Since I took cuttings today, I figured why not go ahead and share a great soil mix I like to use as well as give a small pictorial on taking cuttings from pepper mothers.
Anyone can make this soil and its much cheaper to make than buying pro mix or any other brand name mediums. Its light and airy so roots can ROCKET through it. This mix can be used for starting seed and propagating cuttings, as it is very conservative in the nutrient department.
If I'm using a standard 5 gallon bucket, the ratios are as follows:
First I start with 2 shovel fulls of native garden soil (from where the plants will be going)
Then 2 shovel fulls of peat.
1 Shovel full of Vermiculite
2 Shovel Fulls of Perlite (don't be stingy with this stuff, its great)
Then some Mychoraeze innoculant (great for helping roots "eat" more)
Then a small amount of a light N source( i used Kelp here, but worm castings is a great alternative)
Mix really well with your hands and you will end up with a great soil mix tailored for these types of applications. It should look something like this beauty here.
Cutting pictorial cont on next post...