Demacross: you've asked a lot of good questions that Cervantes answers in his book, "MARIJUANA HORTICULTURE." He has a good section on seed propagation and excellent coverage of cloning. If you don't already own it, it's readily available at book stores like Barnes and Noble and you can find it on line. SeeMoreBuds also does a good job also in his book, "MARIJUANA BUDS FOR LESS."
Before you go any further you might also want to look at the June 2011 edition of "HIGH TIMES." They have a great article on propagation and germination starting on page 112. I hope that helps because you've asked some good questions but there aren't any short simple answers to what you've asked that are appropriate here. HSA