Where to put my cuttings?

[leatherback]

Hi All,

Yesterday I was at a club evening where a very large ittoigawa with pretty foliage was styled. I came home with a bag full of cuttings, which I will put in the ground for a few years to get some stock for grafting, and later, styling.

So I planted a tray full this evening. Typically I plant cuttings straight in the dirt in a growin bed, but I need to do a bit of cleanup first. So that will be later. So no clue what the ideal spot would be now.. looking for recommendations.

We are mid-winter. Termperatures will drop to 25F at night, and around freezing during the day by this weekend, and is expected to stay there till at least feb. Feb usually is our coldest month, and a bunch of days into the 0-10F us not unheard of. After mid-march frost risk drops, and spring typically starts.

So.. My options:

- Tray outside on a bench. Downside: Full frost exposure, and risk of seeking bird messing things up (Would not be the first time)
- In a shed, relatively frost-free but dark
- In a greenhouse. Well protected from bird etc. No deep frost. But on sunny days temperatures easily rise to 50, 60F

Any thoughts?

 

[Dav4]

Tray outside, but under the bench and on the ground.

 

[Shibui]

Completely different climate over here but maybe some ideas can assist.
I strike all my cuttings in a green house. Warmer temps should encourage the roots and humidity is important so the cuttings do not dehydrate before they grow roots. Greenhouse should have higher humidity than outside. Second choice is Dav4s under the bench.
Dark is not good for cuttings. Leaves need light to make food to help initiate new roots.
J. chinensis cuttings often take a long time to root. Some of mine can take 12 months before roots form and need good humidity all that time. I don't think they would root well in the growing beds. Evergreen cuttings usually need different conditions to dormant deciduous.

 

[leatherback]

Thx Dav and Shibui.

@Shibui: So far I have taken most of my cuttings just in the ground. I let the weeds that pop up grow as they want, providing the moisture needed, retaining much of the night condensation for a long time. I now just have so many cuttings that I do not have the space to quickly pop them somewhere, so I decided to try and do a tray full.