Thanks Pro, I'll reread this in the spring. We had a heavy frost last night, and i hadnt taken my seeds yet. oopsy. BTW, does anyone have dahlias? Supposingly, we can dig them up right before winter or cover them up real good. Any comments? I've never grown them before, until this summer and they are beautiful! They lasted the longest, even though I actually still have some roses! :)
Making cuttings
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For making cuttings, take about the top 3-4 inches of a growing shoot in the spring, with a sharp razor blade, or better yet, a new case cutter, trim off the bottom few leaves at an angle, leaving a bit of the petiole (leaf stem), and dip in rooting hormone available in most large stores, like Home depot, Lowes, or order rooting hormone from online. A tiny bit goes a long way! Root-Tone was available last time I bought some. Dip the end into the powder, and make a trench with a spoon about 1/4" wide and 1" deep into your prepared potting soil mixture. Place the dipped end into the soil, and gently use the spoon to close the trench without compacting the mixture too much. Close the soil gently without packing or leaving large air spaces.
Containers the size of small drinking glasses are good to start with. You can put two per container, and pull apart when transplanting. Remember to put holes, rocks, then some sand in the bottom before the soil mix.
The best soil is 1/4 sand, 1/4 mulch-decayed plant matter, 1/4 air, and 1/4 water. Mix well by pouring back and forth into buckets till solids are well mixed, and after adding cuttings or seeds gently pour water till some comes out of the bottom. Do not let dry out totally, especially when making cuttings! Do not overwater. Start in mostly shade, and every few days move into more light, so after 3-4 weeks the seedlings are in full light.
If making many cuttings, you may keep moist by using plastic wrap to make a tent. (If you make a sealed tent, do not place in full sun, as you will cook the plants) and let the water drip from the plastic back into the soil. You may not need to water much, if you keep the water from escaping the system.
If you are using pots or small tubs, drill holes in the bottom, and add small rocks to let water drain out. Water staying trapped in the bottom of the container will cause root rot.
Let the top 1/4" of the soil dry, and then add water. You should usually water every 2-3 days. If the plant outgrows the container (in a very small container, maybe a month), transfer to a medium sized container. The faster the plant grows, the faster you will need to transfer, or just put it in a large container. You can tell if you really need to transfer by (on the day to water) you hold the plant between your fingers, turning the container upside down, and pull out of the container. If the roots are visible in many places, transplant. Also observe the dryness. If too damp, you are watering too much. If very dry, get a bigger container, and water on the same schedule, but more water each time. If you only see one or 2 roots, you can wait a while before transplanting. If roots are everywhere, you should take a knife and carefully cut the roots from top to bottom about 1/4" deep and 2 " apart to keep the roots from choking each other, as they will now transplant and spread out better.