Problem with Jap. Quince cuttings

[mkg]

Hello,
This is the second time I try cuttings with white flower japanese quince. Whatever size of the cuttings I always experience the same problem: after 2 weeks some nice leaves are coming out and then they fade out and drop.
Is it too hot (90*F the last few days), is it too humid (they're under plastic dôme), is there not enough light ? I don't thing the substrate is in cause, I took 2 out of the soil and I can see nice calouse.
Has any of you an Idea about what I'm doing wrong ?
Thank you

 

[stewarjm192]

Maybe airflow.

The heat will “kill” cuttings, ie stop their foreword progression and potentially burn leaves.

Use a rooting hormone, or don’t, use perlite, soak the petite, prepare the cutting with a sharp angled cut, stick the cutting, and mist often untill water drips from leaves. Shade shade shade untill the new growth is strong and vigerous…..

Watering the substrate will always keep it too wet, misting regularly will keep the new leaves hydrated while they have no root structure to support them

 

[mkg]

The issue might be airflow. I've been cautious while working on cuttings so I guess the problem comes from aftercare.
Maybe I don't open often enough the plastic dome you're right. The leaves are coming out healthy, in numbers and become quite big until they turn out like cooked lettuce leaves.
I'll be cautious with the air flow, thank you for your advice.

 

[namnhi]

I got zero out of like 50 trident cuttings I did last month. The ambient temperature is just way too hot even in the shade. Timing is everything when it comes to cuttings. I will try again next year around March/April instead of July.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Sorry to hear about the difficulties in striking plant material.

Quince cuttings strike remarkably easily, at least for us. Most cuttings do. However old hardwood cuttings are much harder to strike and take longer. Would go with younger cuttings to start with.

Here are some ideas for outdoor striking of plant material.

Usually we just take the pruned material, strip off all but 3-4 leaves at the tip, ensuring a clean final cut straight across the stem is made just under a growth node.

Next jam or create an opening with a chopstick and place the cutting in 1”/2-3cm down and pat the area around the cutting down the cutting in the media (with or without rooting hormone) of either the donor plant, a tree that is in early development that will offer shade, or in a pot of small bonsai media with peat +/- small bark under a bonsai bench or use 60/40 peat/perlite. Things that helps are

- Using young vigorous stems. Can use older wood for some species, but these are much harder to strike - taking longer - months vs weeks
- shade/open shade/overhead canopy - not so much a fan of shade cloth until it’s value is 70%.
- moisture or consistent, frequent misting.
- decent airflow to avoid fungus
- moss +/- other ground cover to retain moisture
- indoors need light, heat mat, moisture and shade to start.

Four Examples of striking cuttings/growing out:

Obtained an inexpensive fountain years ago for the local birds years ago. It’s surrounded by pots of recent cuttings or heavily pruned more sensitive trees, like azalea. Great for hawthorn etc starts. See hawthorn, crabapple, azalea and quince cuttings



On bonsai bench (misting 2x daily 3 min) Chojobai, Toyo Nishiki, Double take quince, and Peruvian Myrtle cuttings growing on.



Azalea cuttings under cover with bright shade. Cuttings shaded by older plants.



Other cuttings - Ezo Spruce and Fodo Juniper. These trees were first started on heat mats as they are difficult to get started, especially juniper. Finally transitioned to the open sun!



Hope this helps!

Best Wishes
DSD sends