This is the wrong time of year for the type cuttings you have.

Softwood cuttings are taken in summer. This is soft non woody growth usually from the tips. Take cuttings about 6 inches long, remove half to three quarters of the foliage. Cuttings can be dipped in rooting powder but it isn't necessary. Use equal parts peat and perlite as a medium. DO NOT USE potting soil or garden soil. Moisten medium, place in container, insert cuttings into a hole made with a pencil or similar instrument, insert cuttings and water in. Place container in closed zip lock bag and place in bright spot. NO DIRECT SUN on closed bag. If bag fogs badly it may be ventilated. When cuttings root (6-8 weeks) open bags and increase light. After a couple weeks remove containers from plastic bags and place in sun. Do not let new plants dry out. Do not mess with the cuttings this season, it's already late. Let them defoliate naturally and put them in a protected place for winter. In early spring separate cuttings and either pot up or plant out in a nursery row for a year.

The nurseries around here do this. In fall after defoliation and several frosts cut firm ripe wood. Cut in pieces 8-10 inches long and bury in dry airy material in cold storage or unheated out building. In early spring line out cuttings in a nursery row leaving 2 nodes above soil, or do the same in nursery cans. Most will grow rapidly as weather warms.

Your cuttings don't look all that great, the foliage appears dead. But you have nothing to lose, remove the dead foliage and close the bags and hope for the best.

Good luck.

Crepe myrtles do not require that much care to root. Just water them daily, and keep them in the shade. If they do not take, ask your friend if you can have some hardwood cuttings. They root more easily, and this is the prime time of the year to do such. I have about 15 1-3 gallon-sized crepe myrtles in pots on my carport, and they will be ready to sell in about 3-4 weeks. All hardwood cuttings that I took from a large branch that broke off of mine in a storm last week. I don't use rooting hormone or any special soil, it's just a mix of compost and soil out of the garden.

Thank you for all the info guys. Ken, where I'm located we are dead in the middle of summer. Fall won't hit for another 2 months. I will remove all dead foliage and close the bag per your instructions and see what happens!

Logan when you say a hardwood cutting you essentially are talking about a branch that had matured and grown bark correct? Generally branches that are not new this season but rather a year or more old? Thanks again to both of you I appreciate the help

"Logan when you say a hardwood cutting you essentially are talking about a branch that had matured and grown bark correct? "

Yes, here is a photo of some hardwood cuttings I used for an ad before I stripped the leaves off.

You probably did not maintain an adequate amount of humidity. They may still take though.

Crepe myrtle cuttings are rather forgiving. One of my hardwood cuttings flowered today. I took it about 4 weeks ago.

try googling: propagation of Crepe myrtle

also google dirrs manual on propagation of woody plants ... maybe you can get it at your library ...

if you got yourself a base of knowledge.. you could then come here for honing in more precisely ...

you didnt bag them for humidity until day two ... it had already lost those leaves by then .. you can not rely on ma nature because it was cool and damp ... the sticks had no roots ...

ken

Bagging is unnecessary. I leave lower leaves rather than the top ones. I grow lots of crepe myrtles and never have this problem.

I actually watched a few how to videos and read quite a bit over the last few weeks before attempting to root these clippings. I learned the basic principles and concept but there is a bit of conflicting info on whether to bag or not, peat moss vs sand vs potting soil, whether to bruise the base being planted to encourage healing etc. I really think the reason mine are struggling is because it got far to cold for them. It is incredibly unusual for it to dip below mid 80s in August around here. In fact its generally pushing 100 most of the month.

Regardless of that, I am going to give it another shot with a hardwood cutting this time, like you suggested Logan. You seem to believe that is an easier process or better success rate and since I'm relatively new to all this I think that will be my best bet. Any other advice you can offer me with the hardwood clipping would be great thanks

The temperature wasn't the cause. It's just due to the fussiness of softwood cuttings, they often need constant misting. I'll give you a step-by-step on hardwood cuttings.

• Take the cuttings, the should have bark, and be about 10-18 inches long
• You can put multiple cuttings per container, bunched together for a multi-trunk look
• Make sure to store the cuttings in water if you can't plant them immediately
• Use potting soil, or soil out of your yard. Nothing fancy.
• Strip some of the bark off the bottom of the cuttings, and remove any low branches.
• Remove 3/4 of the leaves, leaving the ones closer to the bottom
• Water them when it doesn't rain
• Keep them in shade

Here is the one I posted a photo of above, flowering 4 weeks after I took the cuttings.