Just set up a few more cuttings and had some more questions:

1. When using the newspaper/ziplock or sphagnum/ziplock methods, does the amount of air in the sealed bag matter?

2. What do you all do with extra cuttings that take root? Do you keep multiples of the same varieties?

Thanks!

I'm sure you will get many different answers here. Personally, I like to get my sphagnum nice and fluffed up. I then put a layer in the bag and put my cuttings on top, I then put another layer on top. I use 1 gallon bags and I remove all the extra air without compressing the moss. I do this because I believe the moss holds plenty of air and then it keeps everything in place when I move the bags around. I flip my bags once or twice a week. It takes about 4-5 weeks for mine to root, but I'm not in hurry so that works for me. I open them a few times to check things out, starting around 2-2.5 weeks.

You keep them all until they get big enough that you can see which is for sure the best and keep the healthiest one for yourself. I don't keep back-ups, but I do give them to friends that I think they have a chance of living with; so I have a backup(for cuttings) near me should I need one. It is also good to keep some yearlings of different varieties around because they mail well. Then in the late summer or fall you can offer up your extra trees for trades.

I also try to root a lot of cuttings, just in case some die....due to over or under watering or ????    I also want to have extra to trade with fellow collectors.  Have a lot of Celeste and Black Missions...hopefully they make it through the winter.

Having fresh air will help prevent mold.  Also, in my experience, not letting it get to warm will help prevent mold.  Some say 75-85F is a good temp for rooting.  Mine root around 70-73F and I've never had a mold issue.  I tried one in the garage where it was about 85F and it molded very fast.  It might have been better if i washed them with bleach solution first.   But I prefer rooting in the cooler temps.

I generally put everything that roots (which is pretty much everything) into cups (this year i'm using 32oz SIP cups).  The ones that grow vigorously, I'll keep, the ones that seem to struggle will be abandoned.  If I end up with more than one of each variety ready for bigger pots, they will be gifted to friends.