Your baby needs some 'hardening off'. You can do this by taking off the bottle and then shielding the plant from direct sunlight for a couple of days for increasing periods of time. Cheryl

Thanks, Cheryl. I was thinking it maybe had something to do with humidity levels since there was always a bit of condensation on the inside of the bottle. But if strong light is the problem I will do as you suggest. Again, thanks for taking the time to respond.
Laurel

You didn't mention how long they were under the bottle.What seamommy suggest is correct. If they have been there less than six weeks, I would be hesitant to remove the bottles. I do this thing with the bottles with good success and leave them covered till the folliage crams against the cover. I have removed the cap and it still stays watery inside with short sunspan times. Don't be in a hurry. If they wilt , the roots are not established yet enough to provide moisture or it is too hot from the sun. This is a learning excercise and really cool to grow new plants from leftover cuttings or graftings.

woodroid, sorry to be so slow in responding. It has been a bit less than six weeks for this plant. I did replace the bottle. When the leaves start pushing it off, then I will again think about reomoving it. In the meantime, the bottle will stay put. I even have a second cutting coming along now too. It's hard for me to imagine two successes in so short a time. Thanks for your suggestions.
Laurel

If it wilts every time you take the bottle off, there is a chance that it has not rooted yet. You may just have a big blob of callus which happens if the temp. goes above 80 F.

If it has rooted,(Roots will come out of the drainholes) I take my little pots out of the tent, transplant into bigger pots and give them a mist with water a few times a day. To make it easy for you, just check out my SetUp for rooting cuttings :
"Own Root Cuttings Setup Gallery" with detailed comments and info for each of the 30 images plus a question and answer page.
Good luck George Mander

Direct link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Own Root Cuttings Setup Gallery

George, thank you for your insight on this. I had a look (carefully of course) at the rootsystem and it does exist--not extensive but it is there. Since I now have my misting system set up I moved it out there and so far it seems fine. Your set up looks fantastic. Something like that would give me a little fun during the cold season. Thanks for sharing both your expertise and the gallery.
Laurel

I'm trying to line things up to try to root some cuttings, had a post ready to go and think I forgot to post, so will make it shorter.

1. I cut off and threw away the cap end of my pepsi bottles (18 of them). Will that make a big difference?

2. I have read different propagation methods on the net, my first and only attempt inside failed, they all rotted, and I didn't know what medium to use. Some recommend potting soil. Some recommend vermiculite and peat moss. Some recommend vermiculite, peat moss, and pearlite (bought all three of those). Then somebody mentioned a special brand, but I will have to get along with what is at hand now. What is the best medium to use? If I mix the ingredients myself, what proportions?

TIA.

I have almost no experience. Give my comments the respect you would give to a beginner because that is what I am as ir respects propagation.

Over the winter I rooted three cuttings from roses in a terrarium under grow lights. I originally had five, but two died when I took the plastic bags off. The air was too dry in the terrarium under grow lights.

So I put the bags back on the other three, and eventually doubled the size of the bags to two gallons and that helped tremendously.

This spring I slowly worked them out of the bags, putting them outdoors; they needed a lot of watering. I was not lackadaisacal with watering but I have a job, and I cannot babysit plants all the time. Two of the three lost their leaves.

I put one of the naked roses, which was being grown in a 4 inch pot back in a plastic bag and the buds on the canes swelled. I determined that I am back in business. I transplanted it outdoors tonight, and I think it will do well, now. Thought I would get it outdoors in the ground before the leaves come out and grow acclimated to the greenhouse type babying effect.

The second naked rose was transplanted directly outdoors without putting it back in the plastic bag. It actually had one five leaf set that was not the best. It lost that set and it appears to be starting some leaf buds that are beginning to swell. It is about a day or so behind the one I had put back in the bag.

There were sufficient roots which together with the moisture around the roots to keep the potting soil together when I transplanted. I could see some good sized roots at the bottom of the pot when I took the roses out. But I was a bit surprised not to find the same abundance of roots on the side of the pot.

The third rose that kept its leaves when I transplanted it outdoors has new growth. This is a major stride for me in learning how to propagate.

If you have any advice on what to do to care for a cutting shortly after transplanting, or during transplanting outdoors, post your advice here. It is the next logical step in the sequence of this post.