Fig Pop Tips

[Figology]

Good Day,

I’m trying out the Fig Pop propagation method, popularized by Ben B. Seattle.
Supplies:
1) 5kg Coco Coir ($13 Amazon)
2) 8 Quarts of Perlite ($6 Lowe’s)
3) 4X16 Poly bags (200/ $19 Amazon)

First I added water and saturated the compressed coco coir brick. Next I mixed in the perlite. I let everything marinate for a few hours before I started filling bags. The substrate should be thoroughly moist but not saturated.

I used a styrofoam cup with the bottom cut out to aid as a makeshift funnel. It worked so well I was able to fill 50 bags in about 10 minutes. I think I could fill another 65-75 more bags with the rest of the mix. Wish me luck.

 

[Shaft]

Good luck!

 

[tridrama]

Looking forward to an update on your progress. I started one a few weeks ago. Not quite as detailed as yours, but we'll see how it goes.

 

[Iamthefigman]

I just picked up some poly bags to start propagation fig pop style. The coco coir and perlite are next.

 

[Shaft]

So what advantages do you believe fig pops offers that traditional 3x8 treepots doesn't have?

 

[Figology]

Looking forward to an update on your progress. I started one a few weeks ago. Not quite as detailed as yours, but we'll see how it goes.

Good luck. Make sure to poke a few holes in the bag if you haven’t already. I forgot to mention that.

 

[Figology]

So what advantages do you believe fig pops offers that traditional 3x8 treepots doesn't have?

It’s more economical and space saving in my experience. About $.30 per pop. I can make 3 fig pops with the soil from a 1 gal pot. Plus I can put a lot of them in a plastic storage container vs non stacking pots. I can also see the progress of roots better. My wife was mad I was using all over her zip lock bags to make a humidity cover lol. They’re easy to label and mpisture control seems pretty stable so far. Sorry for the random paragraph. I’m at my kid’s soccer practice 😂

 

[Figology]

So what advantages do you believe fig pops offers that traditional 3x8 treepots doesn't have?

Not much of an advantage over 3x8 other than the 4X16 fig pop has a built in humidity cover ( excess plastic height) if you want to neglect it.

 

[Shaft]

I usually use parafilm, which is way better than a humidity cover A lot of cuttings are killed due to the transition between humidity dome and no humidity dome. As far as cost... Here's my expense sheet per container. If you'd like to see space efficiency I'll show you my porch I've been trying to figure out the best method and someone left me under the impression that figpops were bad on space AND cost so I never went that route. Would love a different perspective since, as you can see, I actually measure my info down to fractions of a penny where possible.

 

[Figology]

Nice spread sheet.

The most expensive thing for me is the perlite and coco coir. If inexpensive soil works, I could cut down the cost to 15 cents or less per.

I had a few cuttings in a fabric pot with the cheap Expert Gardener soil from Walmart. They actually produced the most roots and within 3 weeks. Checked on them today.

I’m in the hot/dry San Fernando Valley so I need some kind of cover if my stuff is outside. With the ziplock bags for humidity I was making a hole a little bigger everyday till it was gaping. That transitioned the plant well.

For me, parafilm is time consuming and gets expensive when you’re doing 100 cuttings.

See Picture: I fit 22 fig pops in the small box. Could probably squeeze another 6 in there if I wanted. If I had a big container I could stack them in there sideways if I wanted. Pretty versatile.

 

[Figology]

Here’s some photos of my trials. Can’t wait to try My I-258 and BMKK next year.

 

[Shaft]

I'm using this product from Lowes. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Just-Natur...6OXh0UclatvpWOjZohxoCgt8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Here's my propagation station: parafilm is time-consuming but worth it, imho, since I don't have to worry about venting and adapting the individual domes. More time now for time saved later

It looks like you can fit around 75 pops in that box. Is that approximately correct? I like how much space you're saving, and that metal rack you've got some plants on is cool as hell too! I just got my infrastructure, with the tables and everything, out of a dumpster at a local student living place. I was considering those same metal racks before that

 

[Figology]

I'm using this product from Lowes. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Just-Natur...6OXh0UclatvpWOjZohxoCgt8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Here's my propagation station: parafilm is time-consuming but worth it, imho, since I don't have to worry about venting and adapting the individual domes. More time now for time saved later

That looks pretty efficient and reusable.

I had to get some racks from Lowe’s to tame my addiction. My wife accused me of turning the front yard into a nursery 😂. My house faces north so the best shade is there.

 

[Figology]

The price is right on that moisture control.

 

[Shaft]

The price is right on that moisture control.

The price is DEFINITELY right That's 100% of my rooting medium, nothing added.

You get 11 4x14 treepots out of one bag; 18 4x9 treepots; or 36 3x8 treepots

You should see my front yard. It IS a damn nursery xD

 

[Figology]

The price is DEFINITELY right That's 100% of my rooting medium, nothing added.

You get 11 4x14 treepots out of one bag; 18 4x9 treepots; or 36 3x8 treepots

You should see my front yard. It IS a damn nursery xD

I wish I had land like that. Would cost a few million to have a lot like that in my city. I’m working with an 8k sqft lot.

 

[Shaft]

I wish I had land like that. Would cost a few million to have a lot like that in my city. I’m working with an 8k sqft lot.

We have 14 acres of what is supposed to be unvaluable land, but it's great for fruit trees if you're into agroforestry and have a little patience.

 

[Figology]

That’s awesome. Seems to be doing fine. Do you have to put your fig trees “to sleep” there? Plenty of land for a fig farm.

 

[Shaft]

That’s awesome. Seems to be doing fine. Do you have to put your fig trees “to sleep” there? Plenty of land for a fig farm.

No idea. I'm still learning as I go. The in ground ones seem to do fine. What's the worst that could happen? *shrug*