Did I plant these things upside down???

A forum sweetheart was kind enough to send me some cuttings along with instructions on how she starts her cuttings.... I scuffed up the bark, dipped them in Clonex and then into the soil mix. I noticed 2 days ago these roots poppin out all over! It looks bizarre. Did I screw up and plant these upside down? Can I turn them around or what do I need to do? Gahhhh!

That's common when the humidity is high. They will go away over time.

Here is a picture George posted before



The humidity in rooting chambers is generally high.  It is not uncommon for roots to appear outside of the growing mix

OK, lovely, so I can just walk away and not sweat it then. Should I take the top off of the container that I have them in to reduce the humidity or just leave it alone?
 

Good job Sophie ! They do sometimes look freaky lol. I would lift the top a little each day - I see water droplets on side of your container - you don't want any mold. 

The 2 on the right in the first photo are right way up.  I'd plant the one closest to the camera in a mix that drains well with those roots in the soil.  Greenery will be able to push up through the soil.  The one with a shoot already coming out is the right way up.  The others I can't tell because I can't see a node.  The one on the right in the last photo may be upside down.

In my opinion in the last two pictures the cuttings with the weird roots are upsite down!

[QUOTE=Feigenbaum]In my opinion in the last two pictures the cuttings with the weird roots are upsite down! [/QUOTE]

Danke, that's just what I needed to hear,... Not! 

I've just about decided to simply leave them alone and see what happens. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

See, this is what's upsetting to me... I got the cuttings and I was very methodical in the planting of them. I had everything ready, just like I do when I'm cooking...It's called mise en place. I took the cuttings which were wrapped in damp paper towels and put the ends that were wrapped in the potting mix and stuck my labels in there. :((

Is it too late to flip the cuttings? Even if they were dipped in the Clonex? Now, I don't know what to do... where the hell is Jon when you need him?!?!?!?!

Look at the picture that James (re)posted (which George had posted earlier).  That leaf scar makes a "smile"... it should be upright.  I agree with Christian that the last photo the one with the weird roots looks upside down.  Maybe the middle photo too (I can't tell on that one because the photo isn't clear for me).  Good luck.

Mike

p.s.  No, it's not too late to flip the cuttings.  Put them right side up.

Give us pictures that clearly show the nodes.  Label them so we can talk about them accurately.  It will be easy to tell which ones need to be flipped and you can do it.

if you absolutely cant figure out what to you could simply plant the entire piece of wood with the top shallow, the green growth should push up by itself

Hi Peachy,
Just looking at it I think it is upside down. Just doesn't look right. I would leave the stick in the ground and then cut it between the top 2 white root sections  and then plant that piece the other way. You will have 2 plants and it would be a neat experiment either way
Coop

Meet Larry! He's the only one giving me headaches. I checked on all of them this afternoon, and Curly and Moe look like some buds are getting ready to bust out. So Larry is the odd man out!

rcantor, please know that these are the best close up photos that I could get without blurring the shots. I even had to enlist the help of Hubs, which I don't often do....we won't go there.

My gut tells me that this cutting is right side up but I'm not sure. Let me know if these shots are good or not and how to proceed. Thanks in advance.... Sophie~

I think the first 2 picture (larry and LSU) are upside down. I can not see the nodes on the 3rd one but i think it is also upside down.

I'm sorry Sophie, I have to concur, upside down.

Sophie, those shots are perfect.  Please show us all the nodes on the cutting.  The one you showed is hard to tell because the leaf scar is damaged.  I don't want to tell you to flip it unless I'm 100% sure.  Can you show us the rest of the nodes on the cutting?  Thanks.  BTW, the first 2 photos show a node, the last one doesn't.  Best is to take photos like the first one of every node above the soil.

[QUOTE=rcantor]Sophie, those shots are perfect.  Please show us all the nodes on the cutting.  The one you showed is hard to tell because the leaf scar is damaged.  I don't want to tell you to flip it unless I'm 100% sure.  Can you show us the rest of the nodes on the cutting?  Thanks.  BTW, the first 2 photos show a node, the last one doesn't.  Best is to take photos like the first one of every node above the soil.[/QUOTE]

Here are all of the nodes (3) on Larry, starting from the top going down...

Node 1



Node 2



Node 3



I did notice more roots just under the soil this morning. If he is upside down do I just flip him and disregard the roots that are already on the top, because it seems to me that they will be crunched on replanting.

Larry is something of a freak.  Node 1 has a bud pointing down, but that will eventually right itself, plus I'm sure more buds will appear eventually. You have roots under the soil, I say leave it. In the end it will all work out, even if it is upside down. 

IMO you can't tell, I had typed that I thought it was right but I had to edit that, the more I look at it I have to say..still questionable. Sometimes, when a dormant bud is knocked off it will make a round scar similar to the scar like you have, which goes with what Martin said below.

Post 18 is showing scionwood rooted upside down.

Larry and possibly others are upside down.  In the bottom most photo it's easy to see.  The large scar is from the leaf.  The smaller, more pronounced scar is from a former fig.  And the little spot next to the scar is where the bud will come in.

It is not too late to flip it.  Yes, some roots will be snapped off, but new ones will probably grow.  In fact, most of the roots you see now are already starting to self prune (that's why they're turning brown).  They will all most likely eventually shrivel and drop off.  Probably better to go ahead and flip it now and look to the future.

If you don't flip it, then anything that's above ground now is pretty useless, as it can't grow roots or shoots.  Shoots have to be above the roots (or, since this one is currently upside down, below the roots) in order for the vascular system to properly service them.  That will mean a u-turn for the shoot, which is possible, but problematic. 

I personally have not had great luck with cutting cuttings after they've started rooting, so I wouldn't recommend snipping off at the current soil line and planting the remainder right side up.  But that's better than leaving as is. 

Or, if you're not sure which end is up, like another member said, another option is to place the entire cutting under soil horizontally. 

Good luck!

Thanks, I appreciate the help! I'll turn his world upside down this afternoon and just keep an eye on him. Maybe he'll be happier once he has the correct perspective. lol

It's definitely upside down.  Here's what to do:

Get a tub of warm water big enough to submerge the whole thing.  Place the cutting and cup sideways and swish around.  If the soil doesn't dislodge spray it with a gentle stream of water. 

Then I'd bury it on a diagonal with the cutting in a container big enough so it can lay sideways.  Bury it shallowly with the emerging shoot facing up.  Try to cover all the roots with soil.  Something like this.  (The line spacing of the editor is not the same as when posted.  The cutting as posted is steeper than I'd put it.  At least on my monitor.)



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OK, I can't get out there to attend to Larry this afternoon, but first thing in the morning I will get him squared away. I do have a container that I can lay him down vertically. I just need to get some soil mixed up.