It depends.

What kind of wood are you using? Hardwood, softwood? What degree of maturity is the material you are trying to root?

Are you putting them on a heat source?

Sometimes the cuttings will go ahead and produce new leaves, then just die.

The optimum time to stick crepe myrtles is about the 2nd week of May, or whenever the night temps stay above 70 degrees consistently. A cold spell will set them back. That is true for all cuttings, not just crepe myrtles.

You might want to ask at the propagation forum. There are lots of knowledgeable people over there.

Good luck

Janie

Here is a link that might be useful: propagation forum

one other thing.....

Put away the grow lights for now. Usually the only time I use them is for seeds. Cuttings definitely don't need light, at least not until they get roots.

Stick them and set them out of the light- natural or otherwise. They root easier that way.

Janie

really??? they seemed to do alot better once i put a grow light on...

thanks for the help :)

The grow light is promoting the above ground growth. That's why you're getting new leaves. Right now, what you want it to do is put it's energy toward root growth. It will need all the roots it can get to support top growth later. Hope that makes sense??

Kristi

ah, that makes perfect sense, also explains why im not getting any roots, thanks for the help :)