Hello Forum members,
I am trying to root a few cuttings for the first time. These are cuttings I received from various forum members and a few I collected locally.

The cuttings were started on 12/4, using Rich's method of propagation in 100 % perlite medium.

In last 2 days I have started noticing the leaves turning black on the outer edges and new leaves completely turning black and dropping down. Attached are few pictures. Am I doing anything wrong? Too much humidity?

I don't see any roots through the container walls or bottom. Although I cannot say nothing has developed since there is no way for me to tell.

The heat mat is working and reads between 79 and 83 depending on the day. I use the fluorescent lamps like Rich suggested.

Please let me know if you can thing if anything abd how to save the cuttings.

Bah...I ran into similar problems with his method.  Leaves turned black on edges, and roots seemed to just die on me, rotting from the looks of it.  I believe Rich's method works, but I don't know if its for everyone, for reasons I can't explain and won't attempt to (e.g. probably user error on my part)

In short, I scrapped it.  I've had good luck rooting in sphagnum, but they seemed to halt or die when I put them in perlite.  I switched media to 70% orchid mix 30% perlite, prewetted.  Fantastic results so far, but it's only been a week.  Four of my cuttings that had stalled out in perlite absolutely exploded with root growth in the orchid mix, and several others are doing well.  Take everything I say with a grain of salt though...this is my first time doing this.

Anyways, edges of the leaves can turn brown from rot (humidity) or from drying out (from no roots). Mushy is often rot, dry is...well that's self explanatory.

Good luck!

from what I see, it could be lack of moisture in the air? The edges are not turning black (as in molding or so...) they are dry dying. If your perlite is moist all the way throug the cup then the only thing that's bothering the cuttings is the super dry air.

Ok i found with this method it is a must that you put your potted plants in a tub with plastic wrap over it. Spray with water before covering it i have them indoors,and use a heat mat. The plastic on top of tub stays wet and steamed up. Perlite does not retain moister without the platic on top. Thats what i experienced. Try taking a cutting get good draining soil push cutting all the way into pot just a half inch sticks out of soil. This is a given for me. I tried the new,baggy method. Thats why i have them in perlite.good luck keep us updated richie

There is quite a bit if humidity in the container. I see condensation in the potting mix and the walls of the plastic humidity chamber itself.

The lights are directly above the plastic container about 6 inches high. Although I have opened the blinds last 3 days since it is bright and sunny in our area in NC.

They get about 14 hours of light everyday. There is no visible fungus or mold. It's just that the leaves turn black and when you touch them they drop.

I have another bin that I have potted in perlite after ten days of the first batch. Same method. I want to make sure I am neither doing something wrong nor repeating the same mistake with the other batch. The second batch contains the cold hardy collection I got from Aaron and would absolutely hate to see them fail.

@alan, yes Alan,
I do have the transparent plastic bins like Rich recommended in his method.

I find when i need to have a cutting grow full proof for me is a pot taller than the cutting fill with half perlite half soil. Push cutting all the way down till one or two nodes stick out. All ways a winner.

I think the OP question was about the edges of the leaves and what to do about that condition now.  I hope more folk chime in here about what to do from this point forward.   Great forum here with lots of experienced people helping each other.

Yes. There are. Some one will chime in. Probably by tomorrow there will be more people reading. Different times zone. Good luck with that. I plan on putting mine in soil when roots start. Just seems like pure perlite doesnt retain water. Talk to you again richie. I am in Louisiana. Were everyday is moist and humid

Well again, the OP was asking about the present condition of their growing cutting and NOT how to plant.  Address the topic.

Alan, some of my starts are getting edges like the OP mentioned.  In your opinion, does that condition indicate too much light?  I have my lights on 16 hours and they do get some natural sunlight using RichinNJ's humidity chamber.  Just trying to learn and appreciate everyone here.

Hi Keith, I can relate to what Alan has pointed out. I keep my lamps upto 14 hours and the room where I have my cuttings receive good amount of bright sunlight with blinds partially openened. The last two days I had the blinds opened completely for a good 3 hours during which the container received direct sunlight for a part 20 to 30 minutes. I suspect I inflicted the damage by exposing the sprouts to bright light. From tomorrow I am going to reduce the light exposure and limit the lighting hours to may be 12 hours instead of the current 14.

Also, I will raise the height of the fluorescent lights a little more. The humidity chamber has a thermostat sensor and I believe the lights play a role in partially heating the humidity chamber if they are closer to the humidity chamber. As a result the heat mat underneath does not get powered on as often as it should and it may be delaying the root development. I am going to set the thermostat sensor closer to the bottom of the humidity chamber so the temperature is read closer to the rooting zones. I will make these adjustments tomorrow and see what progress I make. Hope I make sense.

@Alan, thanks for the tip on light damage. Sincerely appreciate it.

Thanks Alan.  I don't know what to do at this point, if anything. 

Thanks Mohan.  Just need to experiment and see what works for my climate and process.  Appreciate your thoughts.

alan, I am not sure what you are suggesting to do, but maybe cut the light hours down a bit at a time.  My concern it the leaves
ends drying up,  I would appreciate help with that.

Keith, 

The suggestion is to eliminate all sun light, it is to strong for the cuttings. Also a photoperiod of 12 hours of artificial light is more then ample. Additionally, if the cutting does not have roots or the roots are just developing, the cutting will not be able to support the growth. Hence the drying of the leafs.

I am not a expert at all but i was going to suggest removal of most of the leaves. Just like some cuttings produce figs they get removed to give energy to roots. Just a thought the only been growing since the 4th

@ Keith - I have cut down the artificial lights from 4 bulbs to 2. And my window blinds are fully down. I will be keeping the lights for 12 hours from now and may adjust the duration if I see more damage to the leaves. Hopefully the same works for you. Keep us posted in the forum as it will help draw the rootcause if we both infact had damages due to light expsosure .

@ Scott - I see you have acquired the similar collection from Aaron on Cold hardy collection as I did. Have you rootedthem yet? This is my second batch and went into the humidaity chamber on the 14th. I see some sprouts budding and root initials on the cutting much above the perlite medium. Sorrento and Orangeburs are looking strong. Nyacks are still lively but havenot seen any change.

If it is partially a matter of the cuttings not having sufficient root growth I have a question.  Since potassium encourages root growth would a tea of kale broth or a potassium pill mashed and mixed with water help accelerate root growth?  I have a draw full of cuttings that are soon to go under the lights.  Does the PH level of the water have a great impact on the cuttings?

Mohan,

I placed them in moss a week and a half ago, last I looked there was no roots.  Maybe in another couple weeks. 

I'll post when they do. 

Mohen,

I will reduce the amount of light and see what happens.  Some with nice visible leaves have visible roots and some don't but both have some browning leaf edges.  Will keep us all posted as Scott mentioned.

The way the leaves are dying from the edges does not look like sunburn to me, usually I see more of a spotting with that.   Maybe a sudden temperature change could also be the culprit if you have them in a bin with heat, and then open the bin in a cool dry room and the leaves get a shock from the change in conditions.   Another possibility could be overwatering/damping off, which should be near impossible with perlite, unless the bottom of the cutting is sitting in in perlite fines right on the bottom of the pot.   They should be at least an inch or two off the bottom.
All that said, if you don't have roots yet, it might be best for those leaves to be shed.  Good luck, don't sweat it- these are tough plants.

Thanks Jesse.

Thanks forum members, for all the advice. Here is a mini orchard that is growing well from the 2014 cuttings. Thought i will share.

Nice pictures.

Nice work Mohan. Congrats on a job well done!