- 1). Combine equal measures of grit sand, milled peat moss and perlite inside a 6-inch plastic pot. Mix the components by hand while adding 1 cup of water into the pot. Keep mixing until the ingredients are combined and moistened.
- 2). Pack the soil mixture firmly into the pot until the surface is even and all the air pockets are gone. Make a 3-inch deep hole in the center of the soil using a finger, pencil or other narrow implement.
- 3). Gather a 6 inch long cutting from a vigorous prostrate juniper branch's tip. Find one with fresh, green growth at the tip and hard, grayish bark at the base. Make the cut between two whorls of foliage using pruning shears.
- 4). Pull off all the needles from the bottom half of the cutting. Wound the cutting's base with a utility knife. Scrape off a 1-inch long sliver of bark on opposite sides of the cutting. Remove a sliver measuring no more than 1/8 inch in width.
- 5). Pour 1 to 2 tbsp. of 0.2-percent IBA rooting hormone talc onto a sheet of newspaper. Press the cutting's bottom half into the rooting hormone talc until it is completely coated. Tapping the cutting knocks loose the excess talc.
- 6). Stick the prostrate juniper cutting's base into the hole until the lowest sets of needles rest just above the soil's surface. Press the soil tight against the cutting's base.
- 7). Set the potted cutting where it receives bright, filtered light but no direct sunlight. Apply bottom heat to the pot using a propagation heat mat set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Turning off the propagation heat mat at night simulates outdoor conditions.
- 8). Misting the cutting daily with a spray bottle keeps the needles and stem hydrated. Mist the surrounding soil whenever it feels dry at a depth of 1 inch.
- 9). Check the cutting for roots three weeks after potting. Do not be discouraged if it takes up to six weeks to root. Grip the cutting's base between your thumb and forefinger and try to lift it. If the cutting does not yield to the movement, it successfully rooted.
- 10
Keep the cutting in a sheltered spot during the winter. Water it only if no rain falls for longer than three weeks. - 11
Plant the prostrate juniper in a permanent bed the following spring after the ground thaws and daytime temperatures reach 65 F.
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