In most cases, you can hasten root growth by treating the base of the cutting with a hormone, Hormodin or Rootone. Insert the cutting about 1 inch into sand, vermiculite, or peatmoss. Firm the rooting medium around the cutting and water it. Speed root formation by applying gentle bottom heat about 70 to 72 degrees. When good root growth has formed (in 4 to 6 weeks, depending on type of plant), transplant the cuttings into 2- or 3-inch pots or plant bands or to larger flats, spacing the plants about 2 inches apart.
Use pots or bands large enough to accommodate roots without having them touch the sides. Transplant to larger pots as plants grow. With rooted cuttings of plants like coleus and geranium fill the pots or bands % full of soil. Place the rooted cutting on the soil bed and fill in to bring the soil level to within % inch of the pot rim (for watering space).
Firm the soil, but do not pack it so hard you exclude air from roots. After planting, give the cuttings a misting or sprinkling to settle the soil. Harden them in a cool part of the greenhouse for a few days. Growth will be speeded if you place a sheet of transparent plastic over the new plantings. If there is too much moisture, droplets will cling to the inside of the plastic cover; lift it for an hour or two to admit air and help prevent mildew.
Potting Up Seedlings
The first seedling leaves (cotyledons) pushing above the sand or soil are not the true leaves, which generally will be of rougher texture. When seedlings have 2 or 4 good leaves, it is time to transplant to larger flats, or to "individualize" by planning singly in plant bands, 1-inch clay pots, or prepared containers, Ferto-Pots, Jiffy Pots, or Peat-Pots.
Make this first shift into soil screened through ¼-inch wire mesh. If you are using plant bands, place the bands in a flat. Fill with the screened soil and, with a pointed stick (or dibble) make planting holes. Commercial growers press a board with dibbles spaced on it into the soil to make several planting holes at once.
Insert the rooted seedlings into the planting holes and firm the soil with thumb or dibble. Water the seedlings and place them in a shaded place for a day or two to help them recover from the shock of transplanting.
