What I've found is that grow lights really aren't necessary since most of the plants will go dormant due to the cold temps. What is important if planting them out is that they have hardened off. If you took hardwood cuttings then you should be fine with a nice layer of mulch. I take hardwood cuttings of butterfly bushes, red twig dogwood, and others this time of year after they have become dormant. Semi-ripe or greenwood cuttings (although best left for earlier in the year) I'll keep in the garage next to a window until the weather warms up. Once I finish my greenhouse-shed I'll have a new home for them!

Dave, thanks for answering! Uh oh, these are softwood cuttings on the butterfly bushes. Very little shoots. Sounds like I either need to a) dig them up and pot them and bring them inside (they're spaced close, so maybe I could dig them all together and not disturb the roots), or b) put soda bottles or glass jars over them in the garden. Or, am I wasting my time doing either of those?

I know where the bush lives (lol), so it won't break my heart if I need to try again in the spring. It would be nice if I could help these make it, though. I was going to bring a few to the swap. :)

You could try the bottle idea. Once the cuttings have hardened off it shouldn't be necessary. As a "general guideline" greenwood/softwood cuttings - spring though early summer, semi-ripe - summer and early fall, and hardwood in fall and winter. That's petty much all I worry about and it seems to work well. That's not to say I haven't cheated some though! I'm an addict, I'll admit it. ;)

Thanks Dave. :) That's an easy guideline to remember. I'll try bottles on a few of these. I think it's going to stay fairly warm for little bit longer anyway.

I can see that propagation can become very addictive!

I think with the butterfly bushes, if they're rooted pretty firmly--and they should be at a month in the ground, simply mulching them deeply, then raking the mulch away in the spring should be enough protection. They're pretty hardy and hard to kill for the most part. With the roses, I'd be a bit wary of the soda bottle coverage because of the risk of the sun heating them enough to steam the plants--leaving the cap off the bottles will prevent that, but will let the cold in at night. Again, I think mulch is your friend in this situation, and covering them with a row cover, or a plastic tunnel with the ends left loose except for the coldest days/nights will keep them a few degrees warmer than ambient air temps.

Thanks Wiley! I will take your advice on the mulch for the butterfly bushes. I am hoping (?) the roses will be OK under a bottle, as I have them in mostly shade (gets just a bit of morning light). I'll have to keep an eye on them, though, as the oak that's shading them loses its leaves. That may change things...or not. They're also behind a couple of big boxwoods which might keep them shaded. Anyway, thanks for the heads-up!

I've started a bunch of stuff in the little grow boxes we talked about at the plant swap. I'll bring them all into the garden shed for winter - if it ever gets here. The shed has a window and a tiny heater.

Here is a link that might be useful: garden blog

Ok, I finally had a minute to upload a crappy camera phone pic of my Zephrine Droughin Climbing Rose cutting propagation progress. Any & all help, opinions, etc. appreciated! =)

Steve, those are looking haw-some! Do you have drainage holes in the bottom of your soda bottle thingie? I didn't put any in mine, and now I'm worried I should have.

Thanks! =) Yea, I originally only had 3-4 very small holes & about a week or so ago got worried that wasn't enough. So, now there are several somewhat larger holes in the bottom of it. When I punched the larger holes, I watered it a ton to kind of flush it. I just wish it would grow some more! lol...still green as can be though.

I have some random cuttings going in the propagation box that paperart introduced us to at the swap. I'm trying different kinds of hydrangea, geranium, viburnum, red honeysuckle and sweet autumn clematis. So far all look good. I have it in my sunroom but not in direct light. I may break down and dig up a hydrangea stem to see if it's doing anything. I started the box on Halloween. Updates to come. Isn't this fun?

It is fun. I'm a little addicted to it right now. :)

Update: It looks like my rose cuttings in the soda bottle greenhouse have bitten the dust. :( The stems are still green (sort of), so I'll leave them in a while longer, but it's not looking good.

The ones I planted in plastic cups and put in baggies are still hanging in there. Those are the Zephirine. I have discovered a good place to put these is on the back of my garden tub, which has a window above it. I hope I'm not cooking them there, but so far they look OK (they've been there about a week).

The cuttings I put outside under a soda bottle (same as the cuttings from the soda bottle inside) are still hanging in there too!

I've been trading for seeds and cuttings on some of the exchange forums too. :p I'm going to try winter sowing.

Connie,you will love the wintersowing.I will never sow a seed any other way.Let me tell you though,it is very,very addictive.

Velvet, I saw you posted to the same thread I did, agnella in Seed Exchange. She is SO nice! Just got some red twig dogwood cuttings from her yesterday.

Maybe you will let me pick your brain when it comes time to sow seeds. :) I have gotten a bunch of cool stuff in trades and online, and now I just hope I can do it right!