Clematis: ROOTING PASSIFLORA'S 2.0, 1 by JLD_II

JLD_II wrote:
This picture shows the cuts stuck into the cubes, the different colors and behavior of the different species. Hopefully I won't have a problem providing the individual needs of each species inside 1 tray. I have a thin layer of vermiculite across the bottom of the trays under the cubes for 3 reasons. It helps distribute the temps from the heat mat more evenly, it helps keeping the temps slightly lower by providing space between the mat and the cuts and it also helps by providing a moist place for the roots to "reach" for once they emerge from the cubes. I believe that providing moist vermiculite tends to make the roots try harder to reach for water, I try to keep the cubes a tad dryer than the vermiculite after roots have developed. I'm thinking/hoping that this also makes the cuts send out more roots to anchor itself too. I've tried using perlite in the past but since its so white, algae grows on the surface. I know most people don't use cubes for rooting cuts either, I believe it gives me something to "handle" the rooted cuts with instead of a unsupported stem and roots. It's just a personal prefference, many people use rockwool, coco fiber, vermiculite/perlite mixes and on and on.
I hope I don't come across as a "know it all" by starting this thread and trying to "teach" people how to clone. I'm merely showing everyone what is currently working best for me. There are sooo many different methods of rooting cuts and growing plants as there are plants to propagate. I hope somebody will come along this post and see something I'm doing wrong in their opinion so I could learn more or vise versa. I've tried other ways of rooting w/ no success when others have 100% success w/ the same method. ie. An aero cloner. I made 1 several years ago and I couldn't make it work. Hydro shop's sell areocloner's that people get roots in less than 1 week, not me so far so I went back to what I know best. If I don't get the results I want with this try, I may get it out and try again. That maybe the ultimate solution for rooting Passiflora's. Soo many ideas and soo little time and space to try them all.
Goodluck!
OH Clare, please share what you have going on if you can.