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Oh Oh I messed up

So on wednesday I go and check my lovely small plants inside my big clear container and all the leaves on all the plants had wilted. I checked the soil with my moisture meter and it was a little dry was on 3.
So I watered them lightly and put them back, today when I went to check on them they were still the same so I took the plants out of the tub and took them out of the soil to inspect them a little better.  The Roots looked healthy but the bark came right off as I was holding them. Does this mean I Killed them due to too much humidity?
I did have the lid closed for a week I opened it the odd time to peek inside but that was 2-3 minutes every 2-3 days. Oh well first lesson learned for 2010. Well actually second lesson my speeding ticket for 50 over in a safety zone tought me a big lesson almost got arrested but thats a whole other story.  Oh by the way the reason they were in there to begin with was because I kept burning leaves with the domed cups this was just to give them a boost wich it did but ended up killing them as well.

You can have roots, and leaves, and have the cutting die of rot. It has happened to many of us. As georgi has said, the connection between the leaves and roots was broken.

Thanks Jose, it is disapointing after all that hard work. Well I guess we live and learn everyday so I dont think I will be doing that again with out airing them out more frequently. Jose you mention the connection between the leaves and roots have been broken what are some of the causes that would make that happen?

Been there, done that!
I had five cuttings go that way. 
Very frustrating.

Been there, done that.

Damn that was my nice looking batch too, Oh well I guess things happen for a reason. Lesson learned hopefully.

Nelson
It happens most often to my favourite cuttings received after a log wait and much less frequently to cuttings that I have less passion for and don't watch them too often. For me it is more often the over-watering part of the TLC which damages the bark because of too much moisture.
The rooted cuttings with drying soil gives me warning with drooping leaves and I water a little bit and it makes me happy when the leaves get erected again. But when one get the over watering warning of drooping leaves then most often, if not always, it is too late.
We all get over it but it would have been a lot easier to get over it if we could get all those big piles of fig pruning branches we saw being burnt on the Japanese sites posted by Ingevald yesterday and today.

Akram
The worst part is that I checked with my moisture meter regularly it was never over 4 but the bottom of the tub was wet from the condensation. I should of made one of those little thingies Jon uses in his plastic tubs with wood and that chicken wire would of most likely saved those plants. I have since then Used a couple strips of 1" wood and left the cointainer a little open and have been opening it a little more every 2-3 days to get them used to the office temps. So far 7 are dead, the two that are fighting for there lives are a kala heera and a Lyndhurst white I sure hope they make it.

In addition to making the chicken wire thingy that Jon uses, I also make a habit of soaking up excess water in the bottom of my bin, and from the walls of the bin when it forms big droplets.  Even if it's not touching the plants, it seems to contribute to excessive humidity in the box, which for me seems to cause mold problems.

Another observation, which could be total unscientific BS, but might be something to think about as well:  I eventually end up in a state where there is nothing but a fine mist of condensation (tiny droplets that look more like a haze than water).  This seems to be the optimal environment when my cuttings take off and excess water stops collecting - So I've been aiming for this environment in my boxes, and it seems to be treating me well (no rot, so far, knock on wood, fingers crossed)

When I get to this point of "fine" mist on the walls of the box, the humidity is typically sitting around 70%-75%.  I try to maintain that (not hard, if you open the box and use the lid to fan it out every other day, then close it up again)

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