two weeks ago i got a few cuttings to propagate, lsu purple, champange, orourke,celeste and hardy chicago. i wanted to try the plastic bag method but in a different way. i wrapped about six cuttings in a paper towel at the bottom, put a rubber band around them and wet them. i placed them in a one gallon plastic bag and made a clothes line front of mini blinds. i hung the bags in front of the blinds and now i can control the light and heat by opening and closing the blinds.
it's been a bit rainy and cloudy and on the cool side here in south louisiana and a little heat to warm up the cuttings is what i'm after. after ten days i'm seeing signs of slight rooting and terminal buds. the weather calls for the temp. to go up to the upper seventies soon so i'll open the blinds about half mast and give the little guys a blast of warm controlled heat.
i also stuck six cutting i a two gallon bucket with only a sandy pine potting soil and four of the six are showing signs of waking up. that would be easier than the bag method if i get results. with these i wounded the lower cutting with my knife and used a rooting hormone. i probably should have done it with half to see if it really makes a difference.
here is my third experiment, i took a cutting of LSU GOLD, wounded the bottom,dipped it in hormone, and placed it in a half gallon amount of potting soil. this time i wrapped the cutting and soil in burlap cloth and tied it into a tight ball. i placed the cutting in a two gallon pot with a couple of other cuttings and after three weeks small leaves are opening. i find that the burlap in the pot stays moist longer when a cool front comes through. i'm waiting for the roots to break throught the burlap to place them in one gallon pots.