Using rooting powder to clone a tree

[Lottie987]

Has anybody used rooting powder to clone a tree / plant before? I am trying to clone a small tree, I used the rooting powder about 3 weeks ago and now I seem to have a small sprout which I'm not sure where it's come from. The stem which I planted has now turned brown at the bottom & top and I'm presuming this means it has died and I've not been successful.... but is it possible that this little sprout is coming up from the new roots when it looks like the stem that I planted has died? I used ordinary compost so I doubt that it was a seed of some sort that was in there, although I guess I could be wrong. Has anybody got any tips re this ? I planted another stem from the same tree and that now looks to be still healthy with no brown on it like the other one? Basically how do you know your rooting powder has been successful? I will post a pic of the unknown sprout that is in the same pot as the stem that looks to be brown & maybe dying off.... any advice would be greatly appreciated: )

This is the unknown sprout that is next to what looks like the dying cutting

Sorry, that looks like a random seedling to me, not a shoot from your cutting. Some trees are much easier than others to root.

The seedling on the left is chickweed.
Your cutting has died.

To take a successful cutting, you need at least two pairs of leaves on the plant material that you select.

The lower leaves should be removed and that part of the stem goes into the soil with plenty of coverage.

The top pair/s of leaves should be removed or reduced until the cutting is only left with a couple of half leaves.

Cuttings don't normally work very well at this time of year because plants are putting their energies into their leaves, not their roots.

I've had to take a lot of cuttings recently and the success rate is very low because of the heat as well.

Btw 'cloning' is not incorrect but it's an unusual term for domestic use.

Forgot to say - rooting powder doesn't do much apart from stopping your cutting go mouldy.

It doesn't make any difference to the kind of plant generated.

I never use it and grow many plants from cuttings every year.

If you can get any more cuttings from the 'original' plant, get them. It's not too late to get them rooting, just don't put them in a sunny window.
What were the cuttings from?
I've just taken two cuttings from a sambucus nigra, four weeks apart. The first one is now potted up, second one still in the water.