I use a clone bucket and follow the directions that came with it..

Basically a pH of about 6.0 (give or take), 400 ppm bloom nutes, a bit of vit B. I put the entire unit on a seedling matt with a digital controller and place the temp sensor in the bucket, set it for 75 deg. Dependent on the strain, age of plant I'm cloning (new plants tend to root faster), I have rooted clones in 2 weeks or less with nearly a 100% success rate.

As far as the cuts themselves.. nothing special, a 45 degree cut, let them sit in clonex for a minute and in the system they go.

This is about as simple as it gets..

Hope you work it out!

Peace, Farmer Rich