Here's an update so far. I tried an experiment of putting the callused cuttings into different pots of the same well-draining soil mix. One pot has been treated the same as some Crassula perforata I am trying to propagate after accidentally breaking the head off the stem -- I placed the cuttings in the soil, left it alone for several days, and then misted them. The other pot has not been misted at all. The Faucaria cuttings that were misted immediately developed the same soft rot on their lower leaves, so I threw them away. (Meanwhile, the Crassula heads have developed small roots.) The Faucaria cuttings that were not misted are still green and firm, but (unsurprisingly) no roots have begun developing.

Should i have left it alone to begin with? I tried to, but i was watching it get more and more rotten by the minute and became convinced it was rot because of the clear yellowish liquid that came out when i poked the soft part with a needle. I have grown many non rooted cuttings and never experienced any rot or growth issues before. I will definitely leave it now, thank you for your input.

Hi everyone! and thanks in advance to anyone that replies! Hi, and welcome to the discussions! I'm on a super tight gardening budget this year - and by super tight I mean the only way I'll be getting flowers/plants for my container garden is from taking cuttings/seeds from what I already have and what my friends/family are willing to let me take little "snips" of. Anybody with cash can go buy a truckload of beautiful blooms - even have someone plant and care for them. What you want to do takes love, patience, consistent effort, forethought, determination, and IMO, can be extremely satisfying. I'm fairly new to propagating from cuttings - I have Purslane and Blue Daze (Evolvus) down pat, but I don't know what type of cutting and when to take them from ... pretty much anything else, I don't know if it's even possible to take cuttings from some stuff. Here's a list of the plants I have at my "snipping" disposal - Here's my experiences with some of your list... Clematis ... I had 'the president' but it pooped out the first day it was 100 degrees - boo) Clems like to be in full sun with their roots cool. Next time, try placing a potted plant so that it shades your clem roots during the hottest part of the day. This may help it get going. Remove flowers after the petals fall off so the plant does not waste any energy making seeds. Clems take a few years to establish. They make seeds but it is uncertain if seeds will make the same flowers as the parent plant. Mulch is very helpful for Clems. Balloon flower (platycodon grandiflorus - just the regular one and P.g. 'Mariesii') - makes seeds that are ready when the seed pods develop openings at the top. A long-lived perennial. Hosta (32 jillion varieties) - divisions as soon as the summer heat passes or early spring. Hostas live for a LONG time. Columbine - makes seeds that are ready when the seed pods develop openings at the top. Individual plants are short-lived perennials. Canna (My grandpa is going to mow over them if I don't come dig them up this weekend - can you move them any time or will they just die? Most of his don't have flowers and I don't know if it's because he doesn't water or if it's because he mows over them almost every year - can you grow them in containers?) - makes tubers that can be moved about any time. If grandpa mows them, no big deal. I think the ground (vs. in a pot) is preferable for anything perennial in your zone. Try to put them somewhere where they won't be soggy all winter but will get plenty of water in the summer. Mowing and/or lack of water could both lead to lack of flowers. You can cut large tubers in half to make more, and each year the tubers get bigger and make "pups." They also make seeds but people don't always have an easy time trying to get these seeds to sprout. A long-lived perennial as long as the tubers don't rot in the winter. Jasmine (not sure on variety, it may have...

Ok.....Where do we start. This is a no no....."I've already repotted them in more loose, drier soil. Water only once a week". You never water a cutting to root. All you do is let them harden off at the cut part, or callous over. Then dip in rooting with fungicide hormone and stick it in just MOIST soil, not WET. You never water a cutting until it is growing leaves. How is your cutting going to benefit from a good drink of water, when there is no leaves to take up anything. The cuttings just sit in that wet soil, and rot. These cutting will not take up water until they are in leaf. What causes the roots to grow is HEAT not water. The more heat the better. I have a friend who lives in Florida, and when he cuts his plumies up, he tosses the cuttings into a dirt pile and they just root in full sun, with no water. Keep your cutting close to a strong grow light, in a sunny warm window, preferrabll in a black pot that the sun will warm up, or put heat matts under them. They will grow roots with no water. The whites spots, I am not sure of what they are unless you send a picture. Could be anything. If it is mold, I would buy a mold control spray you can buy at the local greenhouse and treat your stems. Don't give up on them!!! If you think that the bottom of your cuttings have the slightest bit of rot, cut them and follow the first step I told you ok. If the cuttings are long enough, you can salvage them and start over. When you get a first leaf, or if your cuttings start to really shrivel because your soil is dry , lets us know and from there we will tell you what to do with the watering. Just worry about one thing at a time ok. It can be a rewarding experience to see these plumies root if you just leave the water out and give lots of heat. Remember...HEAT makes roots, not water. When you get roots and leaves, then, water makes it grow..:-) Also YES, use the fastest draining soil you can make..Good point!