Ihave about 6 cuttings of Sals from BLB that still haven't rooted. They havebeen going for just under 2 months they had started to put out leaves and thenthe leaves died back. I wanted to know if anyone had suggestions as what wasonce nice and green looks like it is getting taxed and slowly dying back.

Matt,

I had the same problem with S. Corleone from BLB. The cuttings looked good, they started to put out leaves, but died soon after. Just do not know what to think. I had 4 cuttings with 0 results. Terrible.

It was late in may and had some in Moss. No roots so I decided to stick in dirt in a pot. Putting on leaves so it should take though. We will see.

I had relatively good success with those. I put the cuttings immediately into bands with a 50/50 perlite/generic potting mix - lightly moist and never watered. When they started to leaf out, I put them in a high humidity chamber (with other leafed-out cuttings) near a bright window, but not in sun. I would air them, and in the evening and early morning, put them all under artificial light (still in the chamber) so the leaves could photosynthesize. I was careful with the temperature to not let it get over 75-80.

Some are now outside acclimating. I believe I still have some in the rooting chambers, but I don't know how many. I have a tendency to cut cuttings in half if there are enough nodes... I do wish I had kept records.

Gina,

So when they started to leaf out did they have any roots? I might pot them up and hope that the photosyntheisize saves them if you were in a similar situation.

My containers are frustratingly opaque so I can't tell when they have rooted. But I don't think they had. Most of the ones of other varieties I was rooting that put out shoots first did not have roots till later. Some still don't. I did carefully dig a few up to check. Not the Sal's C however.

At this stage of the game, I'd do what Dominick did - pot them up and put them outside in the shade - that's what the old-timers did and it worked. I just like to micro-manage.

Same boat. Different oar, paddling along.  This is the reason I jumped on JoAnne's suggestion of cello bags for rooting.  At least you can see, and know.  Granted, I truly believe n the old ways, and I have several cuttings laying horizontal in the desert sand.  The one panachee grew, but then it stopped. 

I hate that tree!  Hate is a strong word, but that Panachee from UCD is a sorry 4 year old tree with 5 leaves.  Took 4 years to get it to 5 leaves!  See?  It aint all pretty!

Suzi

Some cuttings make it, some don't. 4 that didn't make it this year all had roots. I took them out of the cups and checked. One of them, I think I didn't give it enough time. Other 3, they had roots, but all dried up. Either I didn't water right or they weren't meant to be.

If you really want to see if they will make it or not, pot them up in 1 gal and keep 'em in the shade. Don't pack the soil, and don't water until soil is almost dry. If they are going to make it, they will.

Pete

The cuttings I got from Barry have all rooted fine using the baggie method. Average time to first roots was 12 days. I did lose one after potting. That one did not root very vigorously but I potted it anyway. Good luck in your efforts!

Sorry some of you are not doing well with the Sal's Corleone scion. Sal's is difficult for me too so I was very happy to see Gina's pics a while back and to hear of other successes. Those cuttings that leaf out then lose their leaves are pretty typical with several varieties of scion, but it seems to happen more frequently with SC. For me I have about 40 to 50% success with Sal's after seeing that. Patience is a virtue. Not fun to look at a stick in a pot, or worse a bunch of them with no growth, but often they will start growing leaves a couple months down the line. Sadly just as often they will die. For those of you who do not have success and still want this variety, pm me in the fall, I'll send you more scion.

I also put them in a pot immediately and one had leaves that withered away since no roots.   Since pulling them all out and putting in baggie with long fibered moss, all of them are showing signs of roots.   Does anyone know if SC can take high heat when it matures?  We have both dry heat and then humid heat coming soon (near Phoenix).

Also, what is the lore behind Sal's Corleone.  I'm always imagining it somehow tied to mafioso.

I don't know about Phoenix weather, but we just experienced the hottest summer in philly history a year ago. It did just fine in that and seems to be a very strong grower. I have quite a thick trunk on mine and it has only been in ground for 5 years. Mafia? there is no such thing...

I had 1 Sal's C root quickly and is growing well, 1 put out leaves that died but the cutting still looks good.  I got a few others at the same time that did not have roots 3 days ago but today have roots!  Hang in there!

Thanks for the cuttings!

I do not know the lore behind the fig, other than thinking I remember that it came from the small town in Sicily named Corleone. I do not know who Sal is.

In the Godfather movies, the Corleone family name was originally Andolini, but there were some murders and vendettas (what else?), so the family name was changed to Corleone, which is the town where Vito Andolini Corleone was orginally from. As, coincidentally, was the fig. Or something like that.

The young Vito Andolini Corleone after having eaten a tasteless breba:

LOL those tasteless brebas are so disappointing