When is a good time to plant my cuttings?

Hi,

This a photo of the mother plant from which I took some cuttings.

These are the cuttings today after one year. I am starting to acclimate them to being outdoors. They were on the other side of this window up until now. When would be a good time to plant them outside? I started wondering if perhaps I should wait until the spring? I live in zone 10b. I was planning to graduate them to a pot and then maybe down the road into the ground. Your thoughts?

Last question, here is another cutting I took a few months ago. The photo isn't that clear, but those white areas are the nubs that will eventually become roots. Should I wait until they actually form roots or can I speed up the process and plant them in dirt (inside) now? They've currently been in water.

I am anxious to hear the replies on this. I have a blue Rose of Sharon, been in water all summer, has white nubbies all the way up the stem. Have been afraid to plant in soil, for fear it will just die. I have waited sooo long and my DIL is waiting for a start.

This message was edited Oct 7, 2007 1:56 PM

Well for the two larger ones they did eventually form real roots, but it took the better part of a year. I was hoping to speed up the process.

Thank you for the reply. Mine has been in clear glass jar, under florescent lights all summer. Cutting is approx. 1-1/2' long,has kept its' green leaves all this time, I did plant one with roots, put outside in October and leaves all dropped off and it looks like a dead stick.

Gloria

oh no! I hope he comes back. Maybe it was too much of a shock to go from water inside to dirt outside? I've heard it's good to acclimate them.

I did that! Evidently outside was too hot & dry.