Cuttings: aeroponic cloning box or seed tray and humidity lid?

[JonW]

The seeds trays are cheaper, but is there a significant benefit to aeroponic? I have a grow tent with light and heat for winter and want to improve success with some harder to propagate species. Last summer was humid/wet and I had crazy success with cuttings, but this year I really struggled due to dryness despite a spray system.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

I do a bit of everything.

1. I've had an aeroponic propagator for 4 years now and it generates the vast majority of the cuttings I root. I have a 40 cell model. I absolutely recommend using an aeroponic propagator.
   • I'd guess I generate over 100 rooted cuttings per season.
   • It can't do everything but it can root a lot of things and it is quicker and is more obvious what's going on than other mechanisms.
   • certain species have fantastic results where I'd never been able to get them to root previously: Japanese maples, Italian Alder, Chinese Ash, Ginkgo, Korean Hornbeam, Crabapples and European hornbeam/Crataegus.
   • there are species which will root in 2 weeks: Ficus, Chinese elms, Chinese ash, Zelkova serrata, Plectranthus ernestii and Lonicera nitida. I even wire some cutting prior to putting them in the propagator because they root 100%.
2. Heated cables and a substrate bed in my walk-in plastic greenhouse
   • I keep trying this but it's not a success by any means
   • hard to control the drying out - easy to fuck up.
3. Normal cuttings in pots (sometimes in plastic bags) in my greenhouse
   • It works well for certain species - Pyracantha and quince are good example here - won't root in aeroponic propagator.
   • woody cuttings don't like the wetness in the AP.
4. Cuttings outside in a garden bed
   • Easy rooting species work fine, anything else, ymmv.

I think I paid €125/$135 for the aeroponic propagator and it's generated more decent rooted cuttings in the last 4 years than I've had from other methods combined over the last 20. Get one.