Hello guys and gals, I have a few questions about using a humidity bin. I was lucky enough to have a generous member from pa send me a few cuttings. Two of these cuttings have started rooting in damp moss. I potted the cutting with the larger roots into a transparent quart container filled with fifty percent course perelite and fifty percent sterilized potting mix. I have it around eighty percent humidity and about seventy five degrees. If I start to see some leaves forming is there a specefic amount of time I should keep it in the bin sealed or should I ventalate it a few times a day to prevent mold. How will I know when the plant is stable enough to start the hardening off process? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks chad

once bud breaks and leaves come out, air out maybe 5 min a day for few days. then increase it to 15-20 min and so on till they can stay 1 hr or more without the lid.

If you have roots but no leaves they don't need a humidity chamber.  The leaves will be used to whatever environment they come out into.

Chad,
I second Bob C.'s recommendation.
As soon as the buds start to swell, I would remove from the humidity Bin since they are already rooted.
I only use the humidity chamber (bin, dome) for the few cuttings that have leaves but no roots or for the 2 week period after initial potting to keep moisture in the potting mix and reduce watering. After that they are moved into ambient conditions and misted occasionally if needed.
Rooted cupped cuttings should be moved out of the high humidity environment as soon as possible.

From what  you guys are saying, removed from bid as soon as budbreak, but that is when you know there are roots. What about when you have budbreak and "think" there are roots in the cup?

I have 4 cuttings that I could not get to start in a baggie so I put them in cuts with Perlite/long moss mixture. They are budding, but I cannot yet tell for sure if they have roots, or to what degree they are rooted. any suggestions on when to remove them from the bin? I had one that did this earlier, but then the buds all rotted because of all the humidity.

what i would do and what is being suggested from others are different. i would keep them in the humidity bin. air out daily. increase the air out time as time goes on. if there is moisture being collected on the bud or leaves, i would wipe them off. but like i said.. it seems what i do is different from what others are doing. :) 

GeneDaniels,
The pre-rooted cuttings are usually only placed in clear cups after they have rooted, so I already know that they have roots and a humidity bin is not necessary.

I continue increased humidity only for the few cupped cuttings that start to leaf out without roots after 4 - 6 weeks in the rooting stage. My humidity chamber at this stage is an open bin with the cupped cuttings in the bottom that is misted twice a day to keep the leaves hydrated. It usually maintains 65% - 80% RH which doesn't rot the leaves or cause mold growth. Also since they are in clear cups, its very easy to see if the roots are actually growing.
Good luck.

Pete, so, to summarize: leaves, no roots: humidity bin; leaves and roots: no humidity bin; and finally, no leaves but roots: humidity bin for 2 weeks or less if buds leaf out, to conserve moisture in the prewetted potting mix. Does this sound about right?

Thx

Rafael

Rafael,
Yes...
Basically this is my procedure.
   
Here is a topic started by Pino addressing the same subject...

Whenever I see the roots in clear cups I prefer to remove the rooted cutting from the humidity chamber before the leaf buds open or are in opening process to let the roots and leaves find their own growth equilibrium in the ambient conditions.

i would give this a try. not using humidity bin. only problem is all the cuttings are rather precious ones right now. in ideal situation, the new leaves will adjust to the environment and will grow well at low humidity. and that would be a good thing. 

I agree with you on the specialty cuttings where you want the rooted cutting to become well established and you are willing to go to the routine of watching it outside in case the leaves droop and take it back inside and gradually make it used to the outside.