Tropicals & Tender Perennials: Epi Issues, 1 by Chantell

Chantell wrote:
I purchased 3 sets of 4 cuttings off a very reputable ebay seller last March. This has been my first go with these beautiful plants. The growth on these 3 different epis varied - the 'orange bowl' doing the least. One of the cuttings turned crispy...I removed it from the rest...leaving 3 cuttings of the 'orange bowl.' Last week it was time to bring in all the plants. As you can see there is growth on one of these cuttings but nothing on the other 2. I noticed with 1 of the non-growing 2 that it was discolored at the soil line so I pulled it up. I cut below the discolored part and above. Notice it did have some roots on it. I've left the top 3/4 to callous over and put the bottom 1/2 back in the soil (not sure if that was the right thing to do or not). The other issue is the "stuff" on the cuttings...hopefully the photo is clear enough so it can be seen. I've not ever dealt with "scale" but was guessing this might be it. I took a cotton swab dipped in alcohol and cleaned all this yuck off the cuttings. The week prior to bringing these in ALL plants were treated with the Bayer Rose 3 in 1. Anyone that can provide some insight to these issues...I'd greatly appreciate it!! Here's pic #1