From what I have read, humidity is really for the leafy part of the cutting, not important for root formation. So really, having an "enclosed" propagation box for hadwood cuttings is a bad idea unless you are someone who forgets to water. Is this correct? Having the roof on would be good for the leaves once they sprout on the dormant hardwood cutting, but then you have to go through the process of weaning them off the humidity - plus more humidity means more risk of mold and rot. This is from things I have read, I have no meaningful experience (I have rooted things but am not sure why it worked beyond the fact that the cuttings rooted before they rotted... in some instances - I certainly have rotted lots of cuttings in the past two).

So use the roof "enclosed" humid system for softwood cuttings only?

For hardwood cuttings really you just need the potting medium to be sterile, moist but not wet, and bottom heat. Air circulation and light will help prevent mold but watch out for cutting desiccation (sealing wounded areas of cutting that will be above soil line with wax could help retain moisture, or temporarily add humidity dome, mist etc. if that looks like things are a little dry).

I read that a 1% Hydrogen Peroxide / water mix used for watering cuttings and misting works to prevent mold and even treat mild mold on cuttings in a propagation flat. I tried this for the first time today.

Am I correct in this? Please comment, thank you!

It's a blizzard here in Boston. Good day to garden indoors!

Though dont cuttings sometimes leaf out without rooting (from the stored energy in the cutting) and then die once that energy is used up? Would the humidity dome be helpful for those leaves? To try to keep things alive until things root? I have some cuttings of haskap that I stuck 5 days ago and the buds are already leafing out - can they have rooted this quickly? Should I give the leaves humidity dome now or do they not need it? tku

My understanding was that the idea with hardwood cuttings was to have a warm soil and cool air which would prevent leaf out until they root.

Ah, that makes sense. I had the dome on so it had warm soil AND warm air. Hope they still make it. thanks!

At least in fig cuttings, a humidity dome is used to keep the cutting from desiccating and the rooting medium from drying out. If the medium gets too dry, roots will not form or will die out. Done properly, you would not have to wet the rooting medium during the initial rooting period, avoiding rot forming on the cutting or new roots. However, mold is an issue. What many people do is open the humidity dome a couple of times a day to exchange air. A lot of people on the OurFigs forum swear by the 3 cup method.

Figs will root no matter what you do. People rooting figs shouldn't be taken as gurus. You can literally stick a fig stem in the ground and it will root over 50% of the time.

I root roses outside. I take hardwood cuttings, stick them in some pine bark fines and water. I leave them outside in dappled light until new leaves grow. I tried so many other ways and was making it harder than it needed to be. It is very humid in my zone, so I don't spray. mist or cover. I also take cuttings in the very late fall and do the same with them. They all have growth now and I have potted some up.