Hi sue9,
No, not water. For best results, after you take your cutting dip the
end in "rooting powder" (available at any garden nursery or Walmart)
and place it in a moist "rooting medium" (equal parts of sand and
peat). However, placing in garden soil with no rooting powder would
work too (the powder and medium promote vigorous roots). I've copied
and pasted a few relevant sections below but please click on the links
for full details.
The Boxwood Society: Boxwood Propagation: How are boxwood propagated?
"By far the most widely used method is stem cuttings, which will
produce plants identical to the parent plants. Cuttings, best taken
from parent plants from July to December, should be removed from one
year old branchlets and placed into containers filled with one of
several appropriate media mixes. With frequent watering, rooting
usually takes place in two to three months. Boxwood can also be grown
by layering, in which roots develop on a stem of a parent plant.
Finally, plants can be grown from seedlings, but they can be somewhat
variable from the parent plant."
http://www.boxwoodsociety.org/FAQ.htm#How%20are%20boxwoods%20propagated?
Cuttings
"Stem cuttings can be successfully taken from July to December. During
this period, the cutting has a chance to harden off which will prevent
wilting before a root system grows. Taken later in the winter, the
cuttings are slower to root. The cutting procedure is quite easy.
Cuttings are taken from one year old branchlets. For example, if using
B. sempervirens `Suffruticosa' the cutting would be about 2'/2"; if
using B. microphylla var. japonica it would be about 4" long. Cuttings
are best if obtained in the cool, early morning hours when the stems
have the greatest concentration of water. Once collected, the leaves
are removed from the bottom 1" of the cutting. This bottom portion can
be treated with a rooting hormone. Nearly equal results are achieved
in treatment or non-treatment with rooting hormones, which are
intended to induce the cutting to develop a root system.
The cuttings are then placed in flats or trays. Nearly any type of
container can be used as long as it is able to hold the media and
provide drainage. There are several media mixes that are superior in
promoting rapid and vigorous rooting. It is an equal portion by volume
of pine bark; coarse, sharp builder's sand; and perlite.
Rooting usually occurs in two to three months. During this time,
environments with high humidity consistently result in superior
rooting. Frequent watering with a spray bottle to mist the cuttings
provides satisfactory results. The plants can be planted out in a
protected area the following spring."
http://www.boxwoodsociety.org/boxwood_propagation.htm#CUTTINGS
Layering
"Layering occurs when roots develop on a stem while it is still
attached to the parent plant. When it is pruned off, it becomes a new
plant with its own root system. Some boxwood will do this naturally,
others can be easily induced."
http://www.boxwoodsociety.org/boxwood_propagation.htm#LAYERING
Buxus microphylla
Family: Buxaceae (boxwood family)
Common Names: littleleaf boxwood, small-leaved boxwood, boxwood
"Propagation: Boxwood cuttings are fairly easy to root; take semiripe
tip shoots in summer and root in a moist potting medium under mist or
under a plastic "tent." The species and even some of the cultivars can
be propagated from seeds, which require 2-3 months of chilling before
they will germinate."
http://www.floridata.com/ref/b/buxu_mic.cfm
North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service: Commercial Boxwood
Production: Propagation
"Boxwoods are propagated from semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings. The
best time for rooting is from late summer through fall (September
through November)..."
"Cuttings should be 5 to 6 inches long. Those of highest quality are
from terminal growth..."
"Cuttings are then ready to be treated with a root promoting compound (auxin)..."
"Cuttings may be maintained in a shaded area in rooting beds, flats or
in individual pots filled with an appropriate medium. Media that have
proven satisfactory for propagation of boxwood include sharp builder's
sand, equal parts of peat and perlite or peat and sand."
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-407.html
Propagating for Beginners
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/nursery/pdf/cultural_practices/propagation/beg_prop.pdf
PROPAGATING DECIDUOUS AND EVERGREEN SHRUBS, TREES, AND VINES WITH STEM CUTTINGS
[see photos]
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/pnw0152/pnw0152.html
Good luck with your cuttings! If you have any questions, please post a
clarification request *before* closing/rating my answer and I'll be
happy to reply.
Thank you,
hummer
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