If one is using the paper towel method to begin rooting....

Once initials are formed, but not yet formed as roots that extend outward from the scion, is this the time to remove them from the incubator and place in a perlite/moss mixture and back into the incubator?

For some reason, likely my not being observant in my reading, I have assumed external root formation was the moment for transplanting.

there are few situation where i moved the cutting out of the baggie. 

1) when the roots are at least 1/4". i don't like long roots. they break and sometimes they stick to the paper towel. 
2) when top/leaves have come out and there is no root, but good callus at the bottom of the cutting. 
3) when cutting has been in the baggie for 4 weeks or more and nothing is happening. 

some members don't do baggie before going to soil mix in cup or whatever. and they have good results. only reason why i do the baggie method before moving to cup is to make sure that the cutting is progressing. i don't want to put the cutting into the cup with soil mix and sit there wondering if the cuttings have roots or not. 

Bartley,
I don't root with paper towel (I use long fibered sphagnum moss for the baggie method), but I usually let the roots grow 1/4 inch or more before potting up. Jon V. has posted picture sequences on the Encanto Farms Website.
Good Luck.

Bullet and ascPete,
Thank you for the quick response.

I have no external root formation at this point, but the cuttings are covered in root initials from one end to the other at every node.  I have been careful to NOT break or damage any of the initials.  The cuttings are sitting inside plastic bags with damp paper towel an incubator set at 79F.  Fresh air given daily.

They appear to have become stagnant after showing root initials.

I had previously found the post ascPete listed by John V. and have been following that tutorial.  I have not seen anything like the rooting he shows in the tutorial.  But after reading Bullets response I don't feel near as fearful that the stagnant stage is a result of my doing.

It has been 7 to 10 days since I began rooting these cuttings.  They all have new bud growth that just started today.  Should this be pinched back until roots at least begin to show?  Seems to me that a lot of stored energy is about to be directed at leaf production when roots are needed the most.  Once roots are available to collect the nutrients for growth, the power plant leaves can then be allowed to unfurl and begin photosynthesis??

B

Bartley,
A picture would be helpful, Sometimes swollen lenticels are mistakenly called roots. Usually they swell in response to high humidy and reduced air circulation. Also it may takes several weeks to develop roots, depending on the vigor of your particular cultivar.

ascpete,

I apologize, but I have no pictures at the moment.  Camera in my phone is malfunctioning and I haven't summoned the courage to deal with Verizon yet.  What I have called "initials" appears to me to be the same on my cuttings as swollen lenticels or primordium in the first picture within the post you cited.

So no these white nodules are no indication of roots forming, but does indicate lack of oxygen to the cutting.  That sounds like it is time to pot these up in perlite mixture and pop back into the incubator.  Anyone ever tried watering with a capful of hydrogen peroxide added to watering.  It would provide plenty of oxygen.

B

Generally root initials will be little round bumps either at the end of a cutting or as a concentric ring of bumps around a node. The white scaly/crusty bits (irregularly shaped, look almost like weird white fungal growths) are not root initials. With paper towel method, it is recommended to leave the root end uncovered like this pic from the F4F "Basics" page. That will help keep the young roots from growing into the paper towel. As Pete mentioned (and as you've already experienced most likely), those little roots can REALLY attach themselves to the paper towel and detaching them will usually break the root off. 

 

I finally got my camera straightened out and have some pics.

The pics below were taken yesterday evening.  Should I lets these go a little longer before potting them up? Does it appear everything is going as it should be?



RdB


 LSU Purple
 

Closeup of LSU Purple
 

Closeup of RdB 

with cuttings in your pix, it depends. they will put out roots soon. however, if they stay in the baggie too long, there is chance of mold and rot, tho, i haven't ran across rot baggie yet. rots always seem to occur in the cups when the water doesn't drain out properly. if it's been in the baggie for at least 4 weeks, i would just put them in the cups.