The hardness of the water is not by itself a problem. If you are on your own well I would have the water tested. There is a chance you may have a boron or unusual PH problem with your water. Al

Are you trying to root the cuttings IN WATER? If so, you will have much better success rooting ANY cutting in potting soil, kept moist, than in water. The only exceptions would be, of course, water lilies and other water plants.
It is a mystery how the notion of rooting cuttings in water got started. It's one of those myths that are passed down from one generation to another.

When you said "watering my cuttings" I assumed they were in a cutting starting mix. I never use softened water on my plants. Salt is used to soften the water and the sodium content of soften water is elevated. Al

I have tried many different starting soils and trying just water. I use rooting hormones and I mist the cuttings regularly. I guess the best thing to do is to just try and try again!

Exactly what plants have you failed at propogating in potting soil kept moist, not wet, and in the shade, until the plants take root? Are you tugging on them to see if they are rooting? If so, you are breaking off any delicate roots that may be forming.

yes, that would be my guess. (I usually don't root in water at ALL because the water roots never seem to transplant well into soil. I put my cuttings right into soil, and they root within a week to ten days)

Thank goodness to hear from somebody who doesn't start cuttings in WATER. Where did that ever come from????

I have been rooting cuttings in water for more years the I care to admit. I have rooted in soil, peat moss, vermiculite and sand. I have rooted many different plants and IMO water works just as well as any other medium for plants like impatiens, coleus, and begonias. That said I used to have hard water and I never had a problem rooting cuttings in it. I like to use yogurt containers the tall thin type and I usually put about three cutting per container. I leave them on a windowsill above my sink. I check them every day and add water to the container if needed, when they have about a quarter inch of root sticking out from the stem, I poke a hole in the soil and stick them in. I have at least a dozen plants in my backyard containers that I've started like that in the last month. As far as where it came from, I imagine it's been going on for a very long time. It was probably a happy accident. I really don't understand why there is such a fuss made about it. I think it is a simple method that many people are comfortable with and if it works for them what difference does it make.

Wow, Don't tell the people into Hydroponics that you can't root in water. :-)

Tami

A few species I do root in water. No one told me about it, my first experience was with some oleanders blooms I cut and put into a vase in the house. When they started looking bad I put the vase outside in the shaded patio, planning to throw them out and clean the vase "when I got around to it". A couple of week later I noticed they were growing roots and potted them up. I regularly root Brugmansia in water now. The advantage of doing so is the fact that no wilting takes place even though no misting or tenting is done. The roots are readily visible growing in the jar of plain water. Al