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fespo

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 

I have a lot of cuttings going this year and lost a few here and there but never like this. The cuttings make a lot of roots, pot them up, it does great!!!!  They make new leaves like crazy, 3-4 or so, Then all of a sudden they are wilted and dead. So far this has happen to three of my cuttings/plants. I have been watering only when needed. They are warm all day and night, in the south window and are in my family room were the wood stove is. They ARE NOT close enough to get burned from the heat. I do have a small box fan running 24/7 just like the wood stove. Any Ideas? Thanks Frank

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hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
If it were me I would put the 2 on the right into a higher humidity situation with less light and hope for the best. The first from left looks like a goner to me, leaves drying on the stem like that is a bad sign, I would check the roots to see what condition they are in.
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hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
p.s. Are you using organic fertilizer?
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fespo

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
No fertilizer at all,
hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
I am stumped then.
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dfoster25

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 

Brent:

Would Organic vrs Inorganic make a difference?
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FiggyFrank

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
I think the two on the right might benefit from a humidity bin myself.
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Frank
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JackHNVA

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
They need moderate to high humidity at the initial cup stage, and the room where the wood stove is is most likley too dry. Inverted cups and some TLC misting may help
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strudeldog

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
I would think the wood stove pulling all the humidity out of air, and the fan probably factors as well. The young roots might not be able to keep up
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1FigMama

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
Hi Frank,

It looks to me like the soil in the far right cup is very light in color.  Is there a chance it could be too dry?  A wood stove and fan seem likely to make the environment really dry for such young cuttings.  I'd first check that the soil moisture (below the surface) is okay.  Having them in such a warm environment may be causing more water loss than the young roots are able to replace.  In any case, I agree with Brent--tent the cuttings to minimize water loss from the leaves and hope for the best.  Good luck!
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Mimi    
N.panhandle WV; Zone 6A
garden_whisperer

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
i have had some of the same problems. great big jucey white roots great growth. then for no reason at all the roots start turning brown and leaves droop and tree dies. adding  humidity has not help mine out. some though have really grown great as well under same everything, soil light, humidity, mesured water at the same times. same under heat. just differant cuttings.

if you figure it out let me know. 
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Dave Zone 6b Illinois

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fespo

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Well I put them in the humidity bin now. We will see how the ICU works.

Strudeldog, I do have a big pot of water on the stove going almost everyday. I can put out 2 gallons of water an hour if I want too. I never have the house DRY. I have a whole house of wood floors
hoosierbanana

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Dan- Organic does have peaks, if you will. Things like proteins are converted by bacteria and fungi to fertilizer salts much faster at warmer temps. And there is much less flushing when they are small.
When salt levels are high the roots are much more likely to shut down and burn as the mix dries out. You can read about me having my own crisis with that here.
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Grasa

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
a very hot sunshine can also make them be that way... soil seems a bit on the wet side, I would scratch a bit on top to loosen to see. Also make sure you have draining holes.

sometimes they do come back... some take a long time.. if you don't have gnats.. you will be ok.
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Grasa
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nkesh099

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Agree with Jack (#8). Wood Stove sucks the moister out of a room/rooms. Do an experiment; have a thermometer in the room when the stove is off, record the percentage of the humidity. Then record it again after 1/2-1 hr after the stove is on. You'll see a big % drop of humidity in that particular room.

Good luck,
Navid.
Dan796

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Also the fan should be near the plants, but never point the fan directly on your plants.
That sets up a dry air flow that will dry them out way too quickly, and stress them too much.
The idea is just to lightly move moist air in the area. A humdiifier would help a lot for them, and your family.
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fespo

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
The stove is never off 100%, I burn 24/7 with the fan blowing cool air in and hot air out. As the hot air is blowing out, it picks up moisture and move over the cuttings and out of the room. I have been using this set for years and never had this problem. Here is pot of water for clean steam

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nkesh099

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Frank, after looking at your photos, I am sure 1) low humidity 2) High temps are the culprits here. I have a wood burning stove in my sun room, all the plants (non fig) in that room will have wilted leaves once it gets too hot in there. Even misting the leaves with water and watering those plants won't do much. Leaves will perk up for 10-15 minutes then they wilt again, some even drop their leaves. Luckily they are not figs.

Navid.
hblta

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
soil looks like it is pulling away from the sides of container, so looks like too dry. maybe uneven soil moisture.
I put a lot of holes in the sides of my containers, so the roots get enough air. have to water more but roots do not get drowned.
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Grant
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vitalucky

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 
I had a similar problem a few years ago and could not find the reason till my father told me to scrutinize the soil.
In the soil there were very tiny flies like  organism feeding even on new roots. Some very so small I had problems seeing them. I added a chemical made to kill fire ants and another 60 garden pests and the problem was solved (but I had lost several plants already)
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Sal
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Rewton

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
I saw this in another thread - I have no idea whether it works but is easy to try:

"Whenever you see one of your cuttings that is in a rooting cup going limp on you......put a kitchen match just barely inside of the drainage/vent holes and move it around a bit to make sure that the hole is still open for air flow. GENTLY till the top crust (surface) too with the match stick. Sometimes that is all it takes to revive a wilting cutting. It often is just a carbon dioxide venting thing........"


http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/Pictures-of-New-Rooting-Technique-5370584?highlight=peat+pots
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Steve MD zone 7a
penandpike

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
May be you should drench the plants with some fungicide, because I think a fungus is killing the roots.
I lost many plants last year just like you do now. Perhaps there is not enough fresh air in the house. Open your windows, Oxygen kills bacteria. 
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Pen
Europe, Bulgaria, Zone-6a 
fespo

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 

I know one thing for sure, it's not fresh air. Everyday we open a window for fresh air. I bring in firewood through the window all most everyday. Last I even slept with the window open a little.
penandpike

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
Fresh air is never enough when the plans are inside the house! Especialy if there is a killing bacteria around.  I am sure if you leave the plants outside they will live. And drenching with findicide is a comon practice among professional propagators.
 
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Pen
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twobrothersgarden

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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
I've lost a lot of figs like this. Don't know exactly why this happens, but I think it has to do with too much moisture or not enough moisture in the soil. I've been using this stuff called calcarb when they wilt, and its seems to help them out if they are not too far gone.
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