Usually you use a stick, pencil, chopstick or similar as a “dibbler”, to press deep narrow holes ready to receive the cuttings. This way you don’t damage them by using themselves to press in. If you want, dust the base of the cuttings with hormone rooting compound. Some plants need this. Others less. It is useful to make sure the soil has plenty of washed sand or pearlite (heat treated silica) and some low nutrient organic matter such as milled pine bark or coconut fibre. These will provide a light structure, air, moisture and just a little nutrient to encourage the roots that do grow. And will make it easier to remove the rooted cuttings when you are ready to pot them on, without breaking the roots.

Some plants can grow easily from cuttings by just pressing stems into ordinary garden soil. Others are more fussy. Keeping them in a constant humidity can be vital. Two simple ways to do this…

1. After the cuttings are in, poke 3 to 4 long thin sticks into your pots around the edges, so their tops sit well above your cuttings. Place a clear plastic bag over this structure and tie or tape this to the pot. To water, simply stand the pot in water to a third-half its depth for an hour, then drain. Keep in a place with dappled light. Cooler for cool climate plants. Warmer place or even in a morning sun window for warm climate plants, that are being grown in cool climates.
2. Place the pots of cuttings on a bed of gravel or jute carpet underfelt inside one of those translucent storage boxes. Keep the box in a semi-shaded place and keep checking water levels to make sure the humidity is maintained, but not to make the soil sodden. You do not want the base of the cuttings to rot.