Humidity levels being the same, I was wondering if planting depth may have an impact on the success of the cutting. Would it enhance or impare it's success if, once rooted, it's planted at 25%, 50%, 75%?

Sue

Deeper planting of a rooting cutting will help it's success rate. The more nodes under the soil line result in more places for roots to emerge. I'm not sure what the depth would do for a older plant. Usually when I pot-up, I bury a little deeper than it was before.

Planting deeper reduces moisture loos to the atmosphere. Roots will form wherever there feel like it, usually at the bottom end, but often at the bottom node, sometimes, just anywhere on the side of the twig, and sometimes even at the tip which is out of the soil, if there is sufficient humidity.

I'm trying to figure out why some of my rooted cuttings make it with no problem and others up and rot once potted. I know I've over watered in the past...plants now get water by the tablespoon! I know I may have had too heavy a soil (MG) so now I'm trying a fast-draining cactus mix. I'm just trying to think of additional factors I can control and the planting depth came to mind.

I could repot this cutting and get an additional node buried (move to the 5" mark vs the 4") but I'd risk the tender roots so I think I won't. The pot is in a 1-gal baggie for humidity control.

In the future I'll plant deeper.

Thanks!

Sue

Are your cuttings drying out (withering) or dying of root rot? If you are using soil, just keep it damp and water infrequently.

Most have been due to rot but I know that was from a combination of too much water and too dense a soil. That has changed.

I have had very few wither but some do. I have had either rot on the stem below the soil line or mold on the part above the soil line for the most part. That's why I've seriously cut back on the amount of water they get. Most are potted then placed in 1-gal baggies. As long as I see condensation on the baggie I don't water.

Granted many cuttings do survive my 'help' but I want a higher percentage of survival, especially the rare ones that can't be replaced.

Sue

I have learned (the hard way) to let the cuttings go much longer between waterings. I let the soil get dry at least an inch at the top and not wet at the drain holes. For the humidity using a bag - I also learned the hard way that too much will lead to mold growth above the soil line. I now use bags to cover them but I cut 1 inch off the corners of the bag to allow some air to get in and to make sure the humidity is not too high. After a few days, I remove the bags. For my conditions, the bag is only needed after transplanting to allow the roots to recover and start taking up enough water. The soil mix I use is equal parts of Shultz Aquatic Sol (turface), perlite, sphagnum peat moss and pine bark mulch. It stays loose and drains very well. The figs seem to do very well in it. 

I nearly posted this exact question two days ago.  I generally don't have a problem once a cutting reaches the point where I move it up to being potted into a 1 gal container, but as my cuttings for this year have begun to reach that point (well one of them at least) I thought to myself...Could I be planting them too deeply (as I've always potted them as deeply as they were in the rooting medium).  I notice that most frequently roots first start at the bottom of a cutting and while I haven't had too much trouble with losing well rooted plants after potting up I wanted to find out what everyone else was doing.

Thanks..

~Chills