Plain old peat moss and Perlite (NOT Miracle grow perlite) is usually what people use. Some use sand instead of Perlite, some use long fibered sphagnum moss. It has be be free of fertilizers. A 50/50 mix of those is all you need.

nn, The sun could have been a problem, but it sounds like it wasn't (no sunburn). Pictures would be right handy. It sounds like your suggested soil method is spot-on. 'Too dry' can happen to succulents, but not usually - it's best to let them get dry between waterings. When it's warm and succulents are in growth (and porous soil), a weekly watering is usually sufficient. I hadn't heard of Taciveria (Tacitus x Echeveria) before (someone must have officially declared Graptopetalum bellum is actually Tacitus bellus). Echeveria lilicina is a great plant and it's difficult to have too much 'Blue Haze'.

maidenhair ferns, heart fern, small adiantum, button ferns, brake ferns, & selaginalla Note: Concerns w/ collecting moss from outdoors Wild patches of moss can be very slow to recover from the depredations of collectors. Rather than damaging/destroying the micro-ecosystems these are a part of, it is best to leave them alone. Further more wild mosses are usually very specific with regards to their habitat. A moss growing on a rock is not going to be happy growing on wood mulch for example. Unless care is made to duplicate their microhabitat, they rarely flourish when brought indoors. Also wild mosses may harbor unwelcomed critters like snails.

I've copied your post, Sean, and inserted my replies in italics... Hi guys, I've been brought to these forums as I've been trying to propagate some cuttings of various trees around where I live. As mentioned in the title, I'm quite the novice so any advice/thoughts would be greatly appreciated. The set up I have is a 24 way divided greenhouse container purchased from my local hardware store (see pics). I'm trying to grow several jacaranda cuttings and a few other trees that look like some fig species (could be entirely wrong here). Until now, I've just followed some basic cutting instructions from online, but after a hit rate of 0% after my first batch I assumed I was doing something. I'm living in Sydney where it is currently Spring. Some questions: - Moisture levels: I have been planting the cuttings in a mix of vermiculite and purlite (soil-less mixes were suggested) which I give a spray over before and after planting the cuttings. Vermiculite is not a great choice as it contains less air than perlite. Perlite, being of sperical shapes, holds air (oxygen) which is required by roots. Vermiculite is isort of in the shapes of rectangular prisms. Check it out on Google. And therefore it pacts down. The first attempt was left in some direct sunlight… Yes, this would have cooked the cuttings. Even if the lid had been left off, direct sunlight is not a good idea. … which I believe basically steamed the whole lot. Second time around, I have kept out of direct sunlight but still exposed to bright light. Should I be leaving the ventilation slots open? closed? half and half? Fully open. Actual Cuttings: I have been removing all but around 2 or 3 leaves from the cuttings I take, whilst cutting the remaining leaves in half or thereabouts. A few cuttings appear to lose their leaf stems after a couple of days to a week. Is this the correct procedure? I am not sure what you mean by 'losing their leaf stems'. Cuttings should look like they did when you first made them. Some leaves might fall off but cuttings should never look wilted, blackened or frightened. Mold/barking: I've attached photos of some white fluff that appears on a few of the cuttings. I've read this could be a process called 'barking' whilst others assume it to be mold. Should I expect this and if not, how should i remove? I've never heard of barking. I wouldn't like white fluff about anywhere on the cuttings. I suspect it is mould. This is a sign of too much humidiy. In fact, I think even with the vents fully open there might be too much himidity. I was thinking of suggesting that you prop the lip up a little to provide even more ventilation. Blackened Tips: The ends of some cuttings appear to darken in colour, almost blackening after a few days as well. I'm assuming the tips are dying off here but I'm not entirely sure. Does this mean I'm leaving too many leaves on the cutting? It doesn't mean that you are leaving too many leaves on the cuttings. We always left at least half on. Blackened tips means that the cutting is almost certainly failing and is best removed. You can fit many more cuttings in your pots than just one single one.