Cyra!
Tarev, once I plant my cuttings I never pull or check if it is rooted or not. I just totally ignore them unless it turns black or mushy. However, I do cheat and plant the suspects in clear plastic cup so I can check if it has rooted or not. I normally plant my cuttings in half potting soil, half perlite in a small black plastic container and place it on a concrete/brick paver for bottom heat.
If it is a suspect, (meaning the cuttings look shriveled and I'm not sure It will root) I would plant it in a clear plastic (with good drainage holes) and wrap them in moist paper towel. I will water it once and wait for it to show a sign of life. I've been using the coke/ clear plastic cups to root my suspect cuttings. I like the clear one so I can see when the roots are visible or not. I would mist the paper towel when it gets too hot but I don't water the soil unless it gets too dry.
Distressed cuttings grow very slow. I have a Dwarf Pink Singapore from my failed air layering experiment that I've been trying to root in the cup since Feb and the claws are just now starting to show. But I still do not see visible roots. I have 2 other shriveled Singapore White cuttings that I've also been trying to root since Feb/March and the claws are just now starting to get bigger. But I don't pull them out at all, because the new roots are too tiny and you can easily damage them.
On the other hand, the well calloused healthy cuttings I rooted a month ago have leaves now. I think when you get cuttings while they are on active growth (spring or summer) they root a lot faster.
