Well, if you don't want to buy anything, then use what you've got. They will root or they won't. There is no point in asking how other people root cuttings if you are not going to buy the stuff that they use.

Best luck to you.

Still it would be nice to get someone to recommend a mixture of coir and potting soil, and how often to water/mist. What would you say? I'm also open to hearing how anyone prefers to root cuttings for the next time around.
Thanks.

Anyone?

Like some others, I usually don't respond to folks who provide no indication of where they live, or at least which zone they garden inÂcranky bunch, aren't we?Âbut here's a response. I didn't know either of the plants you want to propagate, so I looked them up. My guess is, the spinach will root easily and quickly; the katuk, with woodier stems, will also root but will take longer.

Here's what I would do: mix the coir and potting soil about 3:1 by volume; wet it down, let it drain so it's damp but no longer wet; put this medium into whatever containers you wish to use (small clay or plastic pots; I use square translucent plastic pots so I can see root development; they're about 4" high 3" across); take cuttings about 4-5 inches long,making a diagonal cut with a sharp, sterile knife (sterilize quickly with a flame, let it cool a bit), removing all but the top few leaves; stick the spinach cuttings into the medium (omit the rootone); for the katuk: if the stems are hard and woody I might strip a bit of the very outer layer of the cutting, about 3/4" from the bottom, stick it in water, dry off, then in rootone, shake off, make a hole in the medium with a pencil, stick the cutting in and firm around it with your fingers.

If you're in a dry climate, put the cuttings in a plastic storage box (with cover or some such mini-greenhouse environment, even a translucent plastic bag); if in warm-humid climate leave them outside, in either case in diffused, not direct sunlight. Or, if it's too cold outside, then under fluorescent lights (not too close).

Good luck. Gary

There is a very good discussion on rooting cuttings going on right now on the rose propagation forum. Title is how to get rose cuttings to root and it's just a couple of threads down from the top.

You don't have the stuff, but should be able to get a good idea of what other people are doing to root cuttings.

I don't root in potting soil or coir, so I can't help you.

Hey Thanks Gary. Normally I garden outside in southern california, but right now I live in Reno, NV and I only intend to keep these plants as houseplants for the time being. Reno is pretty dry, but I have a humidifier in my room. Also, I have a flourescent hood in my closet. Why do you recommend using the grow lights? Does it help them get energy for root growth? I'm not sure how good of an idea that is since these are shade-tolerant plants. Katuk, I know, is a rainforest understory shrub, which means it only receives 2% of the twelve hours of light in the wild.

Well, you know more about the plants than I do, but if you don't have an outside garden space then you're going to have to grow them under lights or perhaps in a bright sunny window. Even shade-tolerant plants need light in order to photosynthesize, i.e., grow, and especially grow new roots. Good luck with this! Gary