On Sun, 23 May 2010 12:24:53 +0100, Pam Moore
wrote:

On Sat, 22 May 2010 13:09:45 +0200, bob wrote:

so, without replies and in desparation, I re-did my google search but
am none the wiser. Janet had suggested taking cuttings (I think this
was a month ago) but because the plant was looking a bit stiff, there
was nothing plump and new to use.

That said and as I mentioned in my OP, there is definitely tiny fresh
new growth on a couple of my twigs. So, as several websites counsel,
I gave a gentle tug on one of these and sure enough - resistance!

It was only after I pulled it out (very gently) that I realised the
resistance was due to a significant crick in my cutting...no roots!

So, I've pushed it back and will hope for the best. In the meantime I
am still eager to get some feedback if anyone could oblige.

Does fresh new growth - new leaves - necessarily bode well, or is it
possible that my cutting is now doomed?

There is one more which I've left undisturbed. Is there an inherent
problem in leaving cuttings for an extended period in the gritty
compost?

thanks to anyone for a crumb of help in saving my feeble charges.

Your post does not say what you have taken cuttings from.
Its behaviour depends on what it is.
New leaves may show before roots form, other plants do the opposite.
I have a houseplant, brunfelsia, which is quite hard to root. One 4
inch cutting I tried years ago developed a flower. Maybe I should
have removed the flower, but I left it. After a year it died and I
realised that no roots had formed at all.

Pam in Bristol

Pam, thanks for your reply, it's always leaves one feeling a little
insecure when no-one responds.

I mention at the beginning of the opening post that it's a cistus.
After this bitter winter the plant was stiff, twiggy and I thought
dead but in fact it seems to be recovering so I'm going to have
another crack after it's flowered a bit and when there'll be some
softer new growth - I'm assuming that's the best sort.

Still, I'm interested in your own result and have noted what you say
about order of development - sometimes leaf, sometimes root first.
Clearly in my case it was a bit of leaf, so I've stuck the twig back
in the compost and nothing will be lost by leaving it there until it
either expires or shows further signs of life.

Bad luck with your brunfelsia, it's probably doubly disheartening when
initial and conspicuous success isn't carried through. I'm
anticipating a lot of that!

Meanwhile, I'm turning what little space I have for this sort of thing
into a mini-laboratory and will continue to experiment.

Any further insights would be very welcome.