>>"I've been using these to practice propagation, but I've only been successful with layering so far. Care to share your secrets? Ears perked up! "
Paul, no big secret. I tend to take cuttings in mid-to-late August and up into September. Cut them where the new growth meets the older growth (green wood meets brown) with tip cuttings usually being from 6-12" long. I also take longer cuttings from some branches showing new growth and cut them into 6 or 8" pieces. The rooting end should be cut again just before dipping in rooting hormone (if you choose to use it) just below a node.
Some cuttings I use rooting hormone, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I just use cinnamon. If you want to go with a rooting hormone your best bang for your buck is one of the liquid ones. Those allow you to use the same bottle and mix at different strengths for difference types of cuttings; the powders are all one strength. (For example, hardwood cuttings will need one strength while softwood cuttings can get by on a lesser strength.)
Put your cuttings in moist potting mix. If you use a powder make a hole first with a pencil before inserting the cuttings so you don't rub off the powder. If using a liquid hormone no need to make a hole unless your cuttings are very tender/pliable.
Sometimes I put them in a nursery pot like above, 6 or so to a pot, then put the pot in a plastic grocery bag. This is much easier than putting a bag OVER the pot because it lets you tie the handles closed to hold in moisture as well as easily untie them to allow gas/air exchange when needed (usually every couple of days but it depends on the dampness and temperature.
I also prefer to use plastic storage boxes with drainage holes drilled in the bottom and air holes drilled around the sides. This way you can put loads of cutting in them and use the lid to hold in moisture.
Since I don't heat my greenhouse in the winter I have "heat cabinets" I put the cuttings/containers on. (Heat cabinet is a fancy term I use for some shelves I've wrapped in greenhouse plastic where the heat mats are; this tends to hold in the heat and keeps me from having to heat a 1500 sq foot greenhouse. Having bottom heat really helps to get your cuttings rooted ASAP. It's not really necessary if someone has no heat mats, a warm room with a bit of light will work just fine.
And now, I see I'm getting long winded again so will hush up.
Here's a pic of some rooted hydrangea cuttings in one of the storage boxes I mentioned:
Shoe
