Rod wrote:

David have you heard of this new RHS advice that you should NOT cut the
tip from a cutting?

This was something I was taught while training but I've never seen any
gain from removing the soft tips (unless I want another cutting ;~])

I rarely pinch out the tips until the cuttings have rooted, but must
say that having taken many hundreds of thousands of cuttings over the
years, I've never noticed any 'shock' as a result of removing the
growing tips. As an unscientific experiment some years ago, I did
trays of lavender, phlladelphus and fuchsia - two for each type, one
with the shoot tips and one without. They were given identical
conditions (well, for the relevant plant type) and rooting took place
more or less simultaneously.

Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November