The reason for taking cuttings is to produce strong and vigorous plants,
exactly as the same as the plants grown last season.


The cuttings should be strong and about 2 inches in length. Dip the bottom
half inch of the cuttings into rooting powder, then insert the cuttings
into equal parts of peat and sharp sand or perlite. Perlite does reflect
light so helps the speed of rooting, once cuttings have been inserted into
the trays place them
on a soil warming cable, which should be set around 60f to 65f, give them a
daily spray to keep them from drying out.
If no heating cable is used, a polystyrene container can be used and covered
over with glass. Make sure there is plenty of light and ventilation at all
times, shade if the sunlight is very strong, never let your cuttings dry
out. Once your cuttings are rooted, this should have taken two weeks maybe a
little longer without a cable, when the cuttings take on a greener look,
this is the time to take them off the cable or out of your polystyrene box
to harden off on the bench.
For about two or three days at this stage of growth,
try to keep the greenhouse temperature about 40f, during the night by using
electric fan heaters or paraffin, when using paraffin heaters. a small
amount of air must be provided.
This is almost the way I do them and I get around 95%+ take. This year I
rooted around 1500 chrysanth cuttings.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk