maybe i'm overwatering it...maybe once a week is too much. also, i noticed that it was about to develop its second baby leaf. and the second leaf almost unfurled, but two days ago it shriveled up and died. do you think that's related?

If you don't think it is just 'normal' dormant stage or frost damage then root problems would be my #1 suspect. You can always repot it and check the roots during the process.

Rick

When did you start the cutting? What medium is it growing in?

You did not mention at what stage is your rooted cutting, in a small cup or repoted up from the smaller cup. Overwatering becomes a bigger problem when there are not enough leaves (& worse if not enough roots) for transpiration to start extracting water and provide space for oxygen and the situation gets worse in a relatively bigger pot with more rooting medium. I lost a very pretty rooted fig plants with 5 errect leaves 2 days after over-watering despite being careful not to overwater. The soil porosity also plays part in keeping soil over-watered or drained well.
The other reason could be that the cutting got mold or rot in the cutting setion between the roots and the leaves thus interupting the nutrient supply.

Hi Jen,
a cutting with 11 roots and 1 leaf being watered once a week is simply to much water.
If you can slip it out of what the plant is in without disturbing anything and out it into something a little bigger with a pre-made hole and well draining soil that not been watered at all and hope that it will wick away all the moisture thats been building up in the 11 root -root system you will know shortly if plant lives or not.

HI all,
Thank you for your advice. My cutting is 2 months old, one leaf, and I guess I have been watering it too much. It is 30% perlite and rest potting soil.

It is in the bottom half of a 2 liter plastic soda bottle.

i have the ingredients for the 5-1-1 mix, but the fir bark is a bit bigger than 1/2 inch. do you think that medium is a good for something this tender? or just 50/50 perlite/soil?

will re-pot soon after getting your comments.

thanks!
jenny

Hi Jenny,
what i like to do is use the 50/50 mix and as each time i transplant i use a little less perlite.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/jK3YKqeuzyyM6nwR5x4oxQ?feat=directlink

do you guys think that its worth the risk of transplanting? i'm afraid i might shock it too much.

also, if i do transplant it, should the new mix be completely dry?

Jen
after seeing your picture no i would leave it as is just no more water for couple weeks. The roots just cant take up the water hardly into the plant at this stage.
Also i dont see any drain holes, if there are none on the bottom or bottom side it would be a good idea to put em there. Try to give as much window sun as possible.
Please keep us posted on the progress of your plant.
Best Luck
Martin

Hi Martin,
Thanks, I'll probably just do that. I'm too scared to re-pot it. There are holes at the bottom of the soda bottle, on each of the 5 legs of the bottle.

I just found out something cool! I put a piece of paper towel into the holes on the bottom, and that helped wick away moisture.

-jen

Lol - as I read through the thread and finally came to the picture, I was going to suggest a wicking strategy. I'm glad you discovered it on your own - when you set it on the towel to take the picture, perhaps?

FWIW - 1/2" bark pieces are too big for the 5:1:1 mix. If you scroll down this thread, close to what is the bottom now (around the 125th post) you'll see pictures of appropriate size bark (see the pics by Itruett) and some comments by Justaguy. The picture of the bark in the middle, mixed with a little of the finer material on the right would make a very good 5:1:1 soil. Here is a picture of what mine looks like (in the middle):
{{gwi:2389}}

Actually though, for my trees, I use what I call 'the gritty mix', which looks like this:

{{gwi:1295}}

Because figs are so genetically vigorous, they should be repotted every year - every two years max. The 5:1:1 mix is certainly durable enough to last that long, but the gritty mix does do a better job in that regard. One big benefit that the gritty mix has over the 5:1:1 mix is that it is MUCH easier to remove from roots during the course of a full repot and root-pruning, which is essential if your trees are to grow at as close to their genetic potential as possible, within the limits of other cultural influences.

I really hope you have a good time nurturing your trees.

Al

Hi Al,
Good to see you posting again. Thanks for the pictures, awhile back, I wasn't sure if the bark size i had was too big for the 5-1-1. Maybe it will work for the gritty mix.

Anyway, so my fig is doing wierd things. Yesterday the leaf showed some life and lifted itself up by 1 inch, and this morning it was doing fine. but right when the sun came up and started shining on it, it went back to drooping again.

I'm still wicking away the moisture, though less is coming out.

strange, cuz for a second yesterday i thought it was revived.

-jen