Sorry about replying so late to this message - hope you are still watching this site!

When I worked at Yerba Buena Nursery, we did all our cuttings in a mix of perlite and vermiculite. I think the ratio was 8 parts perlite to 2 parts vermiculite. Peat tends to hold moisture and makes cuttings rot!

The right rooting medium and conditions may be more important than the rooting hormone. I have rooted Ceanothus cuttings with mere Rootone, so a strong IBA solution is not always necessary or desirable.

Manzanitas are more difficult, and may warrant a stronger hormone solution. Both shrubs should root well in the fall, after the hot, dry weather has passed. Another thing about native shrub cuttings is that people often over-water or over mist them. If possible, wate the cutting flat so that just the cutting medium gets wet. Continual water on the leaves of the cuttings can rot them. This is especially true of manzanitas, which are highly susceptible to fugal pathogens.

A bit of peat in the potting soil, once the cuttings have rooted, is a good idea, as long as you don't overdo it. The acidity conferred by the peat is good for manzanitas, but remember, in the wild, the acidity in their native soil is mineral in origin, rather than organic. Also, too much peat in either the cutting flat or potting soil can attract fungus gnats, whose tiny larvae will eat the roots of cuttings and young plants.

So, try the cuttings again in the fall, and good luck!

Lori</p>