Hello All. I have a couple cuttings that are starting to bud without having any roots. They are currently in moist sphagnum moss with a constant temperature of 72 degrees. Any recommendations to what I should do? What are the odds of still rooting? Lastly, is this caused by too much moisture? As always, thank you for everyones help.

Russ

Hey Russ I would leave them in the moss as long as you can and when you finally do take them out roots or not pot them up in your mix and make it a humid environment mini greenhouse.

I had a similar situation last year Russ. I did just what Anthony said and transferred them eventually into clear plastic cups with moist perlite / potting mix (70/30) and set them in a clear plastic rubbermaid type bin and set them by a window with plenty of sun. Just about all of them rooted within 2 weeks.

Russ,
   Here is what I have experienced...buds and leaves without roots usually don't make it for me. Roots, even without buds or leaves always seems to make it(the leaves eventually come).  The roots are what the cutting, and eventually the tree uses to draw life(nutrients) out of the soil, water, etc.  If I had my choice between roots and leaves, I would take roots every time.  If I were you, I would leave your cuttings in the spagnum moss until you see roots.

Trouble with leaving it there is that the plant is expending energy with no return.  When mine leaf out I put the leaves under strong fluorescent light but keep almost all the cutting in a moist mix.  I figure the leaves will ask for water and that will encourage rooting.  At least the cutting's making food for itself.

Russ,

Two choices. Leave in current situation and wait for roots. Or, put it in cup if it's been longer than 4 weeks. If the cuttings are in moist/humid place right now, longer you leave the cuttings in there more chance of getting leave/bud rotting on you. If it has strong top, and the bottom of cutting is nicely harden off, it will root sooner or later in the cup.

I cut lop the buds off if they grow green before roots because I don't want that energy to go towards roots instead.  If you don't want lop off the green then you better get them in a humid environment under bright lights because if you're going to allow all of that energy to go into leaf production then you're invested in leaves and should let the plant use them to create energy.  Either way it's all about making sure the plant is not running out of energy before it gets roots.