I decided to take several Vista cuttings with a little bit of 2nd year wood at the bottom, and see if the root better/faster than 1st year-wood-only cuttings. Some evidence seems to suggest that 2nd year wood roots better, but has a harder time pushing growth, hence the cuttings with both 1st and 2nd year wood. Should have a better idea in a couple months,

Unfortunately, is is hard to take every cutting this way.

Jon, I'll be interested to know how these do. As I read your post I remembered reading that many cuttings do better with a "heel" of old wood taken. Don't really remember what plants I was reading about at the time and I forgot about it until reading your post...

Susan

Jon, 

Maybe it's just me but I get all my mold issues at the leaf nodes, very rarely at the bottom of the cutting. 

Ed, I experience both.  I experience a ton of mold at leaf scars, but I find that cuttings with several below-soil cuts tend to have cambium rot more often than those without.

Most mold issue I have seen have been at leaf scars, fruit scars, but scales, or other bits of organic debris adhering to the cutting.