A fully closed box doesn't get enough fresh air, and they mold, so I give them a few days fully closed, when first placed in the cups, and them let them have more fresh air, as shown. It doesn't take much to make a large difference.

Jon,

Are these cuttings placed directly into cups of vermiculite/perlite, or are these cuttings you've moved to cups after they rooted in bags?

When you "wet" the vermiculite/perlite that goes into the cups do you wet it prior to "cupping" the cuttings, or do you put the cuttings into the cups then "water"?

Do you have a rule of thumb you go by as to how wet the vermiculite/perlite should be?

When you move cuttings from bags (after roots have developed) to cups do you always use vermiculite or perlite, or do you sometimes move these freshly rooted cuttings into a soil/perlite mixture?

Henry

I use slightly damp mix of Perlite/Vermiculite, and then water. Yes, these are cuttings pre-rooted in bags. If I  can see water on the inside of the cup, it is damp enough. Potting soil mixes stick to the sides of the cups, damaging roots on removal and generally hold too much moisture.