Help with cuttings

Hey everyone. I've been trying to learn about taking cuttings, but I ended up in LaLa Land, trying to decipher some of the stuff I read. IBAs and Hormexes, heating mats and automated misters. Although I do consider myself competent, I've had members on here dumb things down for me to where I could actually soak in what I read. So I'd be really interested to hear some of you all's techniques for striking cuttings. i.e: the medium you use, size of cuttings, lighting, humidity domes, rooting hormones, and all that stuff. Maybe someone could even shed a little light on the numbers that I was reading about too...hormex and IBA. They sell little trays for cuttings at the hydro shop near my house, I think they're rockwool, and they also gave some that are organic, so I'm guessing peat based?

I appreciate all the help so far.

Oh and I guess I should tell you all what I'd like to take cuttings from too. The main one is this purple leaf plum, that's outside of my apartment. But I also have some Japanese maples, hollies, junipers, elms, dwarf crape myrtles, privets, boxwoods, loropetalums...and maybe a few more that I can't think if right now.

All my clones are done in the fines that I sift from my Turface and I get a good success rate. I usually dip in NAA hormone which is available as a product called Rootone. I find NAA more effective then IBA in helping promote callusing. No bottom heat, no misting, no humidity domes. In my experience that all just leads to rot and mold.

Currently I have cuttings from Japanese Beech and Goshiki Kaede Trident on the sill of my south facing Bay window. Both doing well. No direct sunlight! Never let your medium dry out or the shows over..

A note of caution, cloning can be all too easy and suddenly you have a million little rooted twigs in pots that you must now care for. I call it "cloners madness"

You'll find out..
-Jay

Striking cuttings is not rocket science, BUT it does behoove you to learn the proper procedure (and even the terminology) when you set out to do something well. Some of those plants will do better as softwood cuttings, other as hardwood. Some will strike better at one time of year than another, some are more difficult than others, etc.

We probably can give advice about individual species, one at a time, but we're not equipped to provide even an elementary textbook on the subject. So, use a SHARP knife, cut off your would-be cutting, dip it in the rooting hormone of your choice, carefully insert it into a granular substrate, keep it damp but not wet, DO NOT WIGGLE, TUG, or otherwise mess with the cutting until it is clear that it has (TWO sets of leaves) or has not (NO leaves after 6-weeks) taken.

To start you off in your technical learning curve I recommend: http://www.evergreengardenworks.com/cuttings.htm and http://www.acerbonsai.co.uk/Articles/cuttings.html

And then, if you hope to be serious about propagating bonsai, I recommend The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation: From Seed to Tissue Culture, Second Edition [Michael A. Dirr, Charles W. Heuser Jr.



So, use a sharp knife

Thanks for the help. I'll let you all know how it goes.