Plant propagation.

We really do not talk about mixes or propagation, but here are some basic resources to help you out.
Most newbies think that propagation is easy and for non-natives it generally is. For natives though, they have triggers, usually multiple triggers that involve timing, mix, humidity, heat and more. Remember your first computer? Remember how you were unimpressed about how little it would do and how much you had to do? Native plant propagation has some of those issues.
I'd recommend you spend the least amount of time and money on the project as possible and see if you even like what the work entails, and if you can get anything to root and grow out. If you can get something to grow then build the little prop house and get all the expensive stuff you really need. If you're working very small scale the pathogens have more trouble finding your plants, as the operation gets bigger the disease problems will escalate.
Read, read, read. You'll need to read at least a few propagation books, a few websites and maybe watch a video or go to a class (no we do not offer one). Sorry, most of the YouTube videos are not done by knowledgeable folks. Most I'd give a one or two star rating.
(But you can go to YouTube and search for propagation cuttings and check them out for yourself.)
Here are a few books you can check out from a library, or, better yet, buy used.
Plant propagation; principles and practices,  by Hartmann, Hudson Thomas, and Kester, Dale E. 1975, 662 hard back, used about $5
Simple propagation : a book of instructions for propagation by seed,division,layering cuttings,budding and grafting, Noël J. Prockter, used about $5
Plant Propagation (The Simon and Schuster step-by-step encyclopedia of practical gardening), Paperback 1979, pricey, used about $20, but worth it.
There are tons more books.but those are enough to figure out the basics of cutting preparation, sanitation, growing out and the rest of propagation.
Look at (sorry if they no longer work, sites do change) for the mechanics of propagation.
http://www.rooting-hormones.com/Video_Robot.htm
and
put site:rooting.ucdavis.edu into google and enter your plant genus and/or species
and
http://www.dipngrow.com
and
http://www.super-grow.biz/IndoleButiricAcidPlantRootingHormone.jsp

Also look at layering or even simply pinning down a stem of the target plant. It sounds stupid, but for beginners that have time, pulling a small stem to ground level and putting a rock on it so the soil makes contact can lead to a plant after a year or so.

For seeds, there is the wonderfully free woody seed manual.
I'd also suggest you go to Forest Service website and type in the search box something like propagation, target genera.

Please don't bug us about propagation unless you've found a publicly available source that should be added to this page.
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Edited on Mar 24, 2022. Authors:
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