M. alba I believe is normally propagated by grafting (onto M. champaca I think). Don't know whether this is due to the difficulty of propagating from seed or growing from cuttings, or whether the alba doesn't come true from seed. Possibly all of the above. M. champaca is grown on its own rootstock and is not too difficult to grow from seed, provided the seed is fresh enough and the temperature is warm enough. I tried numerous times to grow it from ebay-bought seed but had always sowed them in spring or early summer, when nights can still occasionally be fresh. (I don't have a heat mat.) It was only when I sowed seed in mid-summer, when night temperatures hover around 20-20 deg C (about 70 deg F) that they germinated. So they need 24-hour warmth (ie no cool nights), and humidity (I misted them with water and covered with plastic) to germinate. I believe that the champaca DOES come true from seed. Unless, perhaps, there are other species of michelia in the vicinity with which it has hybridised ...

Jasmines are one of the easiest to propagate from cuttings. Take about six inch cuttings with 2-4 leaves. Stick the bottom 2 inches into good soil. Enclose the pot in a humidity chamber. A gallon milk container, plastic tote or any clear plastic covering will work. Put it in a warm, bright but shaded location will work. Should root in 2-4 weeks.

Hmm... in Z6, you're at the edge of hardiness for G. jasminoides. What's the CW for your area? Are they evergreen or deciduous there? I wouldn't know what to advise beyond basic zone-cheating techniques like building up a pile of leaves around it, but if it's evergreen, that's not the right thing. Putting it an a protected corner or against the south side of your house could help, especially if you have a basement. If small enough, you can put an upside-down pot over it. Yes, when there are a couple hundred blooms, it really does waft.

I put the containers in our basement/garage. No freezing/frost. I occasionally will add some water - maybe a cup or so, but not usually enough to run out of the bottom. It sort of replaces the rain. The soil does get very dry before a short watering. Other than that - I just leave them alone. Plants when dormant do not need sunlight. I do NOT fertilize at all - just use the cheapest potting soil I can find that does not have large particles or lumps of wood. I do water the soil right after striking (putting in soil) the cuttings. It is moist and holds moisture but not running out of the bottom. I don't have enough saucers for all the containers, so they are just plopped on the cement and I don't want water running all over the floor. The cuttings will look positively dead! They are not and when the time is right, they will leaf out. When? depends on the daylight/night time relationship. Even though the basement had very limited daylight - the plants know. If you are worried about this - put them outside - shade or partial sun - after frost and they will figure it out. It does not seem to depend on the temperature. As I tell all my people in the workshops on Propagating, it is not brain surgery! Don't fret each step - just do it. Here are some facts that might make it easier to do. 1. You can use any branch, if it has blooms - just cut them off. 2. I do cuttings at any time of the year. Cut a branch, trim and put into soil. 3. Put twice as many as you want to root. 50% success is a great goal. 4. Make sure your containers have drainage. No rocks or pot pieces, just solid soil. 5. At least 2 leave nodes under the soil - they will be root nodes when buried. 5a. Wound or slightly score the stem that is under the soil. Roots will emerge there. 6. You can cut the leaves on the branches in half - to reduce water loss. 7. Run your hands softly over the leaf nodes a couple of months after they drop their leaves and you might feel new branches starting to emerge. 8. If you don't see new growth from leaf nodes, watch for it at the base of the cutting. 9. Be patient, some cuttings will take several months to show any growth. 10. Good luck!