My approach has been to(1) soak cuttings in a DILUTE Chlorox solution. (2)The rooting hormoneI purchase is 0.8% IBA & I dilue this with Daconil or some other fungicide. (3)Then I start with steril potting mix. I use an oven if I need to sterilize the soil.......(4) I make sure there is GOOD ventelation & mist the cuttings often.

A small fan can end the mold/algae problem on the soil surface.

I formerly used Consan 20. It's labeled as a fungicide and disinfectant for use in hospitals among other places. It's the same chemical used as algaecide in swimming pools. Pool algaecide is 10%, Consan 20 is 20% active ingredient. Consan 20 is about $10 per pint, algaecide is about $6 per gallon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Consan 20 (pdf)

For several decades I had a greenhouse and did controlled propagation experiments for my amusement among other things. My two favorites were a commercial rooting compound mixture containing fungicides or household chlorine bleach.

The powdered commercial rooting compound mixture containing the fungicide required the least effort.

I was never convinced that soaking in a dilute bleach** was much better than briefly treating the cutting with the undiluted bleach and then thoroughly rinsing with distilled water.

**The undiluted house brand stuff from the super market is usually rather weak to start with.

Ichabod,

"I formerly used Consan 20."

So what do you use now? Was there some reason you discontinued the use of Consan 20?

I think Consan is what I used on my zinnias about 30 years ago in my Fort Worth garden. I haven't seen it on the shelves of garden stores in recent years.

This year I used GreenCure® with excellent results in preventing powdery mildew (I had none this year), but apparently GreenCure has no effect on bacterial leaf spot, which ran amok in my zinnias as cool, wet weather set in.

I am thinking about using a copper-based bactericide in addition to potassium bicarbonate next year. But perhaps Consan 20 would have been effective in preventing my bacterial leaf spot. However, there are conflicting opinions as to the safety of Consan 20.

MM

I no longer use Consan 20 because swimming pool algaecide is the identical active ingredient in a different concentration. The Consan 20 is 20%, algaecide is 10%. Use twice as much for a fraction of the cost. I don't even measure it anymore, just add a splash to the watering can. I put it in my hose end sprayer to treat my cold frames, flats, pots, potting bench, etc. I've never seen any sign of any toxicity toward plants.

Ichabod

http://scihub.org/ABJNA/PDF/2010/3/1-3-313-320.pdf This is available on ebay relatively cheap... Gonna try it on a bunch of cuttings I just took.

I just made a bunch of cuttings from various plants, 1st year growth which is now dormant for the winter. Mulberry, sour cherry, grape, haskap. Stuck in coarse sand/sunshine mix, covered in clear plastic garbage bags in the shade. Is it ok to leave these outdoors for the winter where it gets down to 20 below, but in a sheltered area, or would it be better to store them in a heated garage, kept around 40degrees?

I always put the cuttings when taken straight into water containing a systemic fungicide, mostly quite dilute. There they sit for an hour or so while i get the pots ready. Once the cuttings are in the soil I water with the same dilute fungicide over the leaves and as a soil drench then leave alone. I don't use a rooting powder I feel most of it washes off anyway after the first watering. However I have used a small amount of rooting powder mixed into a paste and added to the water holding the cuttings. Then water the whole with fungicide when planted, this seems to work quite well.