71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296688172
Reply with quote #1
Ok, tonight i noticed a couple of the cuttings I have potted up are a little droopy. Not as bad as the one that just flopped and died from overwatering, but a few leaves are a little down. I think I have gone completly the other way and I think this time I underwatered them. The mix was really dry. I have been so afraid to water them since the overwatering. I have watered maybe a little since then. I have a small squirt bottle and I was just giving each one a few squirts here and there when the pots felt light. I gave them a little water tonight, they were very dry. Is there anything I should do?
hblta
1277578212
Posted 1296688576
Reply with quote #2
If it is just drooping because it is dry, a little water will perk it up again. If it has just been taken out of the humid environment, the lack of humidity could also cause it to wilt. Grant z5b
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296688973
Reply with quote #3
It has been out of the humididity container for weeks, probably over a month. I have been been inching it closer to the window that gets a little sun, but that has been a a week or two since then as well and one of the other droopy ones was further away.
nkesh099
1267670012
Posted 1296689122
Reply with quote #4
keep them somewhere humid and out of direct sun.
Italiangirl74
1189815225
Posted 1296689657
Reply with quote #5
Avoid near window drafts like a plague! I don't know if this is case for you, but maybe it is chilling near window sometimes this will happen from chill.There are many reasons, but I just threw out one for you.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296689702
Reply with quote #6
I kept them in a room with light on my desk for a few weeks. Now I have them on a table near a window that catches a little very early morning sun. I moved them near the window when I noticed all the leaves on the cuttings and the growth moving towards the light of the other window that gets more sun in the room.
satellitehead
1257988353
Posted 1296689852
Reply with quote #7
Direct sun will cause more evaporation. As stated before, if underwater is the problem, then water should perk them back up within a few hours. If you give them water and they continue drooping... If they've been out of the bins *that* long, I'd say they are probably rotting.
Italiangirl74
1189815225
Posted 1296689892
Reply with quote #8
The sunlight is not your problem. At this time of year, all my newly rooted cuttings are beginning to move in front of windows taken from under growlamps.. This is not the case ever with mine, the sunlight. Only to watch when shoved outside in severe sunlight without hardening them off then you have a bad problem.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296690004
Reply with quote #9
The windows are a month old and I bought good ones, there better not be any drafts! LOL! My old windows were bad. I also have water baseboard heat running under the window it doesn't seem cold there unless you touch the glass and thats not like the old window. I can move the table back a bit. but the cuttings seemed to be happy until the past day or two. I do keep a pretty close eye on them
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296692239
Reply with quote #10
I will keep an eye on them. I have a feeling it is the underwatering, these ones were not watered like the one that I really killed over watering it. Would it be a sign too if not every leaf was droopy, it seems to be the ones lowest on the plant.
OttawanZ5
1192897779
Posted 1296693020
Reply with quote #11
I believe that just like heat radiation there may be cold radiation through the windows on extreme cold days. That is the only way I can explain loss of emerging terminal leaf shoots (drying up) in my new rooted plants and loss of some plants in 1-litre pots placed closed to the windows.
Ottawan-Z5a, Canada
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296693087
Reply with quote #12
I wanted to ask too, I have been using the spray bottle and I squirt it a few times in the mix, I try to do it around the inside edges of the pot and say away from spraying right at the base of the cutting. I am doing it that was to sort of meter out the water, so I don't go to crazy and I can see how much, but when I spray the mix only the top of the soil gets wet I can see it still pretty dry in the middle and bottom. i kind of figured the water would work its way down. Is this an ok method to water? should i maybe be pouring the water so it will get further down in the soil?
northeastnewbie
1267756970
Posted 1296699049
Reply with quote #13
as the trees grow they need more water they are losing water through the leaves. increase the water and see what happens. also wrap paper or foil around your bottles as sunlight can kill your delicate roots. roots like it dark....
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296701329
Reply with quote #14
Ok, I can do that with some foil. Would that mess with the drain/air holes in the pots?
Dieseler
1215735852
Posted 1296702136
Reply with quote #15
Dont mean to but in .
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296704654
Reply with quote #16
Cool, thanks. the more help the better. I will rip off the bottom.
afigfan
1290133866
Posted 1296706022
Reply with quote #17
I had some cuttings in cups that got too close to the window and suffered a similar fate. The roots next to the sides of the cup turned brown and all of the leaves began to wilt. I was able to bring one back by putting it back into a plastic bag. If roots have turned brown, watering the cuttings will usually do them in. This is the saddest part of starting cuttings, I wish you the best of luck.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296737500
Reply with quote #18
Ok, this morning the droopy cuttings are perking up. They are not all the way back yet, but they are moving in the right direction. I also wrapped some foil around all the containers I am hoping all will be fine and I will keep them a bit more watered then I have been. Afigfan, do you think the roots were killed by the sun like Northeastnewbie discribed? I am a little confused now about the window. I thought after a few weeks of being just in a brightroom getting indirect sunlight you move them closer to a window to get some filtered direct sunlight. It seems like a lot of bad things can happen if they are near a window.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296737531
Reply with quote #19
Ok, this morning the droopy cuttings are perking up. They are not all the way back yet, but they are moving in the right direction. I also wrapped some foil around all the containers I am hoping all will be fine and I will keep them a bit more watered then I have been. Afigfan, do you think the roots were killed by the sun like Northeastnewbie discribed? I am a little confused now about the window. I thought after a few weeks of being just in a brightroom getting indirect sunlight you move them closer to a window to get some filtered direct sunlight. It seems like a lot of bad things can happen if they are near a window.
northeastnewbie
1267756970
Posted 1296738438
Reply with quote #20
71gto alot if information can get lost in translation or typing and thinking to slowly. Yes they need to start to get light once they have leaves but a regular room provides sunlight. (ie time to remove them from the large plastic tubs where they were started rooting) SOme people use plastic cups or bottles I like styrofoam cups 20 oz or bigger easier to write on and punch holes in. I also like styrofoam for protecting roots and removing root mass is easy with razor knife. you are on the right track you just need slight modification and you will be an experienced fig coniseur.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296743683
Reply with quote #21
Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Do you think I have them to close to the window? I like the idea of a foam cups. I can see now it might be a pain to get them out of some of the containers I used, but at the time I was trying to do it cheap nd use what I had around the house. We have a restaurant supply place by my house I might go check there to see what size cups they have.
northeastnewbie
1267756970
Posted 1296747374
Reply with quote #22
wal mart or kmart is cheapest that I have found
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296772487
Reply with quote #23
Ok, I just got home and the droopy plants don't seem to have changed much from this morning. I feel like I watered them enough yesterday, so I guess I will just wait and see. It seems to be only some leaves on the tree not all are drooping.
satellitehead
1257988353
Posted 1296784777
Reply with quote #24
Try to container them to help pick up some humidity.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296785644
Reply with quote #25
Maybe I didn't water enough. I have sprayed some more water on them today a few times and I can see they are perking up again. The stems are straightening out a bit. They have some weight to them now, more than when they were dry, but definetly less then if I poured the water on them like before. Should i still put them back in a container?
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296785946
Reply with quote #26
The more I think about it I wonder if the spray bottle is a bad idea. I feel like maybe I am just wetting the top layer of soil and its not getting down to the roots really. Does that make sense? Maybe I should just meter out water and pour in on so it will soak down. Do you think maybe a espresso cup amount of water would be to much in one shot?
satellitehead
1257988353
Posted 1296786377
Reply with quote #27
Think about it from the logical perspective...
The leaves are porous and they "sweat" water. Just like the human skin, if a leaf does not get enough water, it will wrinkle and sag.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296789482
Reply with quote #28
Thanks, Jason. I understand what you are saying. I think I am making myself nuts with this. I think I hit the target you had described in one of my early topics about keeping the soil light but moist and about 1/3 to half the weight of a fully watered pot. The leaves appear to be recovering again now that I gave them some more water. I cuttings are a bit higher then the containters now and I don't want damage the tops them trying to cover them over. If they are not improving anymore tomorrow I will figure out a way to cover them.
hblta
1277578212
Posted 1296789984
Reply with quote #29
Hi 71GTO,
satellitehead
1257988353
Posted 1296790016
Reply with quote #30
Just misting the leaves with a sprayer every few hours should do about the same job as a container.
71GTO
1290311646
Posted 1296824681
Reply with quote #31
As of last night and this morning they are almost back to normal. I did mist/spritz them twice last night. Thanks everyone for the help. I am greatful. I will keep an eye on them and post back if anything changes.
