rooting rhododendron cuttings

**h*@aol.com**

The note on willow water and rooting rhododenron cuttings hit a note.....

For several years I've been watching a rhody in a very steep slope at about 2800 feet in the Catskills.  I've never seen it flower and this year it's got one bud that is taking forever to open.  It may, it may not.  In the mean time I haven't been able to id the plant and since it's the only one I've found in this area thought I'd try to root some cuttings.

The new shoots are now about 6 inches long and I'd like to take some cuttings and try to root them.  I've built a small rooting box, will fill it with a rooting medium and make a frame so I can keep plastic over it.  I don't have a misting system or bottom heat so I'm kinda wingin it.  I do have IBA in powdered form.

So....anyone have any advice?  My first chore is to coax my 17 year old son up the slope face to get to the plant and take cuttings.  Do rhodies root at axillary buds or do they simply callous and form roots on the cutting itself without a bud or brach scar?

Any help or advise would be much appreciated.  I think I'll only have one chance at this and that's the first challenge.  The second will be getting the cutting(s) to root.  The third growing it on and the fourth....getting it to flower...in my lifetime.

Thanks in advance for your guidance and suggestions. 

Andrew
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