I believe your cuttings would benefit from using a rooting hormone, and creating a greenhouse with either bags or a clear container. The leaves usually always fall off eventually and then new leaves emerge after a month or two.

I have a video on my youtube channel on how I do my cuttings that may help you out.

Good Luck!

Yes I forgot to mention, the cuttings in soil were treated with powder rooting hormone. Not the ones in water. There's no way to effectively treat the cuttings in water is there.?

Interesting though that you soak your cuttings in the starting solution. I considered it but was scared it would damage them. I have have a bottle of miracle grow quick start laying around. Think that would work the same.?

I bet it would work the same! I just started some apricot cuttings yesterday, using only the powder hormone. Probably will work fine, I hear of people having success using no hormone at all, lol. Good luck!