Try your hand first with softwood cuttings of, perhaps, geraniums. These are so easy to propagate from stem cuttings. Select firm, 3- to 4-inch-long tip pieces with at least three sets of leaves. Cut with a sharp knife straight across the stem and just below a node, that little joint on the stem from which leaves start to grow. Take care not to bruise stem tissues as you cut. Strip off the lower leaves and also all flowers and buds. Let some leaves remain, say two or three, to nourish the new plant.

To speed things up, dip the cut ends in a hormone powder like Rootone or Hormodin, but be sure to shake off excess powder before planting. These rooting agents contain a fungicide that protects cuttings from rotting; they are most useful when the rooting medium has not been sterilized.

Fill the flat or cutting bed with sharp sand or a mixture of sand and peatmoss or sphagnum moss. Insert cuttings deep enough to support them but don't let any leaves touch the rooting medium. Firm each cutting securely. Provide bottom heat with a lead-covered heating cable or just set the flat on a shelf above the heater. Cover cuttings with plastic to maintain soil moisture and promote the humidity that encourages quick rooting. Shade for a few days with plastic or newspaper. Lift this while you mist the cuttings with a fine water spray perhaps once or twice a day. Hardwood cuttings are set deeper than softwood, and need more time to root; they also require a little more heat.

Pot-In-Pan Device
When you have only a few cuttings to propagate, the pot-in-pan device is a convenience. Place a small clay pot, the drainage hole stoppered with a cork or floral clay, in the center of an 8-inch bulb-pan. Fill the area between the pots with clean sharp sand or other rooting medium, soak it well, then insert the cuttings in a circle around the small pot. Fill the center pot with water to the brim. Water will seep through the porous walls of the clay pot to maintain even moisture for the cuttings. The entire arrangement can be covered with a plastic bag to produce a humid atmosphere.