I simply remove the barking with a gently swipe of a toothbrush (no Clorox needed because IT IS NOT MOLD). Barking should be removed when found upon opening the paper towel......because it holds too much "uncontrolled" moisture that can later be problematic during the rooting process.

    Dan

  • cath41
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Dan,
    To update: still mold even with the cinnamon (although not as much) and one mushy (thrown away). These are only a few of the cuttings. The rest did not mold and are slowly progressing, some with roots, some with leaf buds or leaves, some with both and others look intact but have done nothing visible so far. I don't know how or why the the first named group acquired mold. Maybe they came with it.
    I had a question though. This year I used the zip storage bags whereas last year I used the freezer bags. Could the storage bags let in not only more air but also more mold? There are certainly other possible explanations for more mold this year than last, among them the cuttings were older, from somewhere else and probably kept cooler for longer. Still it is an interesting question.
    Cath

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    No, the use of storage bags rather than a freezer bag had nothing to do with your mold outbreaks this year. Look for a cause in "how" the cuttings were stored or the "condition" of the cuttings at the time they were taken and handled in route to you. Improper storage methods of fig cuttings prior to rooting is often the cause of molding problems during the subsequent rooting process. Remember that mold can form on cuttings even in your refrigerator (Dan

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cathy - There are many common molds/fungi that attack cuttings. Often, if not usually, the cuttings are infected with any one of a number of common pathogens. Some that come to mind you may have heard of in discussions about damping-off or soil borne diseases in discussions about tomatoes or cucurbits. Pythium and its pals Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora, Fusarium (wilt), Botrytis, Sclerotinia, are just the few that come to mind. All of these pathogens are very likely to be inherent in any unsterile medium, such as a potting soil. It's not surprising that problems arise, even when you attempt to 'sterilize' the cuttings prior to sticking. These diseases are very tenacious - so much so that even industry standard fungicides like Physan 20 (not for food crops) and other fungicides are considered preventative rather than fixative. They help to keep fungal issues from getting a toe holds, rather than eradicating the disease once established.

    You cannot surgically remove fungal infections on plants. The evidence you see are the fruiting bodies of millions of spores. The 'mold' you see is most likely Botrytis cinerea - also known as gray mold. It is extremely common whenever relative humidity is above 85% and air movement minimal, as this environment provides perfect conditions for organogenesis of the disease, and cuttings are particularly susceptible to infection. Spores require cool temperatures (45-60 F.) and, as noted, high humidity to germinate, so keeping your cuttings below 40* while in storage and above 65* when rooting, and establishing air circulation while keeping humidity lower would be helpful.

    Germinating spores rarely penetrate green, healthy tissue directly, but can enter through wounds on growing plants. The problem with these pathogens is NOT that they out-compete the potential roots for available carbohydrates; rather, the issue is that the pathogens destroy tissues essential to the establishment of vascular connections between roots and shoots - the most critical stage of determining whether a cutting has a chance at viability. The potential for establishing this connection would have been destroyed long before the pathogen would have made significant inroads into the depletion of energy reserves.

    Rather than totally trusting a home concoction to eliminate these disease traces and then turn right around and use a medium that is full of the diseases, you might wish to consider a product like "Mycostop" and a sterile medium. Mycostop is an organic fungicide, effective in the prevention of Pythium, Fusarium, Botrytis, Alternaria, Phomopsis, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora. It's particularly effective against Fusarium, another cutting killer.

    Al

  • rafed
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Dan,
    Forgive me for not seeing it if you posted it because I did not read this whole thread but would it be safe to just snip off the tip if it shows SOME mold?

    I have Panache cuttings ( three total )and trying very hard to succeed with at least one this year. Failed last year due to lack of knowledge. I have them in 20oz. cups and in the mini greenhouse that I open the cover for a few hours a day everyday. One of them was removed from the mini greenhouse for a couple of days because it was showing some good growth ( roots and leaves )but started to change on me. now it has some mold on the tip. I did remove the leaves to help with the rooting process.

    Rafed

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rafed,

    It depends......sometimes the mold is only growing on the emerging leaf itself. Often it is due to condensation that damaged the tiny tender leaf itself and it can be easily removed and no longer be a problem.

    cath41,

    I have given some good advice and information that anyone can easily verify for themselves. The proof will be in the final results that you achieve.

    Dan

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is a trivia 'fungus' fact (not related to figs)...
    http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm

    Here is a link that might be useful: Humungous fungus: world's largest organism?

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    There is no such thing as a "sterile" rooting medium....unless it was autoclaved. Those mediums that are devoid of available nutrients and organics are erroneously referred to as sterile. But not to worry, non-sterile mediums like UPM/perlite which has available nutrients in it, work just fine for rooting figs. If proper procedures are followed, mold will not be an issue with ANY rooting mix or rooting environment. As stated earlier in this thread, it takes three things for mold to form.....remove any one of them and mold simply WILL NOT form. The "mold triangle" is just as applicable as the "fire triangle" we firefighters are taught in our training. Anyone who has had fire training knows exactly what I mean.

    Dan

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Let me see ..... do I want to use an unsterilized potting soil with all the fungaluglies mentioned above virtually guaranteed to be included for the ride, or do I want to take my chances on superbly aerated mediums that were created by super-heating in ovens at temperatures greater than 1,600* F.? (Close enough to an autoclave?) Tough call, but I'll go with the perlite or Turface.

    While figs often root very well in unsterile mediums, we would be wise to keep this thought in the back of our minds: They are not rooting in these mediums BECAUSE of the medium, they are rooting in these mediums in spite of them. When any of you venture farther into the world of propagation and start experimenting with cuttings that need coaxing instead of cuttings that beg you to let them root in something, you'll immediately see the problems associated with potting soils as a rooting medium, as told by a plummeting success rate.

    FWIW - cleanliness (keeping the area pathogen-free) is so important to commercial operations that if a bag of potting soil were to be found anywhere near the propagating house, the person responsible would likely be fired on the spot. Entities whose livelihood depends on propagating successes usually have teams that not only ensure all phases of the propagation process are pathogen-free, but they also test and ensure that the parent material is pathogen-free, commonly treating them with systemic fungicides in the week or two before the cuttings are even taken.

    I'm waiting for someone to tell me what the reasoning is behind disinfecting a cutting, then enclosing it in a container filled with a medium carrying the spores of multiple fungal/bacterial pathogens, and then providing the perfect environment for those pathogens to prosper?

    Al

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Anyone who has ACTUALLY READ and tried to understand my posts on the fig cutting cleaning & storage procedures and who has actually read the "details" of my writings on rooting methods ....should already know WHY it is important to clean cuttings. I have absolutely no desire to repeat any of the details again for the sake of argument. Anyone who really desires to know why......perform a search function on my GW user-name and Clorox and you should find my posts on this matter. Those posts will lead to other good posts written by other forum members.

    Too, I don't really care what the so called professional rooters do. I know what works very well for me and am working on propagation methods that may well be of interest to them. Funny how some people want to criticize and seek fault rather than try to really understand alternate methods that achieve very high success rates.......with success measured in the number of fully harden off fig trees and not simply measured by the number of cuttings that manage to grow some roots. What I have suggested is practical, very simple (requires no special equipment...like those terrible heating pads, or expensive green houses), and consistently yields very good results. What I have posted is sound and easily reproduced by anyone. Anyone who desires to reduce or completely eliminate mold problems during fig rooting, should consider doing some of the things that I have suggested......simply because THEY WORK real well. Temperature, atmospheric pressure, absolute humidity, relative humidity, moisture, air (oxygen), cutting quality, and rooting environment are some of the variables that affect rooting success and potential molding issues. Most of these parameters are quite easy to control or manipulate to your advantage..... if you know how. It really is not that complicated.

    At least, I have been kind enough to share some of my thoughts,ideas, experiences, research data, methods, and techniques....we sure can't say that about everybody.

    Dan

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Forgot to conclude my above post with this special tidbit....

    Those who REALLY WANT to know how to greatly reduce or completely eliminate mold should strive to understand the "mold triangle" concept that I have introduced to this forum. You will not find information about this anywhere as the mold triangle is a concept that I developed. To understand this concept Goggle "fire triangle" and read on wikipedia how this "tool" is used to develop strategies to eliminate or fight fires.

    After reading about the "fire triangle" you will learn that there are three things needed to form a fire.......remove any one of those and you will not have a fire. Now replace "oxygen, heat, and fuel" in the fire triangle with "food, micro organisms, and moisture" and you now have what I call the "mold triangle". This tool came out of my fig related research activities where I used another scientific tool....known as "root cause analysis" to improve my fig rooting methods. Google "root cause analysis" and you will learn how we scientist go about solving very complex problems using this simple technique. Try to understand the "mold triangle" and you too can greatly eliminate or entirely reduce mold when rooting your fig cuttings.

    If you don't Google like I suggested, then you probably will have no idea what the heck I am talking about....your choice. However, if you really want to learn about a tool that can help you eliminate mold......you just might want to give it a try. I have absolutely no intentions of getting into another argument with another nit picker. This information is free and if you don't believe in the concept for whatever reason.....then you are free to completely ignore it. I will go into much greater detail when I do publish my work and that will not be free.

    Dan

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    All I need to say is that if I offer something for consideration and it gets questioned, I'm ALWAYS at the ready to explain how I arrived at my conclusions and to support them with facts. I never need to resort to conferring lofty titles on myself or obfuscation in the hope that someone will believe me. You had the opportunity to counter any of the several points I made, that unless answered illustrate a lack of command of the topic at hand. You choose not to get involved in the meat of the issue, instead introducing as arguments secondary and tertiary issues that have absolutely no bearing on the discussion.

    You can't just keep saying "I'm right and everyone else is wrong" or "It works for me, so don't question anything I say". You can't continue to disagree at every turn on multiple issues with thousands of degreed horticulturists, many of them PhDs and say you don't care what they think or do. You either skip over or ignore the many links and references I've provided in support of the information I've used to illustrate the errors and inconsistencies in the things you offer. Remember - you have no corner on experience in the horticultural arena.

    I'm not a fool, and I have a very analytical, scientific mind, but I would never be so presumptuous as to discount the findings of those that are truly learned in favor of my own unproven observations; this, even in the face of my many years of study and experience. It's easy to claim you have the goods, but you lose all credibility when you can't put up when you really need to.

    "It works for me" is impossible to qualify, and about as weak an argument as you can present, especially when a hypothesis is being directly questioned; and no scientist would ever, ever use it in defense of anything he says or does.

    Al

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As I've clearly stated.......

    "I have absolutely no intentions of getting into another argument with another nit picker. This information is free and if you don't believe in the concept for whatever reason.....then you are free to completely ignore it."

    Dan

  • cath41
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I used the cinnamon not only to treat mold but also because it might inhibit FMV. I remembered reading that cinnamon is an anticancer agent. I checked Pubmed and recent abstracts confirm this. Also jmsimpson said that he used it on cut surfaces of his orchids. Orchids are very sensitive to virus. If cinnamon is antiviral generally and not just cancer specific, it might inhibit FMV which is believed to inhibit rooting.
    Cath

  • gorgi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    More and more creative name-calling... When is this going to end?!

  • danab_z9_la
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Cath,

    Personally, I am always open to new ideas and really appreciate the efforts of those who try alternate methods and approaches to solving problems. Sometimes it takes a brave soul to post such ideas on this forum. Good luck with your experiments.

    Dan

  • giants_2007
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How Bout Them Figs???
    Just some thing to reflect upon This was sent to me and I would like to pass it on
    With All the Best Intentions
    Sal

    NAILS IN THE FENCE

    Make sure you read all the way down to the last sentence. (Most importantly the last sentence)


    There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and

    told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

    The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he
    learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.
    He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.
    Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the
    father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

    The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

    The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my
    son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things
    in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It

    won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as
    bad as a physical one.

    Remember that friends are very rare jewels indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to
    succeed; They lend an ear, they share words of praise and they always want to open their hearts to
    it to you! If it comes back to you, you will then know you have a circle of friends.

    YOU ARE MY FRIENDS AND I AM HONORED!


    Please forgive me if I have ever left a 'hole' in your fence.

  • Levar
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    so like… diluted hydrogen peroxide or diluted bleach with a cotton swab will do the trick or…?

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