It's easier to write back if you leave your whatever. Rice sounds like fun but when the new leave showed up I just made a fresh slanted cutting on the base of the stem and used the thickest branches, a little Rootone and put them in the ground and that was my very first crack at cuttings and today I have a huge dark red amazing large bush with many blooms, where each branch could be a bouquet but no odor. Now I have five different bushes from bouquets and one I'm working on is yellow. Mind you some bouquets are waxed to lengthen their life but will never reproduce. In my trials if they leaf they usually bloom but will become a nice bush first and I cut off the new buds for a bit so they can bush out. Nothing to lose have fun and put a piece of rice in one cutting and that might turn out to be your prize posession. debbysunshine@hotmail.com There are no roots for a bit so no fertilizer just water.