Cuttings dying after sprouting roots.

[Edgerton]

I am trying to take some cuttings from my kiwi vine, in about 2 weeks they root, but when I try to take to dome off they start to turn black at the tips of the leaves and eventually die. I have tried to gradually ween them off the humidity dome but still no luck. Could the potting soil be the problem? should I use something that has no nutrients?

Any help would be great! I'm running out of cuttings fast.

[applestar]

How are you preparing the cuttings?

[Edgerton]

All have been dipped in rooting hormone. These last ones I stripped the outer skin off the vine before dipping them. I have cut the leaves down to half to reduce water loss. I even waxed the spots I mad the cuts on the last 20 or so, but I have not tried to take those out of the dome yet.
I did use potting soil even though its not suggested, but they seem to send out a lot of good roots in it. Could they be trying to use the roots for moisture more when I take them out and get burnt from the nuts? I'm just brain storming here.

[pepperhead212]

It's possible that the the potting soil is the problem. Have you tried rooting any cittings in just some water, or some water with some cloning formula added to it? Just use filtered water, and change every other day. I have rooted many things this way, when I'm not rooting enough to fire up my cloner.

And speaking of the cloner, when I root soft stemmed cuttings, such as basil, I make a number of shallow slashes in the lower inch or so of the cutting, and these slashes are where almost all of the roots pop out of, in just 2 or 3 days.

[Edgerton]

Are you using the cloner for strictly hydroponics or have you had success taking them from a cloner and transferring them to soil?

I recently took one out of the soil and washed the roots off (good looking roots) and put it in rinsed perlite, and put it back under the dome. Thinking maybe if it was the soil then this would show some improvement.

[applestar]

Ooh I think that might work! I have heard many people say they use 100% perlite or chunky diatomaceous earth. I usually go with 1/2 sand 1/2 potting mix. The roots need more air than you might think. I believe pepperhead212's "cloner" uses an air pump to supply bubbles of air in the water... Unless he uses the kind that constantly mists the root zone?

Generally speaking I think your cutting preps sound fine otherwise. I was mainly concerned about reducing the foliage and reducing leaf surface which you have done.

If kiwi is a sappy vine, then I would try to let the cut end dry/callus first.

You haven't mentioned what part of the vine you are taking the cuttings from -- green, semi-woody, or woody -- but if the cuttings are striking roots, that may not be an issue.

I do think you don't want to strip the skin entirely -- may be shave vertical strips or make cuts like pepperhead212 mentioned, since I would think the roots would grow from the edge of the "skin" if this kind of treatment is necessary.

Try watering with willow tea or chamomile tea.

[pepperhead212]

I use the misting type of cloner, and I always root cuttings of my Thai and regular basil for planting in the spring, and again to put in the hydoponics in fall - much faster than seeds! I always start more than I need, because an occasional cutting won't root as well, but once in the soil, I rarely have proplems.

[Edgerton]

I am taking both soft and semi woody cuttings, both will strike roots and both will die the same way. I cut about a 6 inch peice so I can leave 2 nodes under the surface to root and 1 or to above with leaves that are trimmed down.

[Edgerton]

Well, it is looking like only a couple of the semi woody cuttings will survive, and the only way they did is if they had a new bud that was going to pop out. Any growth that was there during the cutting of them turned black and died. Unfortunately, almost all that survived were males. I am thinking there was just to much moisture in the soil.

[applestar]

Yeah, it's really frustrating when they seem to have struck roots, but the upper buds fail to grow, the they shrivel up and die. All that work and weeks of patient tending....

Some things I use in hopes that they help are honey as rooting hormone and Willow leaf and bark tea (plain aspirin dissolved in water is said to work as well) to encourage rooting and strengthen immune response, chamomile tea and cinnamon water mostly as anti fungal but chamomile tea is also said to have growth aiding compounds, and alfalfa tea (pellets soaked in water, strained and diluted) also for growth aid.

[pepperhead212]

I take smaller cuttings - about 3" as a rule, though I don't know if that makes a difference.

Have you tried air layering?