The original idea offered me used paper towels, which was too cost ineffective to my sensibilities. Paper bags might work, I don't know. I haven't experimented with them. I don't know how damp they would be nor how malleable once wet without shredding. I have discovered there are various qualities of newsprint out there. The ones which appear to have the longest fibers, hence the greatest durability for squeezing have been The New York Times and USA Today. Both were saved for me by friends. The local paper in the South Bay where I most recently demonstrated the method turned into mush when wet. It was like wet lint and turned into huge spit wads when wrung out. I have used the small, local, multi page ad mailer with good results. Whatever you use should hold moisture without dripping and should be able to be tightly firmed against the cuttings to provide good contact when wrapped. It appears, like firm soil contact stimulates rooting, firm damp paper contact stimulates callusing and rooting. My last two batches came out earlier than the two weeks; were held under just under 70 degrees and had the damp paper very firmly pressed around them and all had greatly callused. They were much further along than the preceding batches which weren't quite as tightly wrapped and which were held a few degrees cooler. As long as your paper is soft enough to get firmly pressed against the cuttings when wrapped and doesn't remain too wet or too dry, it should work. Give it a try! It would be interesting trying some of the same cuttings, at the same time, in the same place, prepared the same way using newspaper, toweling and the wrapping paper to see if you discern any differences. That would make a very interesting experiment! My wrapping window appears to have closed. The roses are far too developed due to the heat. This last bunch were from cuttings I collected in the next valley north where they are a few weeks behind where my area is due to elevation and distance from the ocean. They were obviously less heat pushed and had experienced several rather stiff frosts where mine experienced no frosts and virtually no "winter" in comparison. Kim

I haven't wrapped azaleas yet because they rooted as easily as the hibiscus, the same way I rooted hibiscus. I have wrapped lilac and it callused. So far, there are still four pieces of lilac pushing new growth, but no visible roots in their pots. They're fresh and appear to be growing. I won't know for a while if it's going to work. Laurus noblis hasn't callused, but it also isn't deteriorating once planted (three weeks). I did the azalea out of curiosity, using various size and thickness cuttings. They took easily. I don't know if they flowered this year or not as I really don't have anywhere suitable to grow them except where they already grow and that's full. They were pieces which grew where I didn't want them to grow, so I tried rooting them instead of just throwing them out. They were cut in October of 2010 and rooted by spring/summer 2011. All I did for the hibiscus and azalea was to fill two gallon cans with Miracle Grow Moisture Control Potting Soil, firming it in very well by hand. I cut the various cuttings and stripped of all but the top leaves. I used Dip'n Grow diluted to between the 10 and 15X levels (probably about 12.5X), just because that "seemed" right, soaking the newly cut cuttings for about six seconds before jamming them into the moistened soil. Once all inserted, I watered a second time and left them in the shade of the house, north side, where they received strong, reflected light and all the rain which fell. It WAS a wet year and spring lasted until June. This year, there hasn't been any rain to speak of and "winter" hasn't happened. It's supposed to be nearly ninety here tomorrow. I gave away pots of hibiscus and azalea last year because they rooted SO easily. They were all varieties I already grow and I didn't need more.

black beans are very good and rich but if you're looking for that original taste and look go for Peruvian beans they are way better than pintos, less gassy and have a richer flavor. All you need is a head of garlic, one full onion some salt, and you can even put a couple serranos when cooking them with boiling water and your good to go.

I, too, have put a few cutting in larger pots with no problems. And like Rina, I use a full on gritty mix. I keep my plants in full sun, but they will get an hour or two of shade through the day. During my wet summers (and before I had used a completely inorganic mix) I move this plant into bright shade on my south facing lanai. By protecting it from excess rain, I deprived it of light. See how far apart the leaves are near the top and middle of the stems? It was etiolated. And the compact growth at the end of the stems is after getting back into the full sun.