Below is a tutorial I wrote about cloning roses. I can't help with the shrubs and trees, although I've found that native trees self-seed and the gardener doesn't really need to do anything special.
I hope this helps:
Rose Propagation
I have found in Texas, taking cuttings is best done in early November. The cuttings don’t have to fight the summer heat, and by spring are ready to either up-pot or put in the ground. For those who live in the North where summer temps don’t climb much above 90°, spring is the time to take cuttings.
You will need:
· a pair of very sharp scissors, or a knife
· a small bucket of rainwater, or tap water that has set for 24 hours to dissipate chemicals, and water for watering in the cuttings, also non-chemical
· rooting hormone (I use the powdered kind available at nurseries or big box stores, but the gel works well although more expensive)
· Perlite and vermiculite, also available at nurseries and big boxes
· Shallow pots (the bottom 1/3 of a plastic gallon water container, large butter tubs, etc.) that are about 6” deep and have drainage holes poked in the bottom
· Trays to set the pots in
· Transparent covers for the pots (I use 2 liter soda bottles, but transparent plastic bags with a couple of small slits cut in them are fine)
· A Chop stick or pencil
· Watering can with perforated head that provides a gentle “rain” of water.
· A small spoon or spatula
Method:
Make sure the rose you want to propagate is on its own root. Many hybrid teas are grafted (you can tell because, if there is a fairly large bump about 1-2” above the soil line, it is grafted) since their root system is too weak to support the bush. Own-root roses are hardier and good subjects for propagation. (Note: some roses, like the David Austin roses, are patented. You should not propagate these except for your own garden. Selling or even giving them away is illegal, and immoral. How would you like to spend 20 years perfecting a rose and have someone come along and start handing out freebies?)
In the propagation area, fill each of your shallow pots with a 50/50 mix of perlite and vermiculite. Wet it thoroughly, and make sure it is wet throughout by stirring it, then making the surface even.
Select a stem that has had a blossom on it. With your sharp scissors or knife, take a 6” or so cutting. Immediately plunge the entire cutting into the bucket, putting as much of the cutting underwater as possible (this keeps the cutting hydrated).
When you get to the propagation area, make sure the shallow pots are filled almost to the brim with the mix, and that they are sitting in water catching trays; that the perlite/vermiculite mix is thoroughly damp; and that you have the knife/scissors and pencil or chop stick handy.
Put some of the rooting hormone in a very small jar (I use small aspirin jars). If you are using the rooting gel, put some in a bottle cap or small shallow container. Don’t use the original container, because if your cutting has any disease, it can be transmitted to all the rooting hormone, and to subsequent cuttings.
Take one of the cuttings, strip off all the leaves except 4 or 5 at the top, and make a new cut just below where there were a pair of leaf stems (before you stripped them off), and do this under water. The cut can be blunt or diagonal, but you must do this under water to keep the stem’s cells open.
Immediately plunge about 1” of the cut end into the rooting medium and tap or shake off the excess.
Make a hole in the mix with your pencil or chop stick and put the cutting into the hole, about 2” deep. (You make the hole so the rooting stuff doesn’t rub off entering the mix.)
When you have three or four cuttings in your pot, water gently from overhead until water comes out the bottom of the pot. This is the last time you’ll water overhead, but it helps settle the cutting in the medium.
Cover the pot with the transparent cover. If you are using the plastic bottles, put a plastic label, popsicle stick or a few small flat pebbles to leave about ¼” of air space between the bottle and the watering tray. If you are using transparent plastic bags, put three or four 1’ sticks around the perimeter of the pot, put the bag over them to keep the plastic off the cuttings. Your bag should have two small vents cut in it to allow some air circulation.
Place the pots in an area out of direct sun, but with natural light. Check the potting medium frequently to see that it stays moist, but not soggy. When you water, water from the bottom by adding water to the tray.
Have patience. Some roses will strike roots in a matter of a few weeks, others take longer. When you want to test, pull upwards on the cutting very gently. If there is resistance, roots are forming.
You will see new leaves growing. This is not necessarily a sign of rooting. You may also see the top of the rooting mix turning green. Don’t worry—it won’t hurt your cuttings.
After six to eight weeks, with the spoon or spatula gently lift one of the cuttings out of the rooting medium. New roots should be forming. If not, return it to the mix. If the cutting stem turns black, it is a goner and should be thrown away.
When your cutting shows a good amount of roots, place it in a 4” pot in good potting soil without fertilizer added to it, and keep it out of wind and hot sun. Water when needed, fertilize sparingly, and up-pot when you see roots coming out of the pot’s drainage holes. When you have had your cutting in a one-gallon pot for several months, it is ready to go into the garden, and it’s time to congratulate yourself for being a rose master!
