Father Haskell wrote:

Best soil for rooting cuttings? Sand works better than potting soil
(Miracle Gro), but is there something better still?

I use a 50-50 mix of peat moss and clean sand. NO NUTRIENTS.

The mix holds moisture quite well but also has almost perfect
drainage. Peat moss is somewhat acidic, which inhibits fungus and
rot. Thus, when mixing, it's best to over-measure the peat moss
instead of under-measuring it. For sand, I use "washed" plaster
sand. It's washed in processing; you don't wash it.

Nutrients promote the micro-organisms that create compost (and
which cannot be avoided unless you bake the mix to sterilize it).

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/