My blackberry cuttings are dying

[Rappatuz]

Hello. I'm a complete newbie trying to "garden" for my first time.

I have a giant blackberry bush In my neighborhood which is on public property so it's a free for all situation. It's a thorny variety with very tasty berries.

I read up on propagating and taking cuttings, and so I've done. The ones I still have left were taken around october/mid-october. Because of winter time and freezing temperatures I decided to propagate them indoors. My plan was to grow them ready for transplanting outdoors in the spring or summer.

The cuttings were distributed between three pots with organic "planting soil". They've been dying off somewhat regularly. They start turning dark brown in one spot and then the whole cutting will turn dark brown in a matter of days. When I pull them up after dying, some of them will have a small rooting system which actually looks healthy (white roots). I pulled one up yesterday which had started turning black on the top (I cut off the top). The exposed inner part of the stem was covered by white spots of "something". I assume it's some kind of fungus. I can't remember seeing this on other dead cuttings.

I've watered sparingly but the soil is certainly "damp". Plants have been placed by the window and they get indirect natural light every day. In fear of drying out the cuttings I've kept the radiator off in this particular room.

Why do they keep dying, and how can I prevent it from happening?

If the cutting dies but the root system looks healthy, is there a possibility that the roots may produce a new plant?

 

[DirtMechanic]

Dying or Dormant? The plant is Biennial, makes berries on the second year wood which then dies, and yes, has an underground crown from which "stems" the topsidy party. If you take a cutting, the hormonal and other active ingredients would best come from the resources found in leafy new mature growth in later spring. Be more patient, they will be emerging soon.

It needs far more light than you are providing by at least 1000%. I used a light meter recently and found roughly 200-400 Foot candles in my shady areas and 4000Fc in the Dec sun here. You may get away with a 4 foot flourescent tube light where one bulb is 5000k blue and the other 3000k yellow.

No idea about the sanitation but they harbor disease readily. Pictures? What soil is in your pot called "Planting Soil"? Is it for seeds? Is it fertilized? If so this is bad for growing roots 2X because once they find food they do not have to grow as much and can begin to do other things. The biggie though is oxygen and drainage. Perlite and peat moss or the new version of sharp sand, perlite and coir are nutrient free breathers. Sphagnum moss works too.

I would also suggest stapling some wounded vines just underground at the parent plant. They really root well when still attached to the parent plant. I just bury the tips of a second year vine into a hole if I lose one. The vine will die and you can dig up the new one.

The only thing I can think of to add is about moisture and that being without roots, it is touch and go for the plant cutting even if it was well watered the day before the cuttings were taken. A clear bag sealed over the pot with a rubber band, a cut off large cola bottle or what have you relative to the pot is a real important thing to consider. The minute the stomata open and moisture loss occurs, the rootless cutting has a problem until roots develop. Airborne humidity is about all you can help it with if the pot is moist.

 

[Rappatuz]

Dying or Dormant? The plant is Biennial, makes berries on the second year wood which then dies, and yes, has an underground crown from which "stems" the topsidy party. If you take a cutting, the hormonal and other active ingredients would best come from the resources found in leafy new mature growth in later spring. Be more patient, they will be emerging soon.

It needs far more light than you are providing by at least 1000%. I used a light meter recently and found roughly 200-400 Foot candles in my shady areas and 4000Fc in the Dec sun here. You may get away with a 4 foot flourescent tube light where one bulb is 5000k blue and the other 3000k yellow.

No idea about the sanitation but they harbor disease readily. Pictures? What soil is in your pot called "Planting Soil"? Is it for seeds? Is it fertilized? If so this is bad for growing roots 2X because once they find food they do not have to grow as much and can begin to do other things. The biggie though is oxygen and drainage. Perlite and peat moss or the new version of sharp sand, perlite and coir are nutrient free breathers. Sphagnum moss works too.

I would also suggest stapling some wounded vines just underground at the parent plant. They really root well when still attached to the parent plant. I just bury the tips of a second year vine into a hole if I lose one. The vine will die and you can dig up the new one.

The only thing I can think of to add is about moisture and that being without roots, it is touch and go for the plant cutting even if it was well watered the day before the cuttings were taken. A clear bag sealed over the pot with a rubber band, a cut off large cola bottle or what have you relative to the pot is a real important thing to consider. The minute the stomata open and moisture loss occurs, the rootless cutting has a problem until roots develop. Airborne humidity is about all you can help it with if the pot is moist.

I had a couple of cuttings which actually leafed but they turned brown and died. Maybe I just don't have enough light for them to survive indoors. I just roll up my curtains in the morning and that's it.

This is the description of the soil I've used:
"Our best soil for sowing seeds and cuttings. For organic cultivation. Natural raw materials only."

I've wrapped a few cuttings with cling film to keep them hydrated. I think these are doing a little better than the ones that without cling film.

I've attached three images. Sorry for poor quality. "A" shows the white dots I wrote about in the OP. You can see its roots sticking out. "B" shows a cutting starting going dark brown on the stem base. "C" shows a dead dried up cutting I pulled up.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Are you stripping all the leaves off the cuttings?

 

[Rappatuz]

Are you stripping all the leaves off the cuttings?

I stripped off some leaves but obviously not enough. They both died. Only happened to two cutting though. The rest haven't sprouted.

 

[DirtMechanic]

I stripped off some leaves but obviously not enough. They both died. Only happened to two cutting though. The rest haven't sprouted.

Are you under the impression that removing the leaves is helpful? The reason I ask is that the resources needed to make roots are in the leaves so since you took them late in the season as they approached leaf drop, or senescence, the hormones are different in them as well as a reduced capacity for new growth as they are getting ready to die..

 

[sander474]

Maybe you should try to change a soil?

 

[Rappatuz]

Are you under the impression that removing the leaves is helpful? The reason I ask is that the resources needed to make roots are in the leaves so since you took them late in the season as they approached leaf drop, or senescence, the hormones are different in them as well as a reduced capacity for new growth as they are getting ready to die..

I really don't know as only two cuttings sprouted. What you say makes sense though.

Maybe you should try to change a soil?

The typical perlite/peat moss 50/50 combination? I've been thinking of moving the still living cuttings to individual pots. Then I'll have the chance to change soil.