Swamp cypress cuttings dying-

[Raging Bull]

I have one swamp cypress which I bought as a stock tree from a local nursery, and it's doing really well. Since then I've tried to propagate more swampies from cuttings, which should be easy, according to what I've read and youtube videos.
My problem is that they keep dying on me. I have taken cuttings of various sizes right down to thin twigs from other trees as well as small cuttings when I've pruned my bought tree. The cuttings, with rooting hormone gel applied, were planted in my own usual bonsai mix and kept constantly wet with a tray under the pot. They look very promising to start with, budding out well and even starting to grow small branches. then they start wilting and don't recover, slowly dying. When I pull them out there are no roots or even the beginnings of roots. It appears to me the cutting is using the stored energy to grow foliage, but is not growing roots.
Does anyone have suggestions how to get them to grow roots as well? I have successfully grown various ficus, jade and chinese elm from cuttings but can't seem to get swampies to survive.

[Bougy Fan]

I have a good success rate with them, but I do things a little differently. First I seal both ends of the cutting with brown latex wound paint. Then I put them in pots of decomposed granite which sit in a tray of water. I sprinkle Seamungus on top of the deco and water at least once a day, making sure the tray doesn't dry at at all. It can take up to a year to get enough roots on the cuttings to enable them to be planted out. I only ever bother doing cuttings of at least 25mm in diameter as it is quicker to grow from seed than do any smaller in diameter.

[shibui]

Seems like you are doing most things right but I'd say the cuttings need more humidity. As you have noted - no roots but leaves are growing which require water but no roots to supply water = death.
Maintaining high humidity around the cutting will reduce need for water and may give them more time to grow roots. Try a plastic bottle or bag over the cuttings.
Sometimes I have good success with swampie cuttings, sometimes many do not root

[melbrackstone]

I've had patchy results, with some cuttings taking, and some not. I've found that you really do need to leave them alone for a long time, and even when all the leaves drop off, they can shoot again if left for long enough. Some I've actually forgotten about and then found them again well over a year later, with new buds.

[Raging Bull]

Thank you for your replies, I'll persevere and leave some of them in the pots to see if they eventually do grow roots and revive. I'm sure they are not dying for lack of moisture as they are watered daily and the pots are standing in trays of water with a lot of greenery around them. As the saying goes "Patience, Grasshopper"

[Daluke]

Never tried swamp cypress propagation, but have tried lots of other types.

My experience;

1) Avoid using cuttings with a cut top. You’ll lose moisture

2) Dip the cutting in rooting gel THEN dip in powder. This helps the hormone stick to the cutting

3) Don’t jam the cutting into your potting medium as all the hormone will come off. Poke a hole with a pencil

4) Timing is important. Cuttings grow faster for me over the warmer months

5) Take lots.

Good luck

Luke

[Raging Bull]

Thanks Luke, I'll try the "double hormone" method next time. And yes I'm always very careful not to wipe it off when putting it into the ground. I have one big cutting (about 3 cm diameter) still going OK, so I hope that one makes it as well as a couple of small ones that have survived so far. Cheers, Frank.

[Max]

surely a 3 cm wide cutting will die,that's a 30 mm stem with no roots, which would have to be hard wood,( being that wide) if you even cut below the "node" and shortened/cut in, the branches, no energy is left thru evaporation and sealing of wounds. I'm in a quandary as to why you think it's feasible

[Beano]

surely a 3 cm wide cutting will die,that's a 30 mm stem with no roots, which would have to be hard wood,( being that wide) if you even cut below the "node" and shortened/cut in, the branches, no energy is left thru evaporation and sealing of wounds. I'm in a quandary as to why you think it's feasible

Did you see bougy fan’s post? It’s possibly to succeed with large hardwood cuttings with certain species including swamp cypress.

[Raging Bull]

Hi No idea, Swampies are a very resilient tree and I'm just trying to get one with an advaced trunk to play with. That's why I keep trying to get cuttings to grow and the fact that there are a couple of swampies nearby that I can take cuttings from.
The pic below is of one of the cuttings that's "not feasible" , it was taken off the tree about 2months ago. All of the green growth is new and has appeared in the last month & a half. I'm not going to pull this one out until it's definitely D.E.A.D. to check if it has grown roots
Cheers, Frank.

[Kyle Goldcoast1]

I recently bought a tall swamp cypress from a sunny coast bonsai event and brought back to the hold coast. I'm trying true sane cutting process in a small greenhouse box I built. I'll be posting swamp cypress update after this next well and could use some extra thoughts

[PWC]

Hi No idea, Swampies are a very resilient tree and I'm just trying to get one with an advaced trunk to play with. That's why I keep trying to get cuttings to grow and the fact that there are a couple of swampies nearby that I can take cuttings from.
The pic below is of one of the cuttings that's "not feasible" , it was taken off the tree about 2months ago. All of the green growth is new and has appeared in the last month & a half. I'm not going to pull this one out until it's definitely D.E.A.D. to check if it has grown roots
Cheers, Frank.

Hi Frank,
I know it's and old post but did this cutting make it? I'm going to trunk chop mine late spring and was thinking I might try this method or maybe air layer it.